$100 Bass Challenge - Marceline's Axe Bass

[baceface]

Yeah, there's a few builds that I'd love to play. I wonder if there's a way to do that, some kind of rotating test play thing.

In any event, I'm also looking forward to playing this. I haven't played a fretless in many years.

I've done this with contractor forums that I participate and/or moderate.. We've done some with hammers, drills, tile slicers etc... and send them to the next guy. It's actually fun as heck provided someone doesnt decide to ruin the fun. Shipping would be a bit costly for this but would be 100% worth it imho.

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

I've done this with contractor forums that I participate and/or moderate.. We've done some with hammers, drills, tile slicers etc... and send them to the next guy. It's actually fun as heck provided someone doesnt decide to ruin the fun. Shipping would be a bit costly for this but would be 100% worth it imho.

The only major issue I see with this is that some may be loathe to part with a recent build. I know that if I sent out one of mine I would eventually want it back. There is also the risk of damage in shipping, and the wear and tear on the instrument. May I proposs another thread to flesh this possibility out?

 

[baceface]

The only major issue I see with this is that some may be loathe to part with a recent build. I know that if I sent out one of mine I would eventually want it back. There is also the risk of damage in shipping, and the wear and tear on the instrument. May I proposs another thread to flesh this possibility out?

Oh, I know.. shipping an instrument is way different than a tool... I'm mainly just day dreaming at this point. Maybe I'll just have her photoshop me a picture playing this thing, lol

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Nah, paint it. You set out to reproduce Marceline's axe and succeeded hugely, don't get precious about wood now. Plenty of painted wood bodies out there, and I doubt this will ever be your primary bass given your current lineup!

 

[mapleglo]

It will definitely be painted. The wood grain just looks nice. Maybe there's a mahogany body build at some point in the future.

Regarding the bass swap rotation thing, yeah, hadn't thought about shipping. It'll likely be around $50 to $60 each time, and there is that chance of damage. It might be worth opening up a new thread to investigate it more though.

Regarding this build, I don't know if I'll get to start sanding it today. We have plans to go to the Renaissance Fair. Huzzah!

 

[mapleglo]

I realized I haven't posted the running cost total in a while.

Tuners, bridge, pickups = $37.90
wood = $24.00
truss rod = $16.00
Rust-oleum = $7.52 ($3.76 x 2)
Volume pot = $1.93
Blend Pot = $2.16
Spike = $2.10
Black Laminate = $0.50 (3 square feet [432 square inches] was $21.50, I used about 10 square inches, it's about 5 cents a square inch)
Resin = $5.00 (the can was about $15.00, and I doubt I'll use even a third of it for sealing the body, and putting a layer on the fingerboard)
Output Jack = $1.50 (I don't remember how much this cost, but I think they run about $1.50?)
Total = $98.61

 

[Hopkins]

I am a paint guy, IMHO that mahogany doesn't look good enough to not be painted. But then again, I will always take a hot rod looking painted instrument over an elegant looking exotic wood instrument any day.

 

[mellowinman]

The ones that are on the inner part of the body, you should carve out a bit with a chisel and then paint the inside. Give it a little 3d

Don't forget this!

 

[baceface]

Don't forget this!

Yeah, I figured it would look neato that way

 

[mapleglo]

Yeah, I don't know if I'm going to chisel out the interior notches. I'll likely just paint those in.

In other news, we just got back from the Renaissance Fair, and I found my Marceline ears.

I thought this looked somewhat familiar:

And every year we make it a point to see "Cast in Bronze", a guy who plays a carillon, The only one that can actually travel. It's built on a trailer, and weighs several tons.

And I had to go see the men in kilts. Playing drums and bagpipes.

Hopefully, more updates tomorrow.

 

[Robert Canfield]

Looks right to me, the other guys version looks too big. Are you doing full frets to make it playable (my vote) or intermittent like the cartoon? If I had it, us want to play it. Think Halloween gigs!

Have any of you heard of a strum stick. The fret board looks like this.
Strumstick Home Page

 

[hrodbert696]

Have any of you heard of a strum stick. The fret board looks like this.
Strumstick Home Page

A dulcimer is fretted like that too. Basically it's fretted to play in one key only.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[mapleglo]

In the immortal words of Jaco, frets are too limiting

 

[GKon]

Great build, Mapleglo! I jumped in and saw your posting yesterday, so I missed all of the day to day updates, BUT
I did get to read 14 pages of your build in 1 shot! Sort of like watching a "Game of Thrones" marathon.

Great build, great ingenuity and great work! Sub'd and looking forward to seeing more.

 

[mapleglo]

I figured after I started sanding the sealer, there would be a fine dust everywhere. So I decided to pour the epoxy on the fingerboard before I started sanding and painting. I never did this before, but I read a few posts that outlined the process.

I have no idea how the fiberglass epoxy resin will perform, but I'm limited to what I can purchase as I'm already really close to the $100.00 mark. So we'll have to see how this works.

The phrase "What can possibly go wrong?" keeps running through my head...

 

[michaelwayneharwood]

That looks gorgeous with no bubbling at all. The resin darkens up the red very nicely and makes it look like blood - how fitting!

 

[HaMMerHeD]

I don't envy you the smell of that polyester resin.

 

[BassHappy]

I figured after I started sanding the sealer, there would be a fine dust everywhere. So I decided to pour the epoxy on the fingerboard before I started sanding and painting. I never did this before, but I read a few posts that outlined the process.

I have no idea how the fiberglass epoxy resin will perform, but I'm limited to what I can purchase as I'm already really close to the $100.00 mark. So we'll have to see how this works.

The phrase "What can possibly go wrong?" keeps running through my head...

Nice work mapleglo, and I enjoyed the photos from the outing!

Sigh....I knew in the very beginning and I should have tempered my feelings then....

Just completely digging the rare personality of that really special mahogany body - before it completes serving it's time on death row and the judge announces with the bang of the gavel - SENTENCED: to several coats of........DARK RED PAINT!

Woe is me.....

 

[mellowinman]

Man, this is exciting!

 

[mapleglo]

I don't envy you the smell of that polyester resin.

Oddly enough, it didn't smell that bad. I remember when I was coating the fiberglass back of the acoustic bass I built, it was overwhelming, but this gassed out pretty quick.

Nice work mapleglo, and I enjoyed the photos from the outing!

Sigh....I knew in the very beginning and I should have tempered my feelings then....

Just completely digging the rare personality of that really special mahogany body - before it completes serving it's time on death row and the judge announces with the bang of the gavel - SENTENCED: to several coats of........DARK RED PAINT!

Woe is me.....

View attachment 582162

I feel your pain. But I predict there's a mahogany build in my future. Since this was made from a few different pieces, up close it's just ok - there's a few visible seams running through it. A single body wing, from one piece should look much nicer.