Arizona Bass Company - current/past builds

[Syco_bass]

Hey folks, I decided to start a thread to showcase some of my current/past builds. Some of these are for sale, some are custom orders.

Enjoy .... RobC.

Arizona Bass Company - New custom bass build

Arizona Bass Company current basses for sale

[Syco_bass]

I will be starting a new build this week. This one will be for sale

Specs
Body - Custom USA made Alder, P style body with J bass pickups
Finish – tobacco burst with dyes, finished with oil/wax top coat with light "relic".
Neck – Custom USA made Maple/Maple 1 5/8” width and slim line profile
Pickups – Aguilar 70’s or Nordstand NJ4 pickups.
Electronics – USA CTS (select matched by me) 250K tone pots and POI .047uF tone cap wired with vintage style cloth wiring.
Hardware – Hipshot vintage reverse wound tuners, Fender USA bridge.

Here is a pic to wet your appitite.



Stay tuned for updates.

[Syco_bass]

Here are some photos of the dye'ing process.

First I used wood conditioner and let dry over night. This allows the dye to soak in more evenly. Then I started applying the dye. First, lemon yeallow and vintage amber.



Then I made a ring of brown (equal parts red and green)



Then I added the black



after it was all on there, I took a rag soaked in alcohol (I prefer Jack Daniel's) Just kidding, the denatured kind works well. (I use the same stuff to mix the dyes) and rub all of the colors together.



Here is a photo, front and back, of the body with it's first coat of Sam Maloof's oil/wax finsih.





I'll get some photos of the neck up soon. Thanks for looking.

cheers.

RobC
Arizona Bass Co.
520-591-9926

[goldenglory18]

Looks awesome Rob! I always wondered how "bursts" were created.

I'm looking forward to our projects. Apparently the bodies should be here on Friday....

[Syco_bass]

Thanks man. This one turned out a bit darker than I wanted, but I think she'll turn out nice regardless.

[plankspanker13]

It's essentially a "Fenderized" JB-2, with one less fret, but someone's bound to love it. I'll stick to my JB-2's.



I do enjoy checking in on your builds, Rob. With age 50 coming, in another 21 months, I suppose that I should save some coin, and commission a signature model from you.

[Syco_bass]

Nice, you are correct. I'm debating whether or not to put a pick guard on it or not. I may offer it as an option. I appreciate the love my friend.

[plankspanker13]

Since it is front-routed, you could do a MM/early G&L take on this, by going with a MM-style plate, should you shun the pickguard. That's a nice option for the buyer to have, in terms of having an instrument that has a classic color, but a less-than typical control layout aesthetic.

The more I weigh the above paragraph, the more I think that no pickguard should be the way to go, and if you get the right kind of control plate, you might be able to sneak in a series/parallel, or slap contour switch. This would bring you into El Toro territory (a G&L J-on-P-body model that is no-longer made, and was the precursor of the JB-2). DON'T MAKE IT ACTIVE, however; battery changes would be too much hassle.

If you really take the proper approach, you could do the revered Leo a step or two better, as well as make the beginnings of your own style. Think big!

[Syco_bass]

Thanks for the comments man. Yes, I agree with everything you said. I have used a Jazz style plate before that works well. Series/parallel would be a nice mod. There is certainly enough room for it. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Syco_bass]

Hey folks. I got some more work done on the neck this weekend and she's just about ready to assemble. I am ordering the pickups and hardware tomorrow.



I think I'm going with the following accoutumants;

-Aguilar 60's series Jazz pickups.
-Passive tone circuit, V/V + Series/Perallel switch in a Chrome Jazz/Music man control plate. (brown tort pick guard optional)
- Hipshot Vintage style tuners and string retainer.
- Gotoh 201 bridge.

More pics to come as shortly.

Thaanks for watching.

[Syco_bass]

Hey folks. I got some more work done on the neck this weekend and she's just about ready to assemble. I am ordering the pickups and hardware tomorrow.



I think I'm going with the following accoutumants;

-Aguilar 60's series Jazz pickups.
-Passive tone circuit, V/V + Series/Perallel switch in a Chrome Jazz/Music man control plate. (brown tort pick guard optional)
- Hipshot Vintage style tuners and string retainer.
- Gotoh 201 bridge.

More pics to come as shortly.

Thaanks for watching.

[Syco_bass]

So most of you know that I don't like "spraying" on finishes. I don't have the tools, knowledge, or space to justice to a lacquer finish, so I use hand applied finishes like oil/wax, oil/poly, wipe on poly, dye'd trans finishes, etc. Today I decided to venture into "Opaque" colors. That is a painted look, using WB hand applied paints.

