Janus Bifrons (Bass commission) Finished!

[Rôckhewer]

In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus (/ˈdʒeɪnəs/; Latin: Ianus, pronounced [ˈjaː.nus]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways,[1] passages, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past

Another of my "MythosX" series basses...(like Fáfnir Hreiđmarsson). All named after mythological beings....(just for fun )
This one will be the first 5 string I have done in that shape.

Specs:
5 string, 35" scale, Neck-through, 24 fret
9 pc. laminated neck: Flame Maple, Purple Heart, Wenge.
Body wing core: 4A quilted Maple w/ Purple Heart & Wenge accent layers.
Top & Back: Cocobolo...bookmatched to neck.
Cocobolo headstock caps w/ same accent veneers.
Hipshot D bridge (gold) w/custom brass tailpiece
" " ultralight tuners (gold)
EMG P & J set (both inside soapbar covers)
EMG BQS system (EQ & blend circuit)
Purple LED fb side position markers.
Brass ringed Abalone ovals inlayed into a Ebony fingerboard.

Gotta go to work now...will get some pics up later for any who might be interested..

 

[Rôckhewer]

Front & back cocobolo sets.
These ARE consecutive, (despite the obvious fact that there's a lot of 'movement')
They were cut from one of the 2 massive planks I acquired a couple months ago.
I kinda regret the fact that these will be separated by the neck...back AND front... but that's what the customer wants.
And... is part of the reasoning for the moniker of "Janus" .... you know....two faces...backward/ forward.... ?

 

[Jisch]

wow, that's some amazing wood. whew.

 

[wraub]

Watching this like a 24 hour watching things machine...

 

[Rôckhewer]

Neck blank.
Center lam is hard (Rock) Maple (flatsawn), selected & cut so that the grain is darn near perfectly vertical viewed from end.
Then wenge.
Then a couple of dark purpleheart rips.
Curly Maple
Then... I found a lighter board of PH with some fairly significant curl.
I actually like that those outer PH rips are a bit more brown-ish....they'll make the transition to the Coco, less drastic.

 

[Beej]

I love how you just strolled into the world of luthiery, picked it, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into your pocket. Complete ownership in like one build...

 

[mapleglo]

Very much looking forward to this one!

 

[Rôckhewer]

I love how you just strolled into the world of luthiery, picked it, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into your pocket. Complete ownership in like one build...

Hahaaaaa....
Thank you for the compliment...
Although...
I don't think I would call it "complete ownership " just yet.
Maybe when I can get my build time down from 2 months to 1 month... & still create the same style?
Major goal there...

But, ...yes I have always been a fast learner.
I'm sure it helped that I was doing fairly custom woodworking (day job) for about 7 years prior to embarking upon this path.

But before I even attempted to build a bass ....I became OBSESSED with STUDYING this wonderful craft. ANY spare time I had for almost a full year, was devoted to seeking knowledge about the art & science of luthiery, mostly as it pertained to solid body bass & guitar.... some other disciplines...but mostly this.

Before turning to woodworking... I was a master fabricator of granite & marble. Also a stone sculptor. (Origin of the "Rockhewer" moniker)
So I am no stranger to precise craftsmanship.
So while it might appear as me "strolling" into luthiery....I have managed to pay some dues along the line.
Again, thanks.

 

[Rôckhewer]

I haven't been very diligently taking pictures during the first half of this build... but hey... if you've seen one pic of wings bristling with clamps.....

So I have grown fond of having my edges, look as pretty as some tops....
To that end, curly maple has become kind of a 'go-to'.
I also recently acquired some quilted that isn't quite consistent enough to use as a top...but the edge grain looks pretty amazing. And being a bit lighter weight than most curly I have seen. It will work well with all that heavy purple & coco... I only took this pic to have a reference which way I needed to angle the template...after I glued on the accent layers.

 

[RickyT]

Purple Heart/Wenge/Maple neck.....good choice

 

[Rôckhewer]

Purple Heart/Wenge/Maple neck.....good choice
]

That's pretty !
Thanks, ...yeah, I wrestled with the idea of using more wenge than just the little stringers I put in...but I am really getting tired of the problems it creates when applying finish. (I am not a fan of using "wood filler"...and I hate epoxy).
What I am anxious to see...is how the interaction of cocobolo & purpleheart blends once finish is on.
I mean...I obviously checked it out using mineral spirits beforehand...but that is only a vague indicator.
I have a feeling it will be like hot apple pie with cheese....sounds weird, but is actually really good.

 

[Rôckhewer]

When this cocobolo is freshly milled (or deep sanded)... it has very prevalent purple tones to it that look fantastic combined with purpleheart.
Here it is freshly planed:

Unfortunately, left to it's own devices, it reverts back to orange very quickly.
My plan is to sand the crap out of the front & back, as the very last thing I do prior to shooting the sealer coat.
I'd be a fool to think I could freeze the color in this state completely... but hopefully it will help somewhat. Also...once the purpleheart starts to fade to a more brown-ish state, it won't necessarily be a bad thing.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Close up of what I have going on with the wing cores. I can't wait to see what the quilted maple edge looks like under finish...

 

[engedi1]

Gorgeous wood. Can't wait to see it unfold.

 

[Hopkins]

In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus (/ˈdʒeɪnəs/; Latin: Ianus, pronounced [ˈjaː.nus]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways,[1] passages, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past
View attachment 1084935

What many people don't know is that Janus has a first name, which is Hugh. The other gods considered Hugh Janus to be a bit of an ass

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Another Rock build! This is like candy coated candy.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Shot of the neck : tapered, headstock shaped, t-rod slot cut , wing cores shaped... e-cavity cut...

Working the board ...inlays....

 

[MPU]

Those inlays look stunning.

 

[engedi1]

Those inlays are sick.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

How do you cut those ovals for the inlays? Did you make a template, or is that CNC? I always liked the Alembic oval inlays, but an ellipse is nearly impossible to cut freehand. They look incredible. Silver outer ring?