A Fairly Avante Garde Single Cut

[Picton]

It's becoming a reality. The CWP laminate is fairly good to work with. Certainly easier on the tools that than the average Aussie hardwood, but also very tough. While it's birch, there's a lot of glue holding things together. When routing, the smell it produces is most un-woodlike.

View attachment 7295007

A question for the brainstrust -

Which direction should I head?

A completely black five string bass with hidden EMGs (rear mounted) black tapewounds and a 5 string Ray Ross bridge

OR

Black "wood" with gold hardware and gold pickups. I have a trio of gold MEC soapbars looking for a home and some optimate gold strings. The only downside I can think of for this approach is that round wounds will be tougher on the fingerboard and it's hardness is fairly unknown. I'm confident it will handle tapes, not sure about rounds.

I don't build for a particular need, I do it because I like building. Accordingly, what's practical isn't really a factor.

I kinda don't like pointy instruments, but I really like this design. Good luck on your build! I understand that the dye goes all the way through; are you planning on glossing it up a little, or just leaving it like this?

I'd add gold highlights, but that's just me.

 

[Alex Xander]

Ok pal... hold up.
Gonna need more pictures.
Super intrigued (now) about using CWP in an instrument build.
Don't know why I never thought about it yet. Been seeing that stuff used for knife scales and gun stocks for a while.
Are you using it for the whole neck as well?
I didn't see blanks longer than 1020mm

I'm using it for the whole neck. 1020mm isn't long enough to do a Gibson or fender style headstock, but done carefully enough, I will be able to get away with a 38" scale with a scarf jointed headstock.

I actually have a bright pink board of the same stuff on the way, I like it so much.

Also that thing is screaming for a little red.
... think Gothic pinstriping.

-Subbed

Funny you say that. I used some very bright green tape to hold my router templates with CA glue. I trimmed the overhanging tape with a razor blade in an effort not to gum up my router bits. When I took the templates off, there were a few bright green pinstripes left and they looked great against the black. Red would be just as good.

I kinda don't like pointy instruments, but I really like this design. Good luck on your build! I understand that the dye goes all the way through; are you planning on glossing it up a little, or just leaving it like this?

I'd add gold highlights, but that's just me.

I hadn't considered leaving it raw. I certainly like how it looks, and being black it shouldn't show stains. I'm pretty sure Osmo do an oil that doesn't darken timber when applied, but still offers protection. That may be the answer.