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Custom Shop Archives

Custom Shop: Abernethy Guitars
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: Abernethy Guitars

For this month’s “Custom Shop” column, Jake Serek takes a look into the work of Justin Abernethy of Abernethy Guitars. Justin has had an interesting career, to say the least.

Custom Shop: SVS Designs
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: SVS Designs

Many basses tend to have similar body shapes, but that’s not the case with SVS Designs. Each bass is drawn from the imagination of its owner and tweaked for real life use by luthier Shawn Shannon. With a background in extreme metal, it’s no surprise that the basses carry a certain extreme quality in their designs, although each bass is...

Custom Shop: Nordstrand Guitars
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: Nordstrand Guitars

Following your dreams isn’t always an easy path, but it’s an honest and rewarding one. It’s also one that Carey Nordstrand has followed to create his bass business. After finding his passion for bass, Carey took opportunities to get into the business and expand his knowledge. His bass company, Nordstrand Guitars, has grown from a one-man shop to a group...

Custom Shop: Revsound
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: Revsound

Started in 1983, Revsound is a company that offers handmade bass cabinets. Proprietor David C. Luke’s deep interest in sound and sound production has driven his work to create powerful cabinets with an emphasis on staying lightweight. Luke builds all of the cabs to order in his Effingham, New Hampshire workshop. The RS series includes a 1×10, 2×10, and 4×10...

Fender Custom Shop Unveils 2013 Custom Collection Basses
Basses

Fender Custom Shop Unveils 2013 Custom Collection Basses

Fender Custom Shop has introduced their 2013 Custom Collection, including the 2013 Closet Classic Precision Bass Pro and the 1951 Relic Precision Bass. As with all of the line, the basses are built by Fender’s craftsmen in their Corona, California Custom Shop. The 2013 Closet Classic Precision Bass Pro combines vintage styling with new customized features, says Fender. It’s built...

Warwick Introduces Corvette $$ NT Special Edition 68 Bass
Basses

Warwick Introduces Corvette $$ NT Special Edition 68 Bass

Warwick has unveiled the Corvette $$ NT Special Edition 68, a custom shop bass inspired by the General Motors 1968 Model Corvette Stingray. The hot-rodded bass shares the car’s style with a Candy Apple red finish and an airbrushed aluminum center section while the Corvette name is inlaid into the tigerstripe ebony fingerboard. Available in 4-, 5-, and 6-string versions,...

Custom Shop: BNA Audio
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: BNA Audio

Great things often come out of solutions to problems. For example, bassist Mark Robertson noticed that amplifying an upright bass to really loud levels was an issue that got overlooked by most manufacturers. He eventually discussed it with friend and electronics guru Justin Herlocker, and BNA Audio was born. The team got into building hi-fi bass cabinets and is an...

Bass of the Week: Pedulla MVP/Buzz
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: Pedulla MVP/Buzz

Fretted and fretless models respectively, the Pedulla MVP and Buzz are the flagship basses based on the design that first brought luthier Michael Pedulla to prominence. The unique body shape and fresh approach to ergonomics set them apart from standard designs. The bass starts with a three-piece laminated maple neck that’s reinforced with a double-acting truss rod and two steel...

Custom Shop: Brubaker Guitars
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: Brubaker Guitars

For Kevin Brubaker, an aesthetic mod led to a lifetime of luthiery. Coupling his need to tweak his bass with his background in woodworking, he soon started building his own basses. Since his start nearly 30 years ago, Brubaker has created over a thousand custom instruments. Brubaker Guitars often feature distinctive book-matched tops with exotic woods and extraordinary finishes that...

Custom Shop: Kinal Guitars
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: Kinal Guitars

With a career spanning over 40 years, Vancouver-based Mike Kinal knows a thing or two about luthiery. Trained as a cabinetmaker, Mike got into building basses early in his musical career and has since made hundreds of instruments. His basses have evolved over the years from following the pattern of large manufacturers to creating his own unique style involving exotic...

Custom Shop: Wilkins Guitars
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: Wilkins Guitars

Pat Wilkins of Wilkins Guitars is a man who can appreciate the Old School. After getting his start in amps in the ’70s, he soon switched to guitar building, where he eventually started his own brand. Most recently, Wilkins has turned to recreating vintage basses, right down to the smallest detail. Of course, his work also includes custom work and...

Custom Shop: An Interview with Grant Freifeld of Grant Bass
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: An Interview with Grant Freifeld of Grant Bass

Armed with passion and determination, Ontario-based bassist Grant Freifeld got his start building instruments after becoming disgusted with “cheap painted plywood guitars” and basses that are “someone else’s idea of custom.” After apprenticing with Joe Kovacic of Lado Guitars, Freifeld created his own brand, Grant Bass. His humility allows him to be more open to ideas, citing that expanding his...