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Python Bass (SX Build #2)

#43
This looks very cool, but a simple question. If you were capable of doing this, why were you unable to spray a black base, stretch a pair of fishnets over the body, then shoot the transitional colors to do the snake skin? That is a much simpler paint job than what you have done here, which appears to have come out really nice?
 
#44
Musiclogic said:
This looks very cool, but a simple question. If you were capable of doing this, why were you unable to spray a black base, stretch a pair of fishnets over the body, then shoot the transitional colors to do the snake skin? That is a much simpler paint job than what you have done here, which appears to have come out really nice?
Click to expand...

I would never have liked that - the scales I originally described with my painter were complex, layered scales, with a green/gold flip paint center and shading. He was quite capable of doing it, but this is much simpler - plus, I spent quite a bit of time doing the shading and re-doing stuff.

Basically, the fishnet thing just doesn't do it for me. I would have done it, then ended up sanding and refinishing some other way, because I couldn't have it exactly the way I pictured it in my head.

I did a piece of wall art - a mask, mounted on a canvas - that had that sort of rusted out panel look, so I thought I'd give it a shot with the bass. I'm actually kind of surprised it turned out as well as it did. Of course, now it's going to take a friggin' thousand coats of clear poly before I have a smooth finish, but for something this unique, I'm okay with that.
 
#46
Musiclogic said:
probably not 1000 coats, but it looks great so far....this coming from someone that hates the "steampunk" crap I have seen. This looks much more antique industrial than junk on an instrument. You did a really nice job!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah, a lot of the steampunk stuff goes over the top for me, too, but I'm digging the rusted-out look for some reason. Maybe cause I'm picturing this bass with all black hardware and strings...

(The neck pup cover is getting the "treatment", though)
 
#49
Hrm... thoughts?

blitz.jpg
 
#51
mellowinman said:
You're invoking the Nazis?
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:sigh:

Same thing I thought when I started looking for names/ideas. But then I thought, "hey, just whip something together and see what people think, you may be too sensitive."

If that's the first response I get, however, maybe I should leave that alone.

I like the tank idea, but sadly there just aren't any really good names for tanks - I mean, I'm not naming the bass "Sherman" or "M1A1" - so I guess I'll throw that idea out with the bathwater and go with something else.

:help:
 
#54
I'm going back to the drawing board for names. At this rate maybe I'll just put a tank silhouette on the **** thing. :shrug: I've spent a few hours so far wet-sanding the headstock - which is coming along nicely - and the body - which is a ridiculous amount of sanding.

Also, debating painting the blocks on the neck to match the body... Still determining that one. I'll need a ton of poly to make sure the strings don't rub the paint off, and I dunno what that would do for sound/playability.

On that note, got my first bit o hardware in - a wiring kit with CTS pots & orange drop cap.
 
#56
Stealth said:
There's a million army vehicles out there with interesting names - Gorshkov, Kuznetsov, Churchill, Merkava, Degman... Take your pick. Personally, I've nothing against "Blitzkrieg" as the name.
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+1 on not having anything against "Blitzkrieg". I don't associate it with anything having to do with Nazism. It just means "lightning war".

I like what you've done with it so far!
 
#59
Well, thanks for the support on the Blitzkreig thing, but I'm still thinking I gotta find a different logo/name. The headstock is clean - flat wet-sanded to 800 without so much as a single shiny spot - I need to figure it out soon so I can move along with this, but I think anything that could even loosely be associated with Nazis is probably a bad move.

I'm leaning more and more to a small logo of some sort. Also, I want to include the "SX" logo in it somewhere.

And yes, it will be black with gold outline, I think.

Anyone have any thoughts about painting over the black blocks on the neck? I'm leaning towards doing it, I'm just concerned about how much poly it would require to cover, and what that might to do sound or playability.
 

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