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Aerodyne Clone Build

#121
Well a little more progress on this project. With the warm weather we've been having here I was able to spray the final color coats, flake and lock it all in with some clear. I actually ended up redoing it all again after a little sanding mishap. I also felt, that after looking at the flake for a while it was a little too heavy, so I sanded everything back and redid it. The flake is a little more subtle now.

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The next thing I'm thinking of doing is adding a pick guard to this bass. This is a paper pattern I made today to get idea of what it might look like. The actual pick guard will be tortoise shell like the bass below.
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So let me know what you think. Pick guard yes or no. As always you can also vote for carrots.
 
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#122
That looks killer, you are building one of my all time GAS basses, always wanted an Aerodyne with bound and blocked neck. I vote tort like the J, always liked black and tort. The trick will be finding some nice tort sheet stock, not too red or too orange.
 
#124
Gilmourisgod said:
That looks killer, you are building one of my all time GAS basses, always wanted an Aerodyne with bound and blocked neck. I vote tort like the J, always liked black and tort. The trick will be finding some nice tort sheet stock, not too red or too orange.
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Thank you. This started out as a straight Aerodyne clone, but it's turned into a mash up of my first bass, a 67' jazz that looked just like the one I posted, and an Aerodyne. If I remember right, the tort on my 67' was a little red, so that's kind of what I'm after.

electracoyote said:
Beautiful. Well done.

Is that a sparkle black finish? How does it do under indoor lighting? That's how I'd decide on the pick guard.
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Thank you. Yes it has multi-colored metal flake in it. It's pretty subtle. So far, indoors it just looks black unless you get it into some sunlight. I'll have to see what happens under stage lighting. I'm hoping it will show different colors depending on the angle you look at it.
 
#125
Enough of all the tweaking and fussing, what is most important is when are you going to finish and sell it to me????? :bassist::hyper:

Loved this project from Day 1. It's a real beauty you have created. I would love to have your skills. I think the Tort guard will look great. Though my Fender Aerodyne had a white guard.
 
#127
BassGen said:
Enough of all the tweaking and fussing, what is most important is when are you going to finish and sell it to me????? :bassist::hyper:

Loved this project from Day 1. It's a real beauty you have created. I would love to have your skills. I think the Tort guard will look great. Though my Fender Aerodyne had a white guard.
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Lol. Thanks. I hear you on when am I going to finish. Since this is my personal bass it's always taken a back seat to whatever else I had going on, but it's getting close! I'd be happy to build you one of your own. PM me and we'll talk.

mpm32 said:
I'd vote for (not that it counts for much) no pick guard.

PS, it looks great!
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Thanks for the kind words. Yes I am leaning towards the pickguard. I've been feeling nostalgic lately for my first bass, a 67' jazz, so this has become a mash up of that bass and an Aerodyne. I just sent an email to Tony at pickguardian for a price quote, so I'll see what he says. Everybody here raves about Tony's work so much figured I'd give him a shout and see how much he would charge to make it.
 
#129
Well played. I have a P/J that I used the holographic black flake on. It is nearly impossible to photograph and I would have liked some larger flakes! Good job. Hope you enjoy the finished product.
 
#132
Much progress to show today. Last week I finished shooting the clear, and over yesterday and today I wetsanded and buffed it out. I also installed all of the tuners, stuck a ground wire in to hook up later, and installed the bridge over it. Next I put on the strap buttons, and installed the jack plate. I took it outside to try and show the metal flake, but it was too over cast today.

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Still left to do, line the cavities with copper shielding tape, and install the pickups and wiring harness. Then I have to make and install the pickguard. When I get the blank for the pickguard, I think I'll make a matching trussrod cover out of tort and change out the one I made from ebony.

Then it's a fretlevel and a setup. Getting close!
 
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#135
Well a week has gone by and my oh my!

Over the last few days, I did a fret level. Lined the pickup and control cavities with copper shielding tape. Installed the pickups and wiring harness and hooked everything up. Made the new pickguard and installed it. I had to modify the nut a little to fit in-between the binding. Installed the string tree and strung her up and played her for a while. She sounds great but I still have to set the intonation and do a full setup. I'm going to make a new matching trussrod cover too out of some of the leftover cutoffs from the pickguard blank.

This makeover is nearly done!
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#138
INTP said:
There is so much to love about this bass. Neck through, 24 fret, P/J, low profile body. And it looks wonderful!

I've been mulling such a bass for a long time.
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PDX Rich said:
Fantastic job!
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Thanks guys!
When I first built this bass four years ago my intention was to mix the look of an Aerodyne with some design elements that Fender doesn't offer. Now with this makeover, and especially the addition of the pickguard, I think I have achieved a nice mix of new and old ideas in this bass. Really liking the way this turned out.
 

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