Winter build off 2026 - Primal Screamray

[Flying B]

I'll throw my hat into the ring. I've been planning a Stingray build for a while so now it's as good a time as any. I've been wanting to do a fabric top for a while so I'll be giving that a go too using an old primal scream t-shirt (hence the name). They were one of my favourite bands of the nineties, and was inspired by a strat that was released with the same artwork.

I've ordered a set of stingray templates to give myself a chance of finishing this in time.
I've more or less decided on the timber selection.
Body- black limba (with fabric top). The piece I've got might not be quite wide enough so may put a stripe of purpleheart in the middle
Neck - flame maple probably with some cf reinforcement as I think it's soft maple
Fretboard - lacewood (it was labelled roupala lacewood which I've never come across before but it's very hard and heavy so seems like it should work)
Electronics - I've got an Aguilar obp3 preamp, and I've got a choice of three different mm pickups (delano, barts or nordstrand)so that will have to be decided.

I'm still waiting for my templates to arrive which should be in the next day or two so will start in earnest then.

 

[postalflunkie]

Fabric tops are awesome! Lots of details on your process please. The one I did last year turned out ok, but I think I could have done better. I'd recommend NOT using system three mirrorcast on the fabric like I did. It looks good but is a soft casting resin.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Sounds like fun. What’s your plan for the back?

 

[Flying B]

Sounds like fun. What’s your plan for the back?

Still some details to be ironed out! Current thinking is some kind of burst around the edges to hide the edge of the fabric on the the front, with the black limba showing through on the back. I reserve the right to change my mind at any point though!

 

[Reedt2000]

Fabric is pretty thick to bury in finish. What about something like an inlayed back panel? The fabric could go under it, with the panel glued in on top.

 

[AK4570]

Adding to @postalflunkie cautions, ensure whatever you bury the fabric with (clear coat or epoxy) is NON-ambering... Unless that's the look you're going for. I did a bunch of research before settling on a "tabletop" epoxy for the Ray-ish build I started last year. I'm aiming for a blue that is representative of the fabric I chose (with an edge burst) and found several example that turned greenish from using an ambering epoxy.




Best of luck!

 

[Flying B]

Adding to @postalflunkie cautions, ensure whatever you bury the fabric with (clear coat or epoxy) is NON-ambering... Unless that's the look you're going for. I did a bunch of research before settling on a "tabletop" epoxy for the Ray-ish build I started last year. I'm aiming for a blue that is representative of the fabric I chose (with an edge burst) and found several example that turned greenish from using an ambering epoxy.

View attachment 7403626
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Best of luck!

Actually the old t shirt I'm using is probably getting on for 30 years old, so while it started off as red, after a few hundred washes it's more pink now! So I'm kind of counting on the ambering effect to hopefully bring it a bit back to red again. Obvs I'll do some testing.

 

[Flying B]

Fabric is pretty thick to bury in finish. What about something like an inlayed back panel? The fabric could go under it, with the panel glued in on top.

That's an interesting idea. But I'll be sticking to the tried and tested methods for now, this is no time for experimentation!

 

[Saetia]

I'll throw my hat into the ring. I've been planning a Stingray build for a while so now it's as good a time as any. I've been wanting to do a fabric top for a while so I'll be giving that a go too using an old primal scream t-shirt (hence the name). They were one of my favourite bands of the nineties, and was inspired by a strat that was released with the same artwork.
View attachment 7403514

I've ordered a set of stingray templates to give myself a chance of finishing this in time.
I've more or less decided on the timber selection.
Body- black limba (with fabric top). The piece I've got might not be quite wide enough so may put a stripe of purpleheart in the middle
Neck - flame maple probably with some cf reinforcement as I think it's soft maple
Fretboard - lacewood (it was labelled roupala lacewood which I've never come across before but it's very hard and heavy so seems like it should work)
Electronics - I've got an Aguilar obp3 preamp, and I've got a choice of three different mm pickups (delano, barts or nordstrand)so that will have to be decided.
View attachment 7403515
View attachment 7403518
I'm still waiting for my templates to arrive which should be in the next day or two so will start in earnest then.

Subbed. I’m doing a Warmoth 1pc black limba P with stingray sweet spot at the moment so this has me intrigued. Love the fabric too idea! I was a machinist in my past life but a full build has eluded me, perhaps some day. For now Warmoth does for me and I get to passively watch all of you crafty people work magic!

 

[Flying B]

Adding to @postalflunkie cautions, ensure whatever you bury the fabric with (clear coat or epoxy) is NON-ambering... Unless that's the look you're going for. I did a bunch of research before settling on a "tabletop" epoxy for the Ray-ish build I started last year. I'm aiming for a blue that is representative of the fabric I chose (with an edge burst) and found several example that turned greenish from using an ambering epoxy.

View attachment 7403626
View attachment 7403627

Best of luck!

You have a build thread for this one?

 

[Lo-E]

I've ordered a set of stingray templates to give myself a chance of finishing this in time.

Just curious; where’d you order them from?

 

[postalflunkie]

You have a build thread for this one?

No build thread, it's not a bass so I figured it didn't belong.

 

[Beej]

No build thread, it's not a bass so I figured it didn't belong.
View attachment 7403823

What're you, some kinda hippy?

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I have found that regardless of what product is used to coat / fill the fabric the pattern gets darker. I’ve tried ModPodge early on, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Lacquer (actually a decent use for that) and water based clear and the fabric pattern ends up darker then it started before the filling. That’s caused some of the darker patterns I’ve tried to be less than what I was hoping for but it sounds like you might want yours to darken a little.

 

[postalflunkie]

Mine the fabric was held down with tight bond speed set(drys clear), then after that drys mirrorcast resin on top. I actually think the crystal clear resin made the colors more brilliant.

 

[bdplaid]

West Systems?

 

[Rôckhewer]

Still some details to be ironed out!

... because fabric

(I'm easily amused)

 

[Beej]

I've got an inexpensive UV cure jeweler's resin that cures water clear. I left a bead of it outside in the sun for over a year with no visible yellowing. I'll have to check the brand, but it came from china via amazon.

 

[AK4570]

As @Matt Liebenau mentioned, there is an inherent darkening that takes place...



The fabric for this one was lain down on a thin coat of Titebond, allowed to (fully!) cure, then covered in 3 coats (sanded to 400 between) of MAS Envirotex Lite epoxy. The picture above is after coat 1. The picture below is coat 3 prior to level sanding, spot filling, etc.

 

[Flying B]

Just curious; where’d you order them from?

spot on templates uk

uk shiping only Elsewhere please contact for a quote

www.spotontemplates.co.uk

A colleague of mine had a set of strat templates from them which were excellent.