LeftyBassist.com

The online home for southpaw bassists.
It is currently March 29th, 2024, 5:49 am




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 15th, 2010, 3:57 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 28th, 2010, 10:59 am
Posts: 868
Location: Dover, NH
This is a bass I've been working on for the past several weeks. I've got a couple of "normal builds"
I'm doing for customers (a seafoam green Stingray and another yellow '51 P) but I wanted to do
something "fun" and I had this jazz body laying around.

Attachment:
100_1530.JPG
100_1530.JPG [ 185.18 KiB | Viewed 11954 times ]


It actually makes me queasy painting it. It's completely hand-painted and should "move" when you
look at it. It's LPB underneath, swamp ash with a maple tone top.

Pete


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 15th, 2010, 6:51 pm 
Offline

Joined: July 31st, 2009, 1:21 am
Posts: 232
love it, simply and utterly love it :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 15th, 2010, 10:24 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 14th, 2008, 1:45 pm
Posts: 3910
Location: Huntsville, AL
A bass with kaleidescope eyes.

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... ef=profile

www.twitter.com/ReallyMattRoss

Penguins is practically chickens.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 16th, 2010, 5:19 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 13th, 2010, 9:00 am
Posts: 98
Location: Paris / FR
That's really original, I like it !


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 16th, 2010, 7:01 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 10th, 2008, 7:00 pm
Posts: 1184
Location: Seattle, WA USA
o - my eyes! my eyes! :lol:

R

_________________
Moderator: Blueprinting and Bondo
Pickups: Honey Badger Pickups - Like Honey Badger Pickups on Facebook!
Basses: Regenerate Guitar Works - Like Regenerate Guitar Works on Facebook!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 16th, 2010, 7:31 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 14th, 2008, 10:57 am
Posts: 2865
Matt R. wrote:
A bass with kaleidescope eyes.

Touche!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 16th, 2010, 11:11 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 10th, 2008, 7:00 pm
Posts: 1184
Location: Seattle, WA USA
hey Scream,

in the spirit of what the B&B section here is all about, would you give us a detailed workflow of the steps you use to finish a body from 'freshly detail sanded' to 'ready for final assembly'? I'm sure this would be a great reference for forum members looking for suggestions on how to work a DIY finish job on a body they have.

If you have one method for hand painting (like the body in this thread) another for oil finishes, and yet another for spray finishes - it'd be super cool to have a thread for each workflow 8-)

all the best,

R

_________________
Moderator: Blueprinting and Bondo
Pickups: Honey Badger Pickups - Like Honey Badger Pickups on Facebook!
Basses: Regenerate Guitar Works - Like Regenerate Guitar Works on Facebook!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Finishing a bass...
PostPosted: August 16th, 2010, 4:59 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 28th, 2010, 10:59 am
Posts: 868
Location: Dover, NH
I use several workflows to finish off a bass. Finishing is the toughest part, as Rod will attest to.
This is the first time I've attempted this workflow, in that, the top coat is actually epoxy resin.

These are the steps that I've taken to get to this step. This bass has a swamp ash body with a
flame maple top. The top was damaged by an inexperienced painter but the body is still usable.
These steps usually denote "one day" in production time.

Step one:
I sanded the body back to bare wood. I used a "Mouse" sander with 80 grit, then 100 and 220.
Then I switch to a sanding block and "just paper" for the sides - 220, then 300.

Step two:
Clean the body with acetone, then re-sand any grins that may have popped up.

Step three:
I used ReRanch Products for this bass, although I don't use them that often - I send my bodies out
for paint, normally. But the ReRanch products work well. For a swamp ash body you need to fill the grain.
I used their "San and Sealer", four coats, then sanded the body down with 220 grit. I didn't grain seal the
maple as it doesn't need it.

Step four:
Used ReRanch "White Lacquer Based Primer", the whole can, to prime the body. Again, sanded, but with
300 grit just to get a nice even surface.

Step five:
Paint. Used one can of ReRanch LPB, which is four or five coats. You don't sand metallics unless you're
knocking back a drip or mistake. I barely sanded the body.

