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Nomad98, lefty build for Dan
- Thread starter Nomad98
- Start date
Just about nearing the end of this one so I thought some picts were in order.
Overall shot strung. Still have to cut the nut. and there will be two holes from the control cavity... One pot (vol/tone) and a toggle switch for the "jworrellbass" pickup. Nice and simple.
Logo cut into the first layer of veneer. I will level the logo with CA and then clear coat the headstock.
The back (obviously). The small set of 4 screws is for the adjustment of the ramp/pup cover, and the rest are the bolt-on neck screws. The control cavity has magnets set into the cover and screws in the body to attract the magnets.
As always thanks for looking...
Nomad98
Overall shot strung. Still have to cut the nut. and there will be two holes from the control cavity... One pot (vol/tone) and a toggle switch for the "jworrellbass" pickup. Nice and simple.
Logo cut into the first layer of veneer. I will level the logo with CA and then clear coat the headstock.
The back (obviously). The small set of 4 screws is for the adjustment of the ramp/pup cover, and the rest are the bolt-on neck screws. The control cavity has magnets set into the cover and screws in the body to attract the magnets.
As always thanks for looking...
Nomad98
Really glad you like it so far Dan.
I am about ready to grain fill the spanish cedar and I'm hoping to get an opinion from someone who has done this before...
My question is: I was going to try to match the overall color of the cedar but I really think I have to go dark? The dark specks and streaks in the grain pattern are what will end up being filled so that's what I want to shoot for in color, right?
Thanks scojack...
Dan, The original version of this bass had no grain filler. That was a fine way to go until I tried to polish the final coat of poly... Got polish stuck in some of the pores, D'Oh!
I think I will just have to do a few tests, with different color filler, on the scrap that I have left from the cedar. We will see which one looks the best.
Dan, The original version of this bass had no grain filler. That was a fine way to go until I tried to polish the final coat of poly... Got polish stuck in some of the pores, D'Oh!
I think I will just have to do a few tests, with different color filler, on the scrap that I have left from the cedar. We will see which one looks the best.
jworrellbass
Commercial User
- May 17, 2009
- 1,271
- 11
- 62
- Disclosures
- Owner, builder: jworrellbass
Damm Phil, you've got mad skills! Great bass. Thanks for using my pup on that beauty. Do you plan to include sound clips too?
Thanks John...
The sound clip for this one will be tricky since it's a lefty. I am sure that Dan will do a clip for the bass and I may try one too. It's a bit of a brain teaser trying to play a lefty right handed (I'm sure all you lefties know what I'm saying).
My next "6er" build will have your pickup in it, that will have a clip for sure.
Nomad98
The sound clip for this one will be tricky since it's a lefty. I am sure that Dan will do a clip for the bass and I may try one too. It's a bit of a brain teaser trying to play a lefty right handed (I'm sure all you lefties know what I'm saying).
My next "6er" build will have your pickup in it, that will have a clip for sure.
Nomad98
John, absolutely! I'm definitely going to make sure the combination of Phil's wood-working artistry and your pickup magic get seen and heard! I'm doing quite a few shows at the moment, which the bands I'm in tend to record video as well as audio, but if I get impatient once this arrives I'll just set up a webcam and plug it in to the computer 
I'll have a word with some woodworking friends over here about the grain filling Phil, so if I come up with any useful answers I'll be sure to let you know. It'd be nice if the wood could stay the colour it is now (that pink-ish tinge is very nice on the Cedar, and helps to set off the Purple Heart), but if it has to go darker, that's fine too. How much difference in colour would it make?
I'll have a word with some woodworking friends over here about the grain filling Phil, so if I come up with any useful answers I'll be sure to let you know. It'd be nice if the wood could stay the colour it is now (that pink-ish tinge is very nice on the Cedar, and helps to set off the Purple Heart), but if it has to go darker, that's fine too. How much difference in colour would it make?
Dan, I was looking online today and there were a few options that I found...
1) Get an oil slurry by sanding with danish oil or linseed. That will fill the pore with it's own wood. The only problem with that is the black veneer is in there? I'm not sure if I can sand around that and still work the slurry into the grain that's close to the veneer?
2) Use a grain filler paste. I was looking at examples online and tend to think the way to go with that is to go dark. The cedar is kinda strange in that you can see really dark pores at a certain angle, then if you shift the wood the dark pores disappear. I do like the dark pores and think it may look really cool to bring out that cool grain pattern.
I'm going to test the slurry in the next few days.
1) Get an oil slurry by sanding with danish oil or linseed. That will fill the pore with it's own wood. The only problem with that is the black veneer is in there? I'm not sure if I can sand around that and still work the slurry into the grain that's close to the veneer?
2) Use a grain filler paste. I was looking at examples online and tend to think the way to go with that is to go dark. The cedar is kinda strange in that you can see really dark pores at a certain angle, then if you shift the wood the dark pores disappear. I do like the dark pores and think it may look really cool to bring out that cool grain pattern.
I'm going to test the slurry in the next few days.
Phil,
I've had a word with Bob, my woodworking friend, and he says that he's used some of the Minwax grain filler on wood before, with good success.
