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Aerodyne Clone Build

#41
Looks amazing. I will get round to posting some pics of my bass but l like the fact that you pay homage to the Aetodyne but have not slavishly copied it. For info here are sr of the differences:

1. No dots on front of fret board, only side.
2. My Aerodyne had no truss rod cover.
3. The back and sides are black.


However I love the finish on yours especially that you can see the next construction from strap button to the end of the headstock.

I would also mention that despite some people being sniffy about basswood, if does ring beautifully having a great "acoustic" tone. Oh and of course it is light in weight. I have a Westine Thunder 1A that I also love but that baby is so heavy. I am also looking forward to hearing your impressions about the bass.
 
#44
Hopkins said:
This build is looking great, but I'm not a big fan of the truss rod cover. It looks out of place on a Fender Style neck.
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My original idea was to have a chrome bullet style truss rod nut, but then I opted for a double acting rod that has the nut welded on so I couldn't change it out, and I don't like having the nut at the heel. The nut on there looked a little too industrial to me, so I just felt I had to cover it up. So, it was kind of by design, and kind of trying to fix an oversight.

I actually thought it was a pretty elegant solution. It wasn't easy making that cover with the curve in it like that. Remember this is build number two for me, I'm still learning.

Wait until it's done and you see the whole package. Maybe you'll like it. :)
 
#46
chienmort said:
Looks amazing. I will get round to posting some pics of my bass but l like the fact that you pay homage to the Aetodyne but have not slavishly copied it. For info here are sr of the differences:

1. No dots on front of fret board, only side.
2. My Aerodyne had no truss rod cover.
3. The back and sides are black.


However I love the finish on yours especially that you can see the next construction from strap button to the end of the headstock.

I would also mention that despite some people being sniffy about basswood, if does ring beautifully having a great "acoustic" tone. Oh and of course it is light in weight. I have a Westine Thunder 1A that I also love but that baby is so heavy. I am also looking forward to hearing your impressions about the bass.
Click to expand...


Don't get me wrong, I'm digging the lightness of the basswood too, and can't wait to hear it, but it was just very bland looking in my opinion. Painting the back was not an option either because as you said, I want to be able to see the wood in the neck. I think the color stain I chose looks great. I think it's a win win. :)

You also zeroed right in on my idea, of wanting to build a Fender style bass "in spirit" but with my own design elements. It really has a dual identity. From the front it's mostly a Fender Aerodyne, but turn it over and it's a modern built bass.

Thanks for the insight and complements.
 
#50
I just wanted to stop and thank everyone for the comments, compliments and insight during this build. If you have been following, you know it's only my second build, so everything is pretty much a learning experience for me. It's all welcome and it all helps. I made mistakes on my first build I have corrected with this one, and I've made a few mistakes on this one I will correct on my third. Each one is getting better. I'm thankful to be a part of this community and have access to all this knowledge and experience.
 
#54
BassGen said:
Love it! How far from done are you now?
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Thanks BassGen.

Hopefully I'm about a month away from completing it. I've had my share of one step forward, two steps back days on this build so you never know.

The back is all sealed now, and I just have a few touch ups to do on the front before I can start shooting the clear. I'm thinking I'll be able to do that by next week. After that it will have to cure for about a week and I'll be able to buff it out and assemble it.
 
#55
OK getting close! :hyper:

I finished with the touch ups I needed to do on the front, and the back is all sealed and sanded up to 320grit. I should be getting my decal for the headstock by the end of the week. I need to do a little wetsanding on the headstock before I put the decal on, then I'll be ready to shoot clear. It's going to be torture waiting till this weekend.

While we're waiting, here are some shots to hold us till next week. It's going to be a busy weekend.

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#57
It looks great. Reminds me of why I fell for the Aerodyne in the first place. I was not a fender fan and was sure I would hate it when I played it.

Loved it but hated the Inflated UK price. So did a personal import from Japan. Seeing your pictures reminds me of how I felt when I saw my bass for the first time.
 
#58
Thanks chienmort and Silver Blues.

Well there has been a snafu getting my decal for the headstock. Apparently the guy I ordered from got two orders from two Mike Marinos on the same day. Me, Michael L Marino in Cali, and the other guy, Michael J Marino In Fla. Well you guessd it, he sent my decals to Fla. and the other Mike is now sending them back to me. What are the odds, right?

So any way, should get it this week, hopefully I will be shooting clear by weeks end. Meanwhile here's another pic.

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#60
Well I got the decal on and shot 20 coats of clear.

The decal was a little disappointing. What was supposed to have been a black background was a deep dark blue and you could see it when placed against the black headstock. I had to completely trim all of the backing from around my name with an exacto knife. The rest of it was useless but at least I got my name on it.

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20 coats of clear and although it's showing a little orange peel right now, you can already see the shine. The orange peel will all come out when I wet sand it and buff it out.

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The last thing I did was assemble the wiring harness.

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The next set of pics should be of a completed bass but it has to cure for a week before I can buff it out. Can't wait! :hyper:
 

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