New top for my 'Swappable Top' bass

[tZer]

I have designed and built a bass that allows me to replace the entire top of the body at-will. This way I can explore many colors, woods, and other aesthetic options without having to create a new bass each time.

This thread holds the highlights.


Here is the finished instrument with it's original, tobacco sunburst/white pick guard top.

The next top is almost finished and is a classic sunburst (amber, red, black) over figured maple. No pick guard.

Here is the hard maple 'under-top' with the shape scribed ready for the saber saw:

All cut out:

T-Nuts installed:

Neck channel hogged out with forstner bits:

Amber and red applied using rags and Trans Tint Dyes:

Finally easing in the black around the outer edge. It bled through to the binding but that's no problem:

Here's the finished dye job (my SmartPhone cuts off the images when it uploads for some reason...).

Next step - lacquer! I have been using Behlen's Stringed Instrument Lacquer - rattle can.

This pic is shot in my cardboard box 'spray booth' and doesn't do it justice. The next few pics have been color corrected and look much closer to the actual luster and sheen.

Here is the middle area where the amber just sings! There's some pretty cool "tiger's eye" effect in the grain too.

The whole top with about 6 coats of lacquer:

I've already put down about 12 coats and plan to do at least another 6 before I let it sit and cure. Even if I do say so myself, this top is luscious! Looking at those colors up close is really cool! They are so vivid and they blend into each other very nicely! In about a month this top will be ready to install. I'll post pics then.

 

[kesslari]

I love the concept, the body shape, and the look of the tops themselves!!!
Beautiful!
you should patent the idea, quick.

 

[tZer]

I love the concept, the body shape, and the look of the tops themselves!!!
Beautiful!
you should patent the idea, quick.

Thanks!

And the patent process is grinding forward.

 

[pilotjones]

Looks great!

Next one should be blueburst with black/checkerboard/black. Not that you asked or anything.

 

[tZer]

Looks great!

Next one should be blueburst with black/checkerboard/black. Not that you asked or anything.

That sounds very interesting - and even though I didn't openly ask, I am completely open to suggestions.

One thing I am not clear on; I get 'blueburst' - but what is 'black/checkerboard/black'? Can you point me at any examples?


I am going to be making a top that will incorporate a pick guard made from a sheet of copper/nickel alloy a friend gave me. It's not as 'copper colored' as pure copper. Much softer, much less red/brown - much more 'silvery-copper'.

So I want to make a top that will work really well with that pick guard. There are many options. Time to crack open Photoshop and see what they are!

 

[Jools4001]

Swappable top? Surely you mean Swaptop (TM)

Marketing dear boy, marketing

Looks great BTW

 

[tZer]

Swaptop sounds good to me! Let's go with that.

 

[MooseLumps]

Just wait till the guitar freaks get hold of this. Insanity will ensue. ENSUE!!!

 

[Stumbo]

Swaptop sounds good to me! Let's go with that.

Swaptop is available on the U.S. trademark database.
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4008:44hscg.1.1


However, plenty of current businesses using the name. Even with a TM on the name.

 

[Darkstrike]

Very very cool mang, amazing!

 

[frstr8dmusician]

You are a fine craftsman. No doubt about that. Great job!

 

[selowitch]

Totally amazingly AWESOME!! Nicely done.

 

[tZer]

Thanks all! Can't wait to get that lacquer all cured and polished!

I have to get humpin' on the patent/trademark stuff... (note to self... add this note to my notes to self...)

More to come... Count on it!

 

[lethargytartare]

Gotta ask if you could take it a step further to a full body swap -- so, the guts from head to bridge are constant, but you can sandwich them in between two new body plates...so you could go from a classic jazz to a ric to an insane warlock or something nutty...

Great thinking! Can't wait to see the whole kit and kaboodle in action!!

ltt

 

[pilotjones]

One thing I am not clear on; I get 'blueburst' - but what is 'black/checkerboard/black'? Can you point me at any examples?

Ric used to do a "checkerboard" binding on some deluxe models or as an option. The first bass I liked, that made me want to learn th instrument. was a 4001 fireglo or burgundyglo (I forget) with checker binding.

The description I gave before was wrong, it turns out that it was either checkerboard/white or checkerboard/black, forom the top field outwards, depending on the model.



For a blueburst, I would think black on the outside, although it would depend on your hardware etc. too.

Some examples on Rics or fake rics:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=623072

Here's a guy selling some of the binding. I should probably buy some, except I don't like the feel of playing on a sharp-edged instrument. And it's expensive. http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/binding.html


They sell some inlay strips at Woodcraft (and all over the web, probably) that could be used similarly.

 

[David Jayne]

Very clever.....but I must be the only idiot here who doesn't understand the attachment method.....I see T-nuts, but then I don't see them....please explain it?

 

[tZer]

Ric used to do a "checkerboard" binding on some deluxe models or as an option. The first bass I liked, that made me want to learn th instrument. was a 4001 fireglo or burgundyglo (I forget) with checker binding.

The description I gave before was wrong, it turns out that it was either checkerboard/white or checkerboard/black, forom the top field outwards, depending on the model.



For a blueburst, I would think black on the outside, although it would depend on your hardware etc. too.

Some examples on Rics or fake rics:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=623072

Here's a guy selling some of the binding. I should probably buy some, except I don't like the feel of playing on a sharp-edged instrument. And it's expensive. http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/binding.html


They sell some inlay strips at Woodcraft (and all over the web, probably) that could be used similarly.

Got it! And indeed I have planned to play with purfling on one of these tops. I think a blueburst with black binding and checkerboard purfling sounds totally groovy! Consider it on the list.

 

[tZer]

Very clever.....but I must be the only idiot here who doesn't understand the attachment method.....I see T-nuts, but then I don't see them....please explain it?

OK - here ya go:

This is the 'core instrument' - a thru-neck, 'demi' body.
Not quite a full thickness body - sturdy, hard maple.
It has holes that allow 9 hex bolts to secure tops to it.

This shows a top laying across the core instrument. The top consists of 2 layers of wood.

One thicker bottom layer made from hard maple that has t-nuts installed to receive the hex bolts.

And a thinner, top layer - the 'show side'. This can be anything. In this case, it's spruce because I originally planned to paint it.

They go together like so:

So - all together, all that is this...

...which became this after I tobacco sunburst it with Trans Tint dye and lacquer.

So now I get to make many more of these:

...and I can swap out the look and feel of my 'SwapTop' (TM pending whenever I change my strings.

More to come!

 

[selowitch]

Are the hex bolts affixed to the underside of the swaptop? I can't see them, although I do see their holes.

 

[__HM__]

BRILLIANT.