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Im gonna make a clear bass guitar
- Thread starter gruda
- Start date
I remember seeing it on a website somewhere. The builder cast the entire bass from epoxy or resin. That includes the neck and fretboard, which I thought looked really awesome . . . except for the sparkles added in.
I'll see if I can find the site for you, it would be a good resource.
Edit: Here's the site: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
There's a more in-depth page somewhere on the site about the bass, but I can't find it anymore.
this is an amzing version of a clear bass, there not much in the way of build description but if you search through the "build diary" section of the website everything is there though mixed up with other projects.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
this website is amazing for looking at build techniques, most of it bassed around guitar building though he uses the same processes for his basses and they look incredible.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
this website is amazing for looking at build techniques, most of it bassed around guitar building though he uses the same processes for his basses and they look incredible.
I thought of that LED idea too. I have some old computer speakers that have a condenser mic, and a few LED's like the old color organs from the 70's. That way the lights would go along with your playing. But it would still be heavy and sound like crap. Good quality pickups would help I suppose but that's a lot of money for a "gimmick " bass.
Hi.
Link Removed
The thickness isn't an issue, majority of the plastic seams can be made invisible if required to do so. Makes wiring a breeze as well if You do a multi-piece.
If You're bent on making a mold and cast it, do yourself a favour and laminate the mold using of fiberglass.
Regards
Sam
do anyone know where i can find the plexi?
Link Removed
The thickness isn't an issue, majority of the plastic seams can be made invisible if required to do so. Makes wiring a breeze as well if You do a multi-piece.
If You're bent on making a mold and cast it, do yourself a favour and laminate the mold using of fiberglass.
Regards
Sam
Check the date on the thread folks, way old problem already solved by the original poster going down in major flames in one of the most spectacular TB fail n' pwnages I've seen yet. Happened in the Band Management forum way back in '09...
Hi.
OH HELL!!!
I'm usually very good at spotting these necromancies, this one shot right through.
Congrats Geezer79, well played.
Regards
Sam
OH HELL!!!
I'm usually very good at spotting these necromancies, this one shot right through.
Congrats Geezer79, well played.
Regards
Sam
Apologies for the long post but it is a huge subject.
I dont want to flatten your enthusiasm for this project, however drawing on ten years of experience as technical manager of a polyester resin casting company consuming 4 or 5 metric tons of casting resin daily. I would like to bring to your attention to some possible issues that would worry me. Apart from the negative points like the stupid weight of this type of instrument, that have made by others. My concerns are from more of a technical stand point. I dont know how much experience you have with the casting/moulding of thermo-set plastics. So I will state my points as if you are a complete newbie.
Making a casting like this in a clear polyester casting resin the (most common and cheapest type of imbedding or casting resin) will present some issues, the main one being that the exotherm (the heat given off during the setting process) of this project, (due to its volume), could run away very easily if you dont understand accelor and catalyst (hardener) types, the effect of ambient temperature, and MEKP/ accelerator addition levels. This will result in browning of the casting to uneven amber at best and fracturing due to rapid uneven shrinkage or failure to harden, at worst.
Not to mention mixing technique, degassing (getting air bubbles out) and pouring to avoid voids (big holes in your product).
I have run lab tests on smaller castings than yours that had to be slowed to a two day cure time in order to get a kind of ok result. Those castings then required a complex post-cureing (placing the casting into a very accurate oven at precise temperature for a calculated period of time) procedure to fully harden the product. A great many failures were required to get a semi successful product.
Another point is that Polyester resin is very difficult to cure to a water clear colour, it usually, in my experience, has a purple tint (often due to cobalt accelerators, and/ additive dyes used to offset the natural amber colour), or a yellow hue.
Shrinkage is also going to be a huge issue, if you take a mold of your bass body, the casting will be smaller meaning the neck wont fit in the neck pocket PUs wont fit in the holes ect.
