Maple + Mahogany short scale

[rdrr]

mmmmm.....wood binding......

mmmmmmmm .... indeed. Where did you get the flame maple binding?

 

[mikeyswood]

From a tree



And the non-d!ck answer:

Cut:

Bend:

The Ebony was a bit harder:

 

[rdrr]

uhg... I am having a difficult time bending the binding around the body. I've so far managed to destroy a couple of pieces of maple binding. May have to build/buy a bending iron if I'm going to continue down this road. I may grab some tortoise binding to see how that would go. Something along the lines of this Invalid Link Removed.

I think it would still go with the overall vibe of the bass. I like the idea of a wood binding but the more I dick around with it the less confident I am in executing it as cleanly as I would like to,. May just have to spend some time practicing and attempt on a future instrument as I've hit threshold level of frustration with it on thse one.

 

[mikeyswood]

Pssst! Steam softens the wood.

 

[Musiclogic]

steam, heat gun, pre bend to basic shape outlined on paper, makes final application a lot easier. Oh yeah....150 watt flood light inside a piece of 4" ducting(ac/heating) makes a great and inexpensive bending iron.

 

[rdrr]

So I ended up going with the tortoise binding. Got the pickup routes done and the control holes drilled out. The binding looks a bit rough right now as I havent scraped it down but I kind of dig how it's coming out.

Thats it for now, hopefully I can start finish sanding this week.

 

[vbasscustom]

BINGO!

 

[pathdoc2]

Wow. Awesome job.

 

[Basshappi]

That is looking awesome! Well done!

 

[Bevo1995]

WOW! Jaw-droppingly beautiful! THIS is the bass I must have!!

 

[Nomad98]

That looks great. I really hope you are still going to keep it natural... ? I could even see it with a tobacco burst. Either way, very nice.

 

[rdrr]

Thanks guys.

Nomad, yeah it's staying natural- I'll fill my need for a blue dye on some future build.

I also forgot to take a couple of pics of the fret/fingerboard levelers that cam in the mail the other day. Big thanks to mikeyswood for the Invalid Link Removed tip I saw in another thread. Picked up a 12" and 24" length of 1 X 2 aluminum tube for a whopping total of $11.00. The ends just needed to be deburred. If you've thought about getting these Invalid Link Removed try the aluminum tube and save $100.00 . Or if you really want steel they have that too.

If someone can tell me where to get one of these Invalid Link Removed cheaper that'ld be nice too. I'm sure it's just repurposed by SM from something else that does not cost as much.

 

[rdrr]

Quick update. Managed to get the side and fretboard markers installed along with the frets. Also got the finish sanding done and a few base coats of shellac as a sealer.

 

[SBassman]

Beautiful.

 

[Basshappi]

Lovin' it!

 

[LGT]

Awesome! Are you going to have a preamp? If so, which one? This is looking great!

 

[Cy_Miles]

Wow. I haven't been around much so I haven't seen this in a while.
Very nice. Makes me want to start binding, even though I have enough other skills to master.

 

[rdrr]

Cy, I know what you mean about enough other skills to master, each bass is a learning experience in how much more I need to learn. I tried wood to begin with and got frustrated at breaking it all the time while trying to bend it around the tighter corners. Pretty sure I was just rushing it and will try again at some point in the future. Binding with plastic is pretty easy , and cheap, though.

LGT, yes it's going to have an ACG preamp.

 

[AltGrendel]

Love the tort binding.

 

[billoetjen]

Have you ever considered shellac?

I've worked a lot with shellac. I'd be concerned about how well it could hold up being subjected to sweat, oils, etc.

Could turn gummy.