Special Edition Build off - Blue Flame Maple PJ 4-5 conversion

[/\/\3phist0]

Four string unknown Ash body, Flame maple cap.
G&L L2500 Tribute neck (enroute)
Finish will be Artist Oil Pain stain (cobalt blue)
Wipe on Poly
Bridge Hipshot Type A

 

[Jon Clegg]

Four string unknown Ash body, Flame maple cap.
G&L L2500 Tribute neck (enroute)
Finish will be Artist Oil Pain stain (cobalt blue)
Wipe on Poly
Bridge Hipshot Type A
View attachment 3857135

Pretty top!

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Pretty top!

Here it is wet

the top is 1/8 thick not a thin veneer.
The plan is to stain it first with Lamp Black oil paint, to pop the grain
Followed by Cobalt Blue Artist oil paint.
Will stain both front and back (back being swamp ash)
Using Japan Drier to speed the process.
Then Wipe-on Oil based urethane.
I will also stain the Headstock to match (not flamed, will possibly veneer with flame, we'll see )

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Stained and sealed.
Still waiting for the neck.

 

[dwizum]

That looks good!

I was really confused with the first pics because it looked like the pickup routes were cut all the way through the body, but now I see that it's just the case that the dust/marks/whatever on the bottoms of the cavities just happens to "match" the carpet you had laid it on!

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Slight change, this bass will get a Hipshot Kickass Bridge.
Update: the neck will arrive Monday.
Will carve the neck pocket then

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Quick mockup , urethane needs to cure a bit before sand and polish.
Mockup .

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Niiice!

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Likely going to be able to wet sand and buff tomorrow. Possibly assemble also.
Routed the neck pocket today. Nice tight fit, WHEW. First time running a router in 20 years!!
@Scoops I entered the 3 projects in front of me, with hopes this would motivate me to complete them.
This one and the other 5 string conversion may be finished tomorrow .
Fun to get back at it first major projects in decades!
Thanks for lighting the fire.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

Good job. I watched the Highline Guitars guy do an artist oil finish, so I decided to try one but couldn't make it work out. Yours looks very nice.

BnB

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Good job. I watched the Highline Guitars guy do an artist oil finish, so I decided to try one but couldn't make it work out. Yours looks very nice.

BnB

Highline was the inspiration.
Thanks for the compliment.

NEVER doing it again.
Messy, expensive and too much rubbing.
Keda Dye works faster and cleaner without the smelly chems, I've used that on other non MI projects.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

Highline was the inspiration.
Thanks for the compliment.

NEVER doing it again.
Messy, expensive and too much rubbing.
Keda Dye works faster and cleaner without the smelly chems, I've used that on other non MI projects.

yeah, I totally agree on the mess. When I went to rub the oil paint on, it was just a greasy smear. Hard to remove too. I ended up using a t-shirt dye I got at Hobby Lobby that was perfect.

BnB

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Missed the deadline, but:
Ivory knobs will be here tomorrow .

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Well !!!
The knobs showed up!
Looks fantastic with the ivory EMG P5J set, and the maple Tribute neck.
This started out as a Guitarfetish factory clearance body 4 string.
Flame Maple cap, white ash body.
I stained the body a deep blue and finished with Helmsman Spar Urethane.
The results with the artist oil were not what I was shooting for, but happy enough lesson learned. Keda dye next time, and wipe on poly.
I routed to fit the G&L neck.
Asian tuners.
Hipshot Kick-Ass bridge.
DR Pure blues.
First EMG equipped Bass I've had in decades.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Well !!!
The knobs showed up!
Looks fantastic with the ivory EMG P5J set, and the maple Tribute neck.
This started out as a Guitarfetish factory clearance body 4 string.
Flame Maple cap, white ash body.
I stained the body a deep blue and finished with Helmsman Spar Urethane.
The results with the artist oil were not what I was shooting for, but happy enough lesson learned. Keda dye next time, and wipe on poly.
I routed to fit the G&L neck.
Asian tuners.
Hipshot Kick-Ass bridge.
DR Pure blues.
First EMG equipped Bass I've had in decades.

View attachment 3879106 View attachment 3879107
View attachment 3879112 View attachment 3879113

Dubbed it Blueberries n' Cream

Result is heavy, just under 11Lbs.
Balances nicely though. The front pin I rotated toward the body to change the leverage point, and that helps.
The Tribute neck is chunky but feels nice the frets were well dressed by the previous owner (Thanks @spectorj )

Tone with the EMG's is great, the balance between the pickups is nice. (VVT)
Moving the neck joint farther into the body, both because of the additional fret, the heel is extended and squared.
Back of the neck carve was brought closer to the body join for a smoother transition.
Moved the bridge back, this effectively moved the relational pickup locations towards the neck @ 1/2 inch.
Fattened things up nicely. The fourth knob is a dummy, broken pot to fill the hole that pre-existed.
It has a Switchcraft 152b barrel jack on the lower bout.

Hmm, what weird-O doo-hickey do I put under the "Producer" knob.?

 

[kesslari]

Really nice outcome.
"Produce" knob? Some nice fresh peaches.
"Producer" knob"? Your choice.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Really nice outcome.
"Produce" knob? Some nice fresh peaches.
"Producer" knob"? Your choice.

LOL caught me.

Fixed: Producer

 

[dave64o]

Nice work!

 

[robert43]

Very nice . 1 thing I dont like about the G & L head stock is that bottom horn / bump on it If it was me I would have cut it ( but thats my thoughts only)

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Very nice . 1 thing I dont like about the G & L head stock is that bottom horn / bump on it If it was me I would have cut it ( but thats my thoughts only)

The eye gouger. It screams G&L.
That's why I left it
Almost shaped it to this

But due to the cramped space on the back of the 3x2 head stock, it was not possible.