These resins also suffer quite badly from UV yellowing; the UV stabilisers within the formulas are used up over a period of time, eventually leaving the casting to the mercy of the sun. Its not a nice aging colour either, it just looks dirty.
I would be very dubious of a satisfactory out come to this project, and would certainly not even consider taking this on as a commercial project.
A couple of exerts from an article regarding various types casting resins their use and application.
The full article here. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
One of the Holy Grails of rubber mold resin casting has always been the search for a method of casting an optically clear part. While many resins come in clear formulas, it seems impossible to cast them and have them come out clear enough to read through.
Casting acrylic 'water-clear' means subjecting the polymer/monomer "dough" to high pressure and high temperature in an autoclave, using special molds. I know a company that has spent 4 years and untold thousands of dollars just trying to develop a reliable acrylic casting technique. Because of this, and the fact that uncured acrylic is highly toxic, most artists should avoid using it and it will not be covered here.
I dont want to flatten your enthusiasm for this project, however drawing on ten years of experience as technical manager of a polyester resin casting company consuming 4 or 5 metric tons of casting resin daily. I would like to bring to your attention to some possible issues that would worry me. Apart from the negative points like the stupid weight of this type of instrument, that have made by others. My concerns are from more of a technical stand point. I dont know how much experience you have with the casting/moulding of thermo-set plastics. So I will state my points as if you are a complete newbie.
Making a casting like this in a clear polyester casting resin the (most common and cheapest type of imbedding or casting resin) will present some issues, the main one being that the exotherm (the heat given off during the setting process) of this project, (due to its volume), could run away very easily if you dont understand accelor and catalyst (hardener) types, the effect of ambient temperature, and MEKP/ accelerator addition levels. This will result in browning of the casting to uneven amber at best and fracturing due to rapid uneven shrinkage or failure to harden, at worst.
Not to mention mixing technique, degassing (getting air bubbles out) and pouring to avoid voids (big holes in your product).
I have run lab tests on smaller castings than yours that had to be slowed to a two day cure time in order to get a kind of ok result. Those castings then required a complex post-cureing (placing the casting into a very accurate oven at precise temperature for a calculated period of time) procedure to fully harden the product. A great many failures were required to get a semi successful product.
Another point is that Polyester resin is very difficult to cure to a water clear colour, it usually, in my experience, has a purple tint (often due to cobalt accelerators, and/ additive dyes used to offset the natural amber colour), or a yellow hue.
Shrinkage is also going to be a huge issue, if you take a mold of your bass body, the casting will be smaller meaning the neck wont fit in the neck pocket PUs wont fit in the holes ect.
These resins also suffer quite badly from UV yellowing; the UV stabilisers within the formulas are used up over a period of time, eventually leaving the casting to the mercy of the sun. Its not a nice aging colour either, it just looks dirty.
I would be very dubious of a satisfactory out come to this project, and would certainly not even consider taking this on as a commercial project.
A couple of exerts from an article regarding various types casting resins their use and application.
The full article here. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
One of the Holy Grails of rubber mold resin casting has always been the search for a method of casting an optically clear part. While many resins come in clear formulas, it seems impossible to cast them and have them come out clear enough to read through.
Casting acrylic 'water-clear' means subjecting the polymer/monomer "dough" to high pressure and high temperature in an autoclave, using special molds. I know a company that has spent 4 years and untold thousands of dollars just trying to develop a reliable acrylic casting technique. Because of this, and the fact that uncured acrylic is highly toxic, most artists should avoid using it and it will not be covered here.
Maybe a waste of time, but perhaps your post will become a point of reference for future inquiries into this subject, because of its very informative nature!
Thanks that makes me feel much better. Went over and had a look at the band mangment thread the OP made in 2009....THAT was a good laugh.
Here's the acrylic bass i had,name on the headstock "GRAND" Super heavy and the p.u's were pretty bad.Itrade daway the body ,still have the 24 fret neck here somewhere.I had thought of drilling holes thru the body of differing sized hles to lighten it up a bit.
