Custom Build 4 string PJ for Richard Turner

[bassmanhamilton]

I'm working on a new project for Richard Turner. Richard is the Bassist for Blackberry Smoke. Really talented player and a heck of a good guy.
After several conversations this is what we decided on:
4 string HJ Classic model
Swamp Ash body with figured Maple top
Maple neck
Rosewood fingerboard with inlays to be determined
P J configuration wound by Curtis Novak
Passive, wired with 2 Vol and 1 Tone
Red, White and Blue finish...think Buck Owens...except with translucent finish to show the grain.
Chrome Hipshot Bridge
Chrome Hipshot UL Tuners with D tuner

 

[bassmanhamilton]

This is the maple that I am using for the top.

 

[bassmanhamilton]

After resawing and thickness sanding the top, I glued everything up and rough cut the body.

Roughed out the routes with my drill press.

Cleaned up the routes with my templates and a straight cutting bit on my router.

Contoured the body and routed in control cavity. This is a standard cavity route that I am using that allows for room for a preamp and battery.

Wooden cover made. If this bass were going to be active, I would use magnets to secure the cover. Since he should rarely ever need to access the controls, I decided on screws.

 

[bassmanhamilton]

I inset two 1/8" x 5/16" carbon fiber strips in the neck. Set these in epoxy. Routed for a two way adjustable truss rod.

Slotted the fingerboard on my table saw. I use a stewmac blade and one of their indexing guides along with a shop made sled to cut my slots (Sorry no pics of that). Radiused the board and glued it up to the neck. This is my all inclusive method for clamping the fingerboard while gluing.

 

[bassmanhamilton]

I want the figure to really come to life so I taped off the body in to three individual sections and dyed the maple. I mixed a transtint golden color to use underneath the white. White on white trans tint on maple doesn't show up to good.
The others are transtint bright red and blue.
I applied the stain and sanded back once it dried.
This is the result...

I shot the white over the golden undertone first. I tinted the sealer so I can just build with the clear nitro finish. These pics are with my phone so its hard to see the figure in the white.

Then I masked off and did the same with my red sealer.

Then the same process with the Blue.

All together, this is the final sealed body.

Each of these colors was achieved by two cotes of sealer to get this depth.

Next I will sand back slightly with 320 grit and start building clear nitro.
I plan to do this and then carve the neck while the body cures for buffing.

 

[ibateur]

I almost stood up and saluted that.

Nice job!

 

[andrellucz]

bassmanhamilton, beautiful, what measures used in this eletric bass, you have plans to send to I build my eletric bass?

[email protected]

thank you

 

[bassistjoe93]

That's hot man. Very hot.

 

[bassmanhamilton]

That's hot man. Very hot.

Thank you Sir! I'm working on the inlays and neck carve. I'll post some pics of the process soon.
Trying to have this wrapped in time for him to break it out on a 4th of July gig!

 

[bassmanhamilton]

Finished up the neck carve.
I use a series of rasps, a spokeshave and sand paper.

We decided on star inlays for this bass. I ordered some nice Black/White MOP stars that give a 3D appearance. Very fitting for the color scheme.

Polished out the Mohawk nitro lacquer. Wet sanded 600 through 3000 grit then started with 3M rubbing compound followed up with Finesse-It.

I LOVE this Lacquer!

 

[Big B.]

Pimpin' in action. That finish is hot. If that wont make an eagle stand a little straighter I dont know what will.

 

[Praxist]

Wow, thats making me feel sentimental and patriotic, and I'm a canadian!

 

[UpperBout]

I believe I heard this bass in front of nearly some 20 thousand people last night. (Blackberry Smoke opened for Zac Brown Band at the Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park IL).

Sounded great, although the sound guys were still figuring out how to turn on FOH all the way into Blackberry Smoke's second song. It was funny because I was looking at the band and thinking "something is missing". Then the sound guys routed the bass to the actual PA and it was like - "Yeah, that's what was missing"

Richard looked very comfortable with your bass on stage. Great looking and great sounding bass!

 

[bassmanhamilton]

That is too cool! Thanks for sharing.

I realize that I never uploaded finished pictures of the bass. I will do that this evening.
Richard got the bass a few months ago. He is really enjoying it. I've got some cool shots of him playing it live too.

Thanks again, Joe

 

[bassmanhamilton]

Here are a few finished shots.
Sorry for the delay in posting these!!

Joe

 

[bassistjoe93]

Here are a few finished shots.
Sorry for the delay in posting these!!

Joe

Very nice!

 

[Big B.]

I'm not a Fender man but thats a sexy bass. I'd rock it onstage. I particularly like the lines on the headstock.

 

[Gord_oh]

wow....

 

[Stealth]

Looks really great. Love the trans tint.

 

[Dan B]

Out of curiosity, is Richard Turner of Dutch origin?

I jest; it's a beautiful instrument. Love the tint job!