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black & blond P makeover (etc)

#361
JIO said:
Much accomplished today - the neck arrived early in the day and it looks awesome. However, it has these water-spot looking areas on the ebony fb which didn't seem right. I sent an email to Warmoth and they said this is common on Madagascar ebony - natural oils in the wood. I mean - it's not a deal breaker here, it's pretty subtle only appearing under scrutiny in certain light, although you should be able to see it in my pics. It's really beautiful otherwise and the neck profile is super-sweet, not chunky at all (in fact, really thin which I love!) and I can tell already it will be amazing to play. It's funny because my first real bass was a (used) '63 and then '64 T-bird. In the 70's I wanted to buy a Fender, and since the T-bird had a narrow nut, I gravitated to the Jazz bass. J's then had a similar narrow nut, but a thick neck with a thick poly coating.Totally turned me off to Fenders. This neck really feels like my '64 T-bird. The blocks are a swirly pearloid plastic and against the dark wood they look really cool. And w/gold frets - a really, really nice neck!

IMG_7812_zpsoxn3agdl.jpg


IMG_7815_zps6gtznjzt.jpg


IMG_7816_zpsmrq9n5je.jpg


After that - shop time. As much as I started to doubt my sanity taking on such a project - after today I feel I'm over the hump. Finished routing and spent considerable focus drilling 1-1/4" deep channels following my guide holes. 1st priority after that - weigh it. It now weighs 3lbs/15oz (3.95lbs) !!! -YES- A serious weight loss! I weighed the neck and it comes in at 2lbs/7oz (2.49lbs) so with some decidedly not ultralight parts, I think I'm still looking' at my favorite target weight somewhere in the low to mid 8's.

IMG_7821_zpsjyi4ibxh.jpg


Here's a detail shot to show the crispy router edge. I have much fussy fine-tuning to do on the perimeter edge and leveling the interior but like I say, the heavy lifting is done!

IMG_7822_zps5uqxflcr.jpg


Lovin' the gestalt! Pickguard choice will be critical and no plastic will be involved.

IMG_7824_zps3lsiuzm7.jpg


I realized I didn't need to worry about the pu area because it will be routed on the top of the body for the Darkstar pu which is attached by a chrome frame to the pg/body, and hangs in the cavity. So from the front, the pg will hide all the overlapping routes which will be less than aesthetically pleasing.
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Very VERY nice JIO

This is going to be an amazing instrument - classy and elegant, yet really unique and left of center. I love the gold frets with the bridge - nice to see such attention to detail, but that is always the case with you. Also, love the routing job, man - I can tell that took a lot of patience and hard work. Looks great....

The neck profile DOES look nice and thin - great score. This looks like the quickest build in american history - I can't believe how quickly it is coming together.

Can't wait to see the next steps especially with the back cover.
 
#362
BassHappy said:
Very VERY nice JIO

This is going to be an amazing instrument - classy and elegant, yet really unique and left of center. I love the gold frets with the bridge - nice to see such attention to detail, but that is always the case with you. Also, love the routing job, man - I can tell that took a lot of patience and hard work. Looks great....

The neck profile DOES look nice and thin - great score. This looks like the quickest build in american history - I can't believe how quickly it is coming together.

Can't wait to see the next steps especially with the back cover.
Click to expand...

Cutting, fitting and finishing the cover will be easy! I really wondered if I could actually pull this concept off. I get crazy ideas and then have to figure out how to make them reality. Sometimes it doesn't happen - it's always a chance I take. When I did play baseball, I was a first baseman. (on the one?) I was good but it was always somewhat stressful. Maybe left field would have suited me better in retrospect...

As far as the neck goes, it's the first Warmoth product I've purchased and the quality is high. Other than having custom designed necks built (by Dan Ransom) of more standard woods, maybe it's the exotic wood influencing me but it's a very special neck. I'm really looking foreword to hearing this bass with all of the individual and unique parts united. My wish for it would be richness, depth and clarity, with some growl! I'll get it mostly assembled but need to order the Darkstar pu. An email was sent but I may need to just call him.
 
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#363
JIO said:
Cutting, fitting and finishing the cover will be easy! I really wondered if I could actually pull this concept off. I get crazy ideas and then have to figure out how to make them reality. Sometimes it doesn't happen - it's always a chance I take. When I did play baseball, I was a first baseman. (on the one?) I was good but it was always somewhat stressful. Maybe left field would have suited me better in retrospect...

As far as the neck goes, it's the first Warmoth product I've purchased and the quality is high. Other than having custom designed necks built (by Dan Ransom) of more standard woods, maybe it's the exotic wood influencing me but it's a very special neck. I'm really looking foreword to hearing this bass with all of the individual and unique parts united. My wish for it would be richness, depth and clarity, with some growl! I'll get it mostly assembled but need to order the Darkstar pu. An email was sent but I may need to just call him.
Click to expand...

Hey JIO

I have a wenge neck on my Drake hollow "Wilma" and I love that neck. Something about grabbing the raw wood that I find very appealing....