He said that it's pretty much clear when it's applied, though it might yellow a slight amount, and makes the wood slightly darker, but nothing that's too noticeable. He said that should be fine for this application.
An alternative that Bob uses is J.E. Moser's Grain Fil:
It's a transparent grain filler that we're going to use on sealing up the Lacewood on my fretless, once we get to that point.
I hope that helps!
I've had a word with Bob, my woodworking friend, and he says that he's used some of the Minwax grain filler on wood before, with good success.
He said that it's pretty much clear when it's applied, though it might yellow a slight amount, and makes the wood slightly darker, but nothing that's too noticeable. He said that should be fine for this application.
An alternative that Bob uses is J.E. Moser's Grain Fil:
It's a transparent grain filler that we're going to use on sealing up the Lacewood on my fretless, once we get to that point.
I hope that helps!
My quest for gain filler...
Finally ended up with CrystaLac. It is a clear grain filler that has worked great for the neck. I am almost to the point where all the wenge pores are filled (they are deep). I started to fill the body and wasn't crazy about how it was looking. So, I applied Danish Oil and tomorrow I will try the CrystaLac on it once more.
I do think that a dark grain filler on the body could really pop out the grain pattern though? Right now the pattern is dependent on what angle you look at the body from. From one angle you see the dark grain pattern and from another it is gone.
Last thing, the sitka top. The figure on that is subtle but IMHO, oh so nice. It will get even better.
Thank for looking.................. Nomad98
Finally ended up with CrystaLac. It is a clear grain filler that has worked great for the neck. I am almost to the point where all the wenge pores are filled (they are deep). I started to fill the body and wasn't crazy about how it was looking. So, I applied Danish Oil and tomorrow I will try the CrystaLac on it once more.
I do think that a dark grain filler on the body could really pop out the grain pattern though? Right now the pattern is dependent on what angle you look at the body from. From one angle you see the dark grain pattern and from another it is gone.
Last thing, the sitka top. The figure on that is subtle but IMHO, oh so nice. It will get even better.
Thank for looking.................. Nomad98
Well, it has been way to long since I have posted progress and I am almost finished with this bass. I am waiting for black hardware that I ordered last week and once that is in. I can wire it all up finish a few last minute details, and ship it off to Dan.
Just a little recap from my endeavors over the past few months.
I tried to grain fill the spanish cedar with a clear grain filler and after many coats of filler and coats of poly, I sanded the finish off. The clear filler wasn't filling the grain well enough. It was also a bit cloudy in spots. Ugh!
Then I tried a colored filler that worked a bit better but still did not fill the grain adequately. Also it tinted the wood just enough that after many filler coats and coats of poly... I sanded it off! Just could stand the tinted color.
Then I decided to do a Watcos Danish Oil sanding slurry to fill the grain. After that I used de-waxed shellac to seal the wood. The slurry is great and really fills the grain easily. The shellac seals the filler and then, light poly. The next time I fill grain it will be this method.
Sorry for the sub-par picture quality.
Thanks for looking,
Phil (Nomad98)
Just a little recap from my endeavors over the past few months.
I tried to grain fill the spanish cedar with a clear grain filler and after many coats of filler and coats of poly, I sanded the finish off. The clear filler wasn't filling the grain well enough. It was also a bit cloudy in spots. Ugh!
Then I tried a colored filler that worked a bit better but still did not fill the grain adequately. Also it tinted the wood just enough that after many filler coats and coats of poly... I sanded it off! Just could stand the tinted color.
Then I decided to do a Watcos Danish Oil sanding slurry to fill the grain. After that I used de-waxed shellac to seal the wood. The slurry is great and really fills the grain easily. The shellac seals the filler and then, light poly. The next time I fill grain it will be this method.
Sorry for the sub-par picture quality.
Thanks for looking,
Phil (Nomad98)
Stunning, absolutely stunning!
I really can't wait to receive it Phil, I know the finish side of things has been a test of your patience, so I'll gladly take it off your hands!
I really can't wait to receive it Phil, I know the finish side of things has been a test of your patience, so I'll gladly take it off your hands!
Sorry for not updating this thread after receiving this Bass - after nearly 4 years, I suppose it's better late than never!
The Bass was (and still is) beautiful. However, there are a couple of things that mean (at the moment) that I don't play it much:
The Wenge neck is heavy in comparison to the body, and so the neck likes to droop over time.
The pickup is a little quiet.
Nomad98 and I are working to a 'solution' to the first one, and I'm going to replace the pickup with a 'hotter' one
The action is perfect, and the finish on the neck makes it quite fast to manoeuver around. The ramp that covers the pickup really does aid in fingering, and the slap tone just from the instrument is really good!
The Bass was (and still is) beautiful. However, there are a couple of things that mean (at the moment) that I don't play it much:
The Wenge neck is heavy in comparison to the body, and so the neck likes to droop over time.
The pickup is a little quiet.
Nomad98 and I are working to a 'solution' to the first one, and I'm going to replace the pickup with a 'hotter' one
The action is perfect, and the finish on the neck makes it quite fast to manoeuver around. The ramp that covers the pickup really does aid in fingering, and the slap tone just from the instrument is really good!