I am going to attempt a high gloss "mirror" finish using brushed/wiped on products on an alder Jazz style bass.

Color - Sage green tinted with a few drops of blue dye

Finishing scedule:
1. two coats of WB grain filler.
2. four coats of milk paint custom color mixture
3. two coats of WB sealer
4. X coats of WB poly

I am trying WB poly cause I don't want the yellowing affect of oil based poly. We'll see how it goes.

Here are a few pics of my progress so far.

2 coats of WB grain filler after being sanded.





2 coats of custom color milk paint mixture and sanded



Photo of matching headstock



1 more coat of paint and final sanding tomorrow. then I'll apply two coats of sealer and begin applying the WB wipe on poly.

Thanks for watching.

TTFN

[pudge]

That green one is nice!

[Syco_bass]

Originally Posted by pudge

That green one is nice!

Yeah thanks. I have a few more coats of clear on it now. I'll some more picks up today. Peace.

[Syco_bass]

Here are some updated pics to the "Custom Foam Green" J bass.

Headstock now has "Curcio" logo decal on it.



Body has been dulled by applying carnuba wax with 0000 steel wool. It gave it a nice "vintage" dull/relic'd vibe.



I'm debating adding some ashtray pickup covers. Being that the pickups are in the 60's position the bridge pickup will stick out just a hair. I guess I could also upgrade the bridge with a Hipshot "B" bridge or Leo Quan BAII and just use the neck cover a'la Marcus Miller



Thanks for looking.

[DeepDesertBeat]

Great work. I am very happy with my purchase of the 51' P Bass. Thank you very much for your flexibility and service.

Tony

[plankspanker13]

There will be those who love the ashtray, and those, like me, who will become detractors, if it is employed. To me, an ashtray with the reverse F on it looks out of place, unless on an actual Fender.

[Syco_bass]

Originally Posted by DeepDesertBeat

Great work. I am very happy with my purchase of the 51' P Bass. Thank you very much for your flexibility and service.

Tony

Hey Tony, glad to hear. thank you for the compliments and the fedback.

LMK if there is anything else you need.

Rob C.
Arizona Bass Co.

[Syco_bass]

O.K. so I wish I could build basses every day as a full time vocation, but unfortunately I still have to work a regular job. So my apologies for not getting these two basses done quicker and posting updates sooner.

Anyway, these two basses are near completion and will be for sale soon. I am waiting on tuners for the J bass (foam green) and I am waiting on a chrome P bass control plate for the tobacco P/J.

If all goes well these will be ready for shipping by the end of the week. Asking price will be $599 with standard features as listed below.



Here are a couple of pics of them up closer.

This P bass (with J pickups) will come with S/D designed pickups, USA CTS V/V passive tone circuit with (Vitamin Q) POI .047uF tone cap, standard F style bridge and Hipshot vintage style tuners.

Options/upgrades
Pick guard (shown) or chrome control plate - you pick - No up-charge
Optional parallel/Series switch + $25
Nordstrand or Aguilar 60's/HC pickups + $100
Hipshot "B" style aluminum bridge + $75.00




The Foam Green J bass will come standard with S/D designed pickups, USA CTS 250K (V/V/T) passive tone circuit with .047uF (vitamin Q) POI tone cap, Hipshot Ultralite clover leaf tuners and standard Fender style bridge.

Options/Upgrades include;
Nordstrand or Aguilar 60's or HC pickups + $100
Hipshot aluminum "B" Style bridge + $75



Thanks for looking. I'll post more pics as I complete the basses.

Cheers.

RobC

[josiah goldfish]

Originally Posted by Syco_bass

Here are some photos of the dye'ing process.

First I used wood conditioner and let dry over night. This allows the dye to soak in more evenly. Then I started applying the dye. First, lemon yeallow and vintage amber.



Then I made a ring of brown (equal parts red and green)



Then I added the black



after it was all on there, I took a rag soaked in alcohol (I prefer Jack Daniel's) Just kidding, the denatured kind works well. (I use the same stuff to mix the dyes) and rub all of the colors together.



Here is a photo, front and back, of the body with it's first coat of Sam Maloof's oil/wax finsih.





I'll get some photos of the neck up soon. Thanks for looking.

cheers.

RobC
Arizona Bass Co.
520-591-9926

Hi rob,
I'm currently refinishing a bass my teacher at school gave me, and I don't have much to spend on it.

If I stained the outside a blacky-brown, and sanded it on the edges to fade it, could I then go over it in a lighter colour to get the sunburst effect? Could I then seal it in with wax?

I want to keep it quite natural.

Thanks rob
Joe