Wilma Two.png
 
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#366
One last detail before leaving for a Bond Girl gig tonight - I went for a bike ride to the Golden Gate Bridge & back earlier, and thought about different ways to approach the back aesthetically. Some veered into complexity but one landed as soon as I tested it out. I had a sheet of thin but stiff mylar and cut a number of the various sized circles and dropped them in the holes. Bingo! With the smoked acrylic, it gives the ash a nice warm brown hue and the mirror-dots read as such w/o being overbearing visually. Easy, and "spot"-on. ;)

IMG_7828_zpsti5sn8ql.jpg
 
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#369
mapleglo said:
That looks pretty cool! Will you put a finish on the ash before you mount the acrylic?
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Thanks Nexy - (like the new avatar pic!) I think I'll just leave it raw ash. No real need to coat/seal it as it will be under the smoked acrylic. The last pic I posted was shot under brightish sunset sunlight and the ash looks lighter than it does under average lighting. It normally looks richer - more carmel-ie which works visually with the neck and I like the natural wood/sparkle finish contrast. Sometimes the simplest route ends up the best. And trust me, I have what's commonly referred to as an 'overactive imagination' (like that's a bad thing?) so I am prone to 'over the top'. I don't know who to attribute this minimalist saying to, but I try and temper my OAI with it;
"Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." Somewhat ironic in this case considering I 'took away' lots of wood! :laugh:
 
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#372
JIO said:
Thanks Nexy - (like the new avatar pic!) I think I'll just leave it raw ash. No real need to coat/seal it as it will be under the smoked acrylic. The last pic I posted was shot under brightish sunset sunlight and the ash looks lighter than it does under average lighting. It normally looks richer - more carmel-ie which works visually with the neck and I like the natural wood/sparkle finish contrast. Sometimes the simplest route ends up the best. And trust me, I have what's commonly referred to as an 'overactive imagination' (like that's a bad thing?) so I am prone to 'over the top'. I don't know who to attribute this minimalist saying to, but I try and temper my OAI with it;
"Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." Somewhat ironic in this case considering I 'took away' lots of wood! :laugh:
Click to expand...

Quoted for truth!
 
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#373
Jio...you are a bad, bad man. Subbing this thread kicked my OCD into high gear. When I found the Steve Harris sig blue sparkle was being phased out I was overwhelmed with the sense of urgency to have a blue sparkle surfboard bass while one was to be had even though I'm not a SH fan. Then Street Scenes flops up a gold sparkle 51 and again, OCD reared it's familiar head. Now, I have one of these bodies wafting my way! My bass corner is starting to look like Sigfried and Roy's dressing room and I like it:thumbsup:
 
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#374
Lots happening on this project, specifically focusing on the "holy" back. I made a trip to the local corporate craft emporium and was awestruck by possibilities of decorative enhancements. (but damn is that stuff expensive!) I decided I liked the mylar circles I was cutting/adding but once I saw it laid out I wanted more. (as stated, my yin-yang minimal/maximum swings) All I can say is, it is getting really interesting. I'm not going to post pics for now, kind of like not wanting anyone to view a painting in progress. But soon, and once I do it will be, let's say - worth the wait.

IMG_7844_zpsbjvfgoxt.jpg
 
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#375
God's Favorite Bass said:
Jio...you are a bad, bad man. Subbing this thread kicked my OCD into high gear. When I found the Steve Harris sig blue sparkle was being phased out I was overwhelmed with the sense of urgency to have a blue sparkle surfboard bass while one was to be had even though I'm not a SH fan. Then Street Scenes flops up a gold sparkle 51 and again, OCD reared it's familiar head. Now, I have one of these bodies wafting my way! My bass corner is starting to look like Sigfried and Roy's dressing room and I like it:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

This is just the beginning… so by "wafting my way" do you mean you ordered one from Stew Mac? If so let me know what yours weighs.
 
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#376
JIO said:
Lots happening on this project, specifically focusing on the "holy" back. I made a trip to the local corporate craft emporium and was awestruck by possibilities of decorative enhancements. (but damn is that stuff expensive!) I decided I liked the mylar circles I was cutting/adding but once I saw it laid out I wanted more. (as stated, my yin-yang minimal/maximum swings) All I can say is, it is getting really interesting. I'm not going to post pics for now, kind of like not wanting anyone to view a painting in progress. But soon, and once I do it will be, let's say - worth the wait.

IMG_7844_zpsbjvfgoxt.jpg
Click to expand...

Somehow that mylar confetti seems to breathe new life into broken dreams.....
 
#380
JIO said:
This is just the beginning… so by "wafting my way" do you mean you ordered one from Stew Mac? If so let me know what yours weighs.
Click to expand...
Well, I DID get a blue sparkle Precision while a few were left and that gold sparkle 51 so you KNOW when i found there were limited silver sparkle ones to be had, me and Stew-Mac had to have a chat! I may be recovered but that doesn't repair a faulty moderation gene or existing OCD lmao...I will try and weigh it and let you know. I'm not really bothered by weight a whole lot, but this build might be a "sit down only" player;)
 
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