Step six:
If you're going to try their products I'd suggest two cans of the "Nitrocellulose Clear Coat" as one can
is not loaded with enough product to give that deep gloss we expect in a finish. However, one can is
enough for this workflow as I just wanted to protect the finish enough to draw and paint on top of it.
With the clearcoat you don't sand in between layers - let them build. They'll look like crap but they'll
polish out very nicely. Once you have the nitro clearcoat on let the bass cure for at least a week - the
longer the better. Then sand. I started with 600 and stayed there. For this you just want to protect the
color.

Step seven:
Paint your design. I used acrylic paint. It's easy to work with, covers decent and will scrape easily off the
nitro when you make a mistake. In this photo you can see my pencil work. The blue is actually "negative"
space, the color of the bass.
Attachment:
100_1498.JPG


Step eight:
When your design is done, as it was in the original photo that I posted, it's time for the epoxy. This is messy
work and I'm doing it where I normally do my final builds. A clean room is a must - no dust falling, etc. In
both of these photos you can see that I actually installed the PUP's, bridge and clamped the neck onto the
bass. This was mainly to prevent the epoxy from entering the cavities and therefore they're stuck in there.
You can build blocks to place in there but I wanted this specific look. Same with the bridge - I wanted it to
be sealed in there and not laying on top of the epoxy. Follow the directions for the epoxy. A screw up now
means going all the way to step one. You just pour the epoxy over the bass and let it ooze over the sides.
Attachment:
100_1541.JPG


I'll wait until at least Thursday and then see what I've got.

Attachment:
100_1542.JPG


Step nine:
I'll whip up another batch of epoxy and mask off the sides, sand down the epoxy with 100 grit (careful not
to sand into the color) and use the remainder of the epoxy to BRUSH on the rear of the bass.

Step ten:
I'm a screw it all together and play it.

Pete


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: August 16th, 2010, 5:30 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 10th, 2008, 7:00 pm
Posts: 1184
Location: Seattle, WA USA
wonderful explaination of your process! 8-)

and you are sooo right about painting being a total pita. it actually costs me more (from an overhead labor perspective) to finish a body in-house than it does for me to send it out to a shop that simply preps & paints for every hour of every day. the $200 - $300 I spend having a body finished is worth every penny IMO

ReRanch offers a great product IMO, although I'd prefer their Vintage White to be about 30% less banana - but that's just my preference


I missed that you had a LPB metallic base on this body. cool idea there!


thanks again for your workflow post here! it'd be great (when you get time) to capture your process for making a neck, body, or even simply how you address assembling and setting-up a bass from the point of having a finished neck/body forward. I'm sure many here would find it interesting to learn where we have near identical workflows, and places where we're significantly different in our approaches. I'm not thinking of this from the perspective of one being better than another ... more from the perspective that it would be good for those visiting this forum to see that there's more than one workflow that will get you a great end result ... it might just inspire a few readers to give something a try

all the best,

R

_________________
Moderator: Blueprinting and Bondo
Pickups: Honey Badger Pickups - Like Honey Badger Pickups on Facebook!
Basses: Regenerate Guitar Works - Like Regenerate Guitar Works on Facebook!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: April 23rd, 2011, 7:37 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 28th, 2010, 10:59 am
Posts: 868
Location: Dover, NH
I know it's been a long time but this is my bass completed. I play it daily and love it. I used an Audere four-band pre-amp.
It's a heavy bass, that's for sure, but I'm pleased with the way it came out.

Attachment:
DSC_0128.jpg
DSC_0128.jpg [ 82.38 KiB | Viewed 11701 times ]


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: April 23rd, 2011, 9:29 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: March 4th, 2008, 3:51 pm
Posts: 2654
Location: Pacific Northwest
Looks wild!

Please don't be a stranger. :)


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: April 24th, 2011, 7:32 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 9th, 2008, 7:46 am
Posts: 3851
Location: West Orange, NJ
I just had an epileptic fit looking at this!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: You're either going to like this or hate it...
PostPosted: May 20th, 2011, 5:53 pm 
Offline

Joined: July 24th, 2009, 11:25 pm
Posts: 318
Location: Osaka, Japan
Shouldn't step 1 be - Drop some acid,..... ;)

I think it looks great but you better have some serious public liability insurance if you play out at any weekend festivals! :lol:

_________________
Warwick b/o Thumb 5/Corvette 5F, Steinberger XL25WL/XL2FL, Ibanez 645/505/506, Tune BassManiac 5, Aria IGB68-5, Hohner B2VA, MM Sterling, Squier VