Hi everyone,
Firstly I wasn't planning on doing a build thread for this as it isn't really anything special, just stripping back the paint on my Yamaha RBX374, and compared to the absolutely beautiful builds on here doesn't really warrant it's own thread.
But then I thought if it inspires someone to make an instrument their own, whatever the cost, then maybe it should be here, I'll let you decide.
Now I play the said RBX as my main instrument, I really like the playabilty and sound and for some reason whatever bass I use I always get drawn back to a Yam. Although I really like the bass I have never liked the flat silver colour it came in (second hand). I got an Aria P bass the way I wanted it (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/aria-aria-pro-ii-club-part-two-568148/index46.html post 908 if anyones interested
) so decided it was time to strip the Yammy.
I haven't got any pictures of it mid strip as, like I said, I wasn't planning on this thread.
I stripped out the parts and sanded off the silver to reveal a thick coat off sealer primer which was also sanded off, finished sanding with P500 grit paper. I slightly rounded off the horns and edges a bit to make it a little less angular but you can barely notice ......... but I can
.
Now time for a finish, now don't all shout at me at once, I was on a budget so just used what I had at home, namely 'Creosote'
. Whooooa easy there, not all at once I said .
I wasn't overly worried about the look, just wanted wood and not that awful silver, actually the silver is ok but just not for me
. The creosote gave it a lovely mellow brown tint which brought out the barely noticable grain in the alder body, it still wasn't particularly pretty but did what I wanted. I next gave it a few coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (which sealed in the smell) but quickly realised it was going to take a lot of time to build up any kind of shine so I let it dry for a couple of weeks and aerosol lacquered it, and this is where it is now, waiting for a week before I cut it back and polish it up ...............
Now for the headstock while I'm waiting for the lacquer to fully harden.
I took off the little plastic plate which left little plastic pins in the headstock so I would have to reuse it or have to drill 'n' fill the holes, I quite like the 3D head anyway so no biggy. I stripped the paint the same as the body and creosoted and oiled that as well, I haven't lacquered as I think it looks good as it is, the wood is different to the body (maple this time) so doesn't match exactly anyway. I then keyed the plastic plate and sprayed satin black with a slight texture and once dry sanded the edges with wet and dry to add some detail which matches the white nylon rings in the tuner keys.
I really like the look.
Phone camera flash is making it look a little odd but in the flesh it looks really good, the last pic is closest.
I'm not sure if the headstock will stand out a little compared to the body until it's polished and built up, it does have all black hardware so 'should' be ok but I'm liking the plastic plate with it's faux binding so much that I'm thinking of making a 3mm thick pickguard in black with the same white 'binding' in a similar style to the teardrop ones on old Rickenbackers as the plastic headstock plate kind of reminds me of them, of course a totally different shape head but hopefully you get the idea. I'll drill out oversized holes for the knobs so they will match the tuners and be slightly recessed which I think will look cool.
As said, it's not beautiful, but it is mine.
I will update once polished.
Firstly I wasn't planning on doing a build thread for this as it isn't really anything special, just stripping back the paint on my Yamaha RBX374, and compared to the absolutely beautiful builds on here doesn't really warrant it's own thread.
But then I thought if it inspires someone to make an instrument their own, whatever the cost, then maybe it should be here, I'll let you decide.
Now I play the said RBX as my main instrument, I really like the playabilty and sound and for some reason whatever bass I use I always get drawn back to a Yam. Although I really like the bass I have never liked the flat silver colour it came in (second hand). I got an Aria P bass the way I wanted it (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/aria-aria-pro-ii-club-part-two-568148/index46.html post 908 if anyones interested
) so decided it was time to strip the Yammy.I haven't got any pictures of it mid strip as, like I said, I wasn't planning on this thread.
I stripped out the parts and sanded off the silver to reveal a thick coat off sealer primer which was also sanded off, finished sanding with P500 grit paper. I slightly rounded off the horns and edges a bit to make it a little less angular but you can barely notice ......... but I can
.Now time for a finish, now don't all shout at me at once, I was on a budget so just used what I had at home, namely 'Creosote'
. Whooooa easy there, not all at once I said .I wasn't overly worried about the look, just wanted wood and not that awful silver, actually the silver is ok but just not for me
. The creosote gave it a lovely mellow brown tint which brought out the barely noticable grain in the alder body, it still wasn't particularly pretty but did what I wanted. I next gave it a few coats of Boiled Linseed Oil (which sealed in the smell) but quickly realised it was going to take a lot of time to build up any kind of shine so I let it dry for a couple of weeks and aerosol lacquered it, and this is where it is now, waiting for a week before I cut it back and polish it up ...............Now for the headstock while I'm waiting for the lacquer to fully harden.
I took off the little plastic plate which left little plastic pins in the headstock so I would have to reuse it or have to drill 'n' fill the holes, I quite like the 3D head anyway so no biggy. I stripped the paint the same as the body and creosoted and oiled that as well, I haven't lacquered as I think it looks good as it is, the wood is different to the body (maple this time) so doesn't match exactly anyway. I then keyed the plastic plate and sprayed satin black with a slight texture and once dry sanded the edges with wet and dry to add some detail which matches the white nylon rings in the tuner keys.
I really like the look.
Phone camera flash is making it look a little odd but in the flesh it looks really good, the last pic is closest.
I'm not sure if the headstock will stand out a little compared to the body until it's polished and built up, it does have all black hardware so 'should' be ok but I'm liking the plastic plate with it's faux binding so much that I'm thinking of making a 3mm thick pickguard in black with the same white 'binding' in a similar style to the teardrop ones on old Rickenbackers as the plastic headstock plate kind of reminds me of them, of course a totally different shape head but hopefully you get the idea. I'll drill out oversized holes for the knobs so they will match the tuners and be slightly recessed which I think will look cool.
As said, it's not beautiful, but it is mine
.I will update once polished.
