Project: Building a bass

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 2:40pm #1

Picked up this one piece swamp ash body...

and this maple neck

I'm undecided what way to go with electronics, and I'll add a few more contours to the body before it gets painted. I'm going to go for black hardware, not sure what colour to stain the body though. Today I'm thinking a light turquiose. Any suggestions?

fitz · 13-12-2005 2:46pm

Sure you want to stain it?

Steve_o · 13-12-2005 2:47pm

Dunno about light torquoise and black might be a bit too much of a contrast!!!

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 2:48pm

I want the grain to show. It is really nice in real life, that pic doesn't do it justice.

I'm trying to find something that'll work nicely with the dark harware and the light neck.

fitz · 13-12-2005 2:51pm

Doctor J wrote:

I want the grain to show. It is really nice in real life, that pic doesn't do it justice.

I'm trying to find something that'll work nicely with the dark harware and the light neck.

Know what you mean.
I reckon a highly translucent black finish would look fantastic.
You could go with your black hardware, and perhaps those wood-finished pickups you're fond of...

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 2:59pm

Can't seem to get the wooden ones in jazz size, I have looked

. I'm not going to break the bank on it, I'll probably sell it once I'm done. It's really just for the challenge of building it and making it as good as it can be. I'm not mad on the black body/maple neck thing though. I was thinking translucent blue or green too... can't seem to make up my mind on it though.

fitz · 13-12-2005 3:08pm

Hmm, dark translucent green would work well I think.

feylya · 13-12-2005 3:10pm

I keep telling ya, black epoxy over the whole thing, sand back, emerald green over it all, black hardware, EMG's, sorted.

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 3:13pm

Show me this black epoxy thing you speak of...

Creamy Goodness · 13-12-2005 3:21pm

i'll be very interested to see how this comes out dr. J.

thinking of doing the same for my next guitar.

rahim · 13-12-2005 3:25pm

A bit off topic but, where would one be able to pick up the body and neck etc? (Probably a stupid question to ask but i'd like to know, thanks).

On topic:
A stained wooden look always looks good. Also I'd love to see that epoxy styling thing.

feylya · 13-12-2005 3:26pm

Start with this:

End with this:

But with different colours. I can't remember what the hell it's called now either.

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 3:30pm

Rahim, I'm getting everything off ebay. Just do a search for 'bass body' etc

Fey, yeah that's interesting alright. Might have to look into that. Any particular suitable brands of epoxy that you know of available in theeees cowntree??

feylya · 13-12-2005 3:32pm

Bog standard black two part will do. I wouldn't go for quick drying though. And make sure you put down papers

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 3:33pm

WTF is black two part? :v:

rahim · 13-12-2005 3:35pm

Thanks Doctor J, i'm considering doing this myself. Would love to hear how it turns out for you.

feylya · 13-12-2005 3:50pm

Doctor J wrote:

WTF is black two part? :v:

Black 2 part epoxy...

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 3:56pm

Ahhhh right, good explanation. Adding the word "epoxy" to "black two part" made the fog clear right away, as if a curse had been lifted by a kindly dwarf :v:

feylya · 13-12-2005 4:08pm

"Any suitable brand of epoxy do?"

"Standard black two part should suffice."

I see no difficulty there...

But don't trust those dwarfs!

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 4:18pm

Do excuse my ignorance on the topic of epoxies, I wouldn't know standard two part from unorthodox three part if it fell out of a plane and hit me on the head. Do you have any links to hand where this process is discussed so I can get an idea of what is what in the wide world of epoxy and epoxy accessories?

feylya · 13-12-2005 4:27pm

Epoxy Monthly magazine is a great resource...

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 4:39pm

And high in demand too, all they had left in my newsagent was the inferior Epoxy World

feylya · 13-12-2005 4:42pm

Epoxy Techniques is quite good too. Sometimes they've a free sample on the cover :v:

Eoin Madsen · 13-12-2005 5:55pm

Epoxy... noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

I'd go with a clear satin finish.

Surprised?

Doc_Savage · 13-12-2005 6:01pm

dammit lads!

After you mix the two resins in the pack the resin hardens using a chemical reaction between them!

they don't require air to harden and will give you consistant hardness regardless of the depth.. (no hard skin and powdery core!)

However you'll be hard pushed to find a black one!!

most of the good ones only come in primer grey!:rolleyes:

i suppose you could experriment with food dyes?

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 6:08pm

Eoin Madsen wrote:

Surprised?

No.

Always disappointed though

Ahhh it needs some colour, though I'm not sold on the epoxy just yet

Eoin Madsen · 13-12-2005 6:17pm

All you need to do is darken it a little.

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 6:23pm

Nah, the natural ash look doesn't do it for me

It needs some shazizzlle

Eoin Madsen · 13-12-2005 6:24pm

Aw no. That top one is way nicer.

...you better not take any advice about guitar finishes from me so!

Doc_Savage · 13-12-2005 6:25pm

that blues too much!

your green might work however!

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 6:26pm

I couldn't find a green pic

feylya · 13-12-2005 7:06pm

Like so?

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 7:12pm

Ahhh that might be a winner alright. Maybe a slightly lighter shade of green?

feylya · 13-12-2005 7:13pm

I would have said that or darker... with some cosmo black hardware

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 7:15pm

The hardware will be none more black. I've already sourced the bridge. I do like black tuners on a plain maple headstock

feylya · 13-12-2005 7:23pm

*looks at bass in corner*

Yeah, I like it too

Doc_Savage · 13-12-2005 8:23pm

definately darker!

feylya · 13-12-2005 8:24pm

Especially with the maple board.

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 9:00pm

Nah, slightly lighter, maybe with a turquoise-ish hue to it

smog · 13-12-2005 9:02pm

feylya wrote:

End with this:

But with different colours. I can't remember what the hell it's called now either.

Man that is savage lookin, pity its such a bitch to do...
Good stuff J will be intrested to see how this comes out

david · 13-12-2005 9:04pm

feylya wrote:

Like so?

That guitar you posted fey is gorgeous, what luthier made that? Nice to see original designs

feylya · 13-12-2005 9:29pm

No idea dude. It's just a picture I have on my hard drive.

And it's not that hard to do. Fill the grain with black epoxy, sand back, stain, lacquer, done.

Doc_Savage · 13-12-2005 9:37pm

driskill ain't it?

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 9:39pm

Creamy Goodness · 13-12-2005 9:40pm

that is such a nice guitar, i'm with fey on this one i'd go that green or darker i think a lighter green wouldn't look as good.

feylya · 13-12-2005 9:40pm

Ironically, it was the Doc who suggested green. I wanted him to do it in blue :eek:

feylya · 13-12-2005 9:42pm

Doc_Savage wrote:

driskill ain't it?

Oh, why did you have to say that

Also bonus points to them for the Monty Python pic

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 9:43pm

Ahhh my eyes... the goggles... etc

That thing is insanely figured

feylya · 13-12-2005 9:44pm

Can we class that as electric blue then?

Doctor J · 13-12-2005 9:44pm

Very electric :v:

Creamy Goodness · 13-12-2005 9:54pm

feylya wrote:

Ironically, it was the Doc who suggested green. I wanted him to do it in blue :eek:

ohh i know it's just that you posted that pic

Project: Building a bass

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