My bass

budman · #1 01-30-2008, 05:43 PM

My very own LeCompte...

I've been kicking around some ideas for awhile and figured it was time to build something for myself. It's also a good time to use up some leftovers and do some experimenting. I've decide to go with one of my new designs, the BRN.

The main body wood is ash, which I didn't think was good enough for a customer's bass, but is fine for me. It wasn't quite thick enough so I used a little leftover Ponderosa pine for the accent, which doesn't show up that well. I'm hoping it'll develop some contrast when I do the finish work. The entire body will probably get a black dye job or a trans-black tint. The dark wood used for the top will remain a secret for now (part of my experimenting). I'll be using the same wood for the fingerboard. Some guys here know what is is, but if you can keep it a secret for now I'd appreciate it. I'll blurb when the fingerboard is glued on. The light stripes on the top are some leftover maple.

I'll also be trying out some uncoventional neck material. If it works out I'll let the cat out of the bag.

The bass will get a single jazz pickup under a wood cover and be wired up passive.

That's it for now...

Eli_Upright12 · #2 01-30-2008, 05:51 PM

I really like the way the Ash swirls in the middle. Almost like a vortex or something.

grace & groove · #3 01-30-2008, 05:53 PM

Secret wood? I'm intrigued.

cricketfever32 · #4 01-30-2008, 07:37 PM

simple, yet elegant, i like

budman · #5 03-11-2008, 11:45 AM

Got a lot going on at the moment. I don't have the time to do much experimenting right now. I had to go with a convential three-piece maple neck.

Bassisgreat · #6 03-11-2008, 12:10 PM

That piece of ash was not good enough for a customer????

it's gorgeous!!

The bass looks great, as usual! Can't wait to see it finished.

neptoon · #7 03-11-2008, 12:47 PM

wow...interesting use of pine...sweet bass, bud...i still love your designs, and you've still got the only singlecut that i would touch with a 10-foot pole

Cerb · #8 03-11-2008, 01:33 PM

Your headstock just kills me. It's the headstock that I wish I had designed.

This should be a cool build. I don't think I've seen that body style.

neptoon · #9 03-11-2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerb

Your headstock just kills me. It's the headstock that I wish I had designed.

+1

bud's got one of the best looking headstocks in the industry, IMO...and it gets better! you turn it over and get that sexy volute!

and, if i may be so bold...i noticed that the cut on this headstock is a little different than the ones i've seen in the past...the part that is cut into the end of the headstock seems to be inverted on this bass you're building for yourself

tricky tricky!

budman · #10 03-11-2008, 09:42 PM

Thanks, gents. It's an entirely new headstock. I changed it for 2008. All new basses except for a few models will have this headstock. It's also a tiltback design whereas my old design was flat. For illustration purposes, here's what the back looks like.

Dan1099 · #11 03-11-2008, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grace & groove

Secret wood? I'm intrigued.

I hate getting secret wood. It's like, man, I'd really like people to not know i've wood right now. It's a secret.

pilotjones · #12 03-11-2008, 11:15 PM

The reversed headstock is nice. And that fingerboard looks nice. And it looks pretty glued on to me...

budman · #13 03-12-2008, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotjones

And it looks pretty glued on to me...

The dark wood is a product call Alowood. It's a hardened and dyed pine product. It's being marketed as a hardwood alternative. I first saw it in a Rockler catalog I got in the mail. I got curious and ran down to my local Rockler store. It was on sale, so I decided to give it a try. It comes in several different colors. The stuff I used is call "Black Ebony", though as you can see it's not really black. It's sold in 1x6 dimensions. I bought mine by the foot, but you can buy it online in 4 foot lengths. I also picked up some of the "Brazilian Rosewood" color, but haven't used any of it yet. Yes, it's much harder than untreated pine. From working with it it feels a little softer than maple. I'm going to spray the fingerboard when I shoot the neck, like I normally do for necks with maple fingerboard. I suspect it will work fine.

needmoney · #14 03-12-2008, 07:19 AM

Looking great as always Bud! I didn't know you'd changed the headstock so drastically! Any reason for the switch from straight to tilt back?

pilotjones · #15 03-12-2008, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by budman

The dark wood is a product call Alowood. It's a hardened and dyed pine product. It's being marketed as a hardwood alternative.

It's very attractive. Are there any warning on working it since it's chemically treated?

budman · #16 03-12-2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotjones

It's very attractive. Are there any warning on working it since it's chemically treated?

The additive is "agriculturally grown", whatever that means. There's all the usual CYA stuff on the website.

iamlowsound · #17 03-12-2008, 03:47 PM

I like the new headstock. I had always thought that the old one was a little fat looking. This one looks like it went on a diet.

lowsound

waseok · #18 03-12-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

I like the new headstock. I had always thought that the old one was a little fat looking. This one looks like it went on a diet.

lowsound

same here man, same here

PilbaraBass · #19 03-12-2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by budman

The additive is "agriculturally grown", whatever that means. There's all the usual CYA stuff on the website.

I found this...

Everdex-Enhanced Alowood
Deforestation of old-growth forests and rainforests is of growing concern given the farranging
debates today on climate change. Consumers, however, still want the look of exotic
hardwoods in products such as flooring and furniture. Alowood offers an environmentally
friendly alternative: the opportunity to get an exotic look and performance using fastgrowing
plantation softwoods as the base wood impregnated with an innovative green
chemistry, the Everdex formulation.
Everdex is a polymeric formulation made from urea, glyoxal, and starch in water; it does
not contain any formaldehyde. Softwoods, particularly sustainably grown, plantation softwoods,
are immersed in dilute solutions of Everdex and subjected to a vacuum and pressure
treatment to impregnate them with Everdex. Next, the impregnated wood is heated, causing
the starch polymer to cross-link with the wood cellulose through the urea-glyoxal
groups. This creates Alowood, a denser, harder, more workable wood product akin to a natural
hardwood.
EverTech is currently selling Everdex-enhanced Alowood to the building industry segment
as an alternative to natural hardwood. This innovative product is making a significant
positive environmental impact in that every piece of Alowood sold replaces a piece of hardwood
lumber or exotic wood that can remain a part of the ecosystem. Alowood made from
plantation wood grown in about 30 years is preferable to exotic hardwoods that often take
hundreds of years to grow.

budman · #20 03-21-2008, 06:58 PM

Here's the latest. The pickup cover is going to get painted black. It houses a single coil jazz pickup. I thought a single jazz pickup would look too thin on its own with just the standard plastic cover.

When it comes time for the finish work the ash back and pine accent will get some black grain enhancement then the whole thing, top and all, will get a couple of light coats of trans. black tint. I want the maple stripes to look ghosted. That's what I'm shooting for anyway.