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black & blond P makeover (etc)

#401
Way late to the party here , but am digging all your work.




Now if I could just get Marty Bell to move back to Houston.





He did this sparkle finish for me back in 1998:


DSC01752.jpg
 
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#402
5StringBlues said:
Way late to the party here , but am digging all your work.
Now if I could just get Marty Bell to move back to Houston.
He did this sparkle finish for me back in 1998:
DSC01752.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks! Sweet fretless! Your MB sparkle finish fits right in w/that backdrop! I didn't realize he was from Houston originally. 'Double' bass too! I've jammed w/a 2nd bass player a few times over the years - it's always fun to create a sonic space for each so they work together.
 
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#403
Will post pics tomorrow, but the Dark Sparkle is edging closer to completion. I attached the neck and the bridge/brass anchor-plate. Without the pu, stacked pot and strings - it weighs 8lb 10oz. Not bad considering the pre-drilled ash body weighed over 6lbs alone! (the wenge/ebony neck is not light) All I need now are strings (on the way) and a pg. I'm running into some walls attempting to get appropriate response from custom wooden pg makers… I had to pull the tb card to let them know how a thumbs up or down from me here on tb can be a marketing consideration not to be taken lightly. Being in the biz as a custom maker - I'm sensitive to when someone in the field drops the ball. It can be a total game-changer and can miss linking with a potential inter-connective customer that will lead to expanded business.
 
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#404
So here we go - I wanted to get the back mostly resolved before posting pics. What you're looking at is many hours of detail work. I used sparkle card-stock, sparkle mylar tape-stock, thin mylar sheets and a few mirror discs all found at a couple local craft-stores. Other than the few insignificantly light mirror discs, no additional weight was added by doing this. What it achieved was a visual treat to display the chambering and add some surprise and mystery. As is usually the case with my Gildaxe artwork - these pics do not convey the active nature of light on this treatment. In person, it is way more special and magical - both open and with the smoked acrylic cover installed. The fun aspect of creating such a complex visual surprise on the back of the bass is that from the front one would never guess something like that would go on. It will look awesome from the front (if I can get these wood pick guard people to respond) and the back is a bonus.

IMG_7943_zpsxenp0ebo.jpg


IMG_7944_zpslhfqd2eu.jpg


I'm going to get some engraving done on the brass bridge anchor plate

IMG_7945_zpsu8zkxlyk.jpg


IMG_7946_zpstd7e3s3y.jpg


IMG_7947_zpsoxitn4cq.jpg
 
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#408
Hopkins said:
I dig it.

How long did t take to get all of those hole sides covered perfectly ?
Click to expand...

Thanks! I deliberately don't keep track of time when I'm involved with projects such as this - but a long time over many sessions. It's sorta like putting a complicated puzzle together, I just get lost in the activity and time flies. And jftr, it's close enough to deliver the effect - but not perfect. ;)
 
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#409
Finally connected w/the wood pg guys - they don't have Goncalo Alves (lower pic below) in big enough sections for a P-pg (rats! - I really love the look of that wood!) so I ordered my 2nd choice of Bubinga. (example below) It has the right combination of brown and red and grain pattern. The wenge/ebony neck is pretty dark in the black/brown corner, so this should work nicely to augment it's earthy/woody-ness with a bit of rusty red/brown. (w/gold pg screws of course)

$_57.jpg


goncalo alves.JPG
 
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#413
mapleglo said:
This is really stunning. It's almost a shame to darken the sparkle on the back with tinted plastic. Have you considering going with a piece of clear?
Click to expand...

Thanks Nexy - the use of translucent brown acrylic was a very specific decision. It aligns in colour and value (darkness) with the rich brown wedge neck, it creates a dynamic contrast/counterpoint to the silver sparkle, and defuses what would otherwise be a somewhat garish display of reflective/holographic material. It tends to look less active either way in these pics, but in person it is still very light activated w/the tinted acrylic - just a bit more subtle and mysterious.

IMG_7952_zpsxbhuehyx.jpg


gsnad2000 said:
I dont know, i really like it both ways....Kinda a starry night look to it with the smoked plastic.
Click to expand...

I like that!
 
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#414
JIO said:
Thanks Nexy - the use of translucent brown acrylic was a very specific decision. It aligns in colour and value (darkness) with the rich brown wedge neck, it creates a dynamic contrast/counterpoint to the silver sparkle, and defuses what would otherwise be a somewhat garish display of reflective/holographic material. It tends to look less active either way in these pics, but in person it is still very light activated w/the tinted acrylic - just a bit more subtle and mysterious.

IMG_7952_zpsxbhuehyx.jpg




I like that!
Click to expand...

Yes, with the dark wood neck and gold accents, it definitely fits quite well. As I said, stunning!
 
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#419
I wonder how this would have looked with the holes, mylar sparkles and translucent brown acrylic on the front, as sort of an oversized pickguard. This is one of the reasons I love your builds, they always get my mind thinking.
 
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