NB(sorta)D: "Mrs. P-body"

[DDXdesign]

Still toying with a 'name' but for now, Mrs. P-body has a nice ring to it.

So this is SORTA a new bass day in that I finally got it all together last night, though it's been playable for a week or so.

Long story short!
- Had a cool Modulus Vertex
- Wanted to refinish and Steampunk it
- Happened across this nice figured-ash-topped body in the Classifieds, which hatched a better idea: put the Modulus neck on a P body! (Odd cause I'm not usually a P guy, but look at that body!)
- Bought the body (loaded with the MM-bucker and passive v/t), black Ultralite tuners and bridge to replace the chrome hw on the Vertex - figured black would go with the neck better.
- Had a local repair/setup guy mod the body to accept the neck, and put the whole thing together
- Added custom-made knobs from TBer 'Texan', made of wenge, bubinga, and brass layers.

Result: A more compact axe that weighs about a pound less than the Vertex and looks great to boot. I liked the Vertex shape, but this is just killer. The neck pocket routing isn't 100% perfect, and the guy forgot to do a body channel for truss rod adjustment, but I'm very happy with it.

The goal is still to stilt toward a steampunk look, but I'm trying to be judicious =0) Thinking of a modified '51-style pickguard to help break up the massive empty space in the middle, but don't want to cover too much of that nice top.

Knob detail:

 

[jd56hawk]

Really nice piece of wood.
If you have to have a pickguard, go with a transparent one, or maybe trans brown like this.

 

[DDXdesign]

Really nice piece of wood.
If you have to have a pickguard, go with a transparent one, or maybe trans brown like this. (snipped pic)

Oh that's a cool PG - I'm definitely not going to have THAT much of the top covered =0)

 

[bholder]

My vote - leave it like it is. Very nice.

 

[jd56hawk]

Oh that's a cool PG - I'm definitely not going to have THAT much of the top covered =0)

I wouldn't, either, but maybe half of it...kind of like the Danelectro seal pickguard.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Too pretty to steampunk. Leave THAT one alone, get a beater to steampunk.

 

[mongo2]

Step away from the bass...your job is done and done very well.

 

[Brundlefly]

I think it looks amazing! drool

IMHO, I would leave it as it is now.

It's too beautiful to steampunk.

Great job on the build!

 

[DDXdesign]

LOL thanks guys. For those concerned about steampunk, I definitely didn't plan to do a lot to it, and definitely will not be looking to diminish the natural beauty here. Trust! =0)

 

[jd56hawk]

Wouldn't a steampunk bass start out with a body more like driftwood than such a nice piece of wood?

 

[DDXdesign]

Wouldn't a steampunk bass start out with a body more like driftwood than such a nice piece of wood?

Not necessarily - at the risk of turning this into a steampunk thread, I'd say that there is plenty of the refined, fancy-Victorian level of aesthetic to counterbalance the grungy slapdash stuff that a lot of people think of. =0)

 

[JIO]

I agree with everyone so far - leave this one as is. It has just the right amount of everything.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Some inspirational steampunk axes:
Tony Cochran Guitars for sale - Tony Cochran Custom Electric Guitars

 

[digmeout]

Leave it, it's just right. Don't mess with it.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

It's about as close to perfection as you will get.
Please, leave it that way!

 

[heynorm]

That's too pretty for a pickguard!

 

[mikeyjm2]

Thinking of a modified '51-style pickguard to help break up the massive empty space in the middle, but don't want to cover too much of that nice top.

Another vote on the pile for no PG. Looks great just like it is!

 

[pcake]

i'm with everyone here - that is a totally gorgeous bass! and mrs. p-body is a great name

 

[SonOfLiberty]

Really nice piece of wood.
If you have to have a pickguard, go with a transparent one, or maybe trans brown like this.

That is beautiful!

 

[jd56hawk]

Built by a fellow board member.
My favorite P bass.