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Tele-blaster.

Headstock opinion

  • Total voters
    153
#43
Ok, just shot an e-mail to Scott, asked him about the possibility of doing a matching headstock with some "leftover" crate wood.

I also added a poll, interested in your comments.

Two options: option A leave it plain, similar to this:

Link Removed

In that case, I'd thought of later adding a subtle "Teleblaster" decal in Fender font.

Option B, do a matching headstock with some leftover wood from the crate (as in the top of the body).
In that case I'd go for the graphic with the word "explosives", or "dangerous" in it.

Bear in mind that this is just an exercise, as I still don't even know if it's even "doable". Scott may not have enough leftover wood, or it may not be in good shape, also he may have something to say about the structural pros/cons of having an old piece of wood glued to your headstock.

We'll see. I just want y'all to share/contribute in this build's progress as much as you can! :bassist::hyper:
 
#50
I got the Tanglefoot Blowfly bass from Scott a few days ago and it is much better in the flesh (wood) than the photos can possibly show. I liked the idea of a matching headstock but with a twist. I suggested using a matching can of Tanglefoot fly-spray and use it to veneer the headstock. I think it looks great!! We also got engraved knobs and neck plate to match too. I can't say enough good things about dealing with Scott! :D

:hyper:
 

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#52
Looks fantastic so far!

I'd leave the headstock plain, it'll look great with a subtle "Teleblaster" sticker as you described. More would be overkill.

Would also vote to go with the standard Precision/Jazz headstock, too... but then again, it probably wouldn't be a Teleblaster then. I'm honestly just not fond of the Tele-style ones on basses.
 
#53
WOW! Thanks for the responses guys! I didn't expect that many! Some very good ideas thus far, keep 'em coming!

"Tangle", your bass is truly a unique work of art, and a big part of why I decided to go with Scott for the build. I'm tempted to have him make me one too! I already talked to him about doing an engraved neckplate. Your idea for the headstock is very interesting, I'll look into it.

To be honest, so far I'm leaning to the plain look. There's just something "pure" about it. You can still convince me otherwise, though! Build has another two weeks or so to go.

Thanks for looking! :hyper:
 
#58
OK, as I suspected, a "crate headstock" would pose some interesting difficulties. This is Scott's e-mail:

The first thing that comes to mind is that the headstock has to withstand the clamping force of the tuners. If you look at the surface texture of the crate it's not a perfect plane and then the printing is actually stamped into the wood. I'd guess the thinnest I could get might be 1/8". That could make the headstock too thick to get the threads started and
then I'm afraid it would crush the softer veneer and I'm not sure how that would behave. It might just hold the
veneer down super tight but I worry it might result in cracks or
splinters.

I thought about a veneer that didn't go under the tuners. Basically holes cut around the tuners but it just might not look right with the clamping nut going down into a hole.

So - I never say no, but I have concerns about getting a good result. I'll see if any ideas come to me.
Click to expand...

The "blasting cap tin top" is not a bad idea at all, but they are simply too small (around 2 X 2 1/2 inches). Maybe just as a decoration?

He did like the "f-hole in the headstock" idea a lot.
As far as we both know, nobody's tried that.

An F hole in the headstock? Thats a kinda cool idea. Has anyone ever done that before that you know of? Your headstock has already been finished and is drying so it would be a mess to start doing woodwork on it, best to start with raw wood.

It wouldn't be too hard, just delay delivery a couple weeks to get a new neck since I don't have any more necks in stock.

It would probably take me a half day to develop it, get it right and make it repeatable. If you are interested I'll consider if it's something I could incorporate and absorb some (or all) of the development cost.

I took a look at your neck and thought about it. There isn't a lot of room on a tele bass headstock but it's possible.
Click to expand...


Is this guy great or what? I'm leaning to the "less is more" look of the plain headstock. After all, the main focus of this bass should be that stunning crate top.
 

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