Well known for his hugely detailed and exquisite custom builds, Seth Baccus is now expanding his output starting with this bolt-on Shoreline. What’s going on?
SETH BACCUS SHORELINE JM-H90 £3,399
What You Need To Know
1Haven’t we seen this before?
bolt-on Seth Baccus Shoreline T guitar first appeared in 2012 along with his set-neck design, which became the Nautilus.“I took the first of each to the Mansons Guitar Show that year,” he remembers.“It was the first of the Shoreline models, then I slightly revamped it with a more traditional Tele-inspired scratchplate and style in 2018.”The Shoreline JM, on which our review model is based, followed in 2019 and the S version later in 2020.
2 So, what’s different here?
Up to this point Seth has only produced guitars built by himself (latterly with one assistant), which means there’s a limit to the number he can physically make each year. While he’ll continue to do those bespoke builds, he’s now expanding his output with instruments crafted by UK Guitar Builders (UKGB) based in York, who already build PJD and Cream T guitars.
3 Are they all aged and reliced?
No, you can order pristine if you like! In fact, there is not only a considerable colour choice but plenty of options, too: our Shoreline JM-H90 review model is just one example. There’s also a doublehumbucker version, the more Teleflavoured Shoreline T, and later in the year we’ll see the Shoreline S with new models to follow.
With considerable experience in both retail and guitar craft, not to mention teching for numerous touring pro musicians, Seth Baccus – the step son of guitar-making legend Andy Manson – has built a considerable reputation for his Nautilus set‐neck and Shoreline bolt-on custom builds. But as Seth’s reputation escalated so did the demand, and before long he was turning down orders.
As we discuss with Seth in our feature following this review, salvation came from the newly formed York-based UK Guitar Builders (UKGB), and the guitar we have here is one of the first off the small production line. To be honest, when we first heard about this collaboration, we expected to see a more cost-effective version of the £3k‐plus bespoke Shoreline (there are no plans at the moment to produce the Nautilus). This guitar is anything but.
Like the Nautilus, the Shoreline uses the same original outline inspired by an acoustic guitar Andy Manson had made. Both guitars also use a Fender-like 648mm (25.5-inch) scale length (although Seth does offer a shorter scale on the Nautilus Junior in his bespoke range). In the new range, the Shoreline comes in two styles, the original T, and the JM we have here, plus an S model that’s planned for production later in the year. Mind you, there’s very little ‘Jazzmaster’ about it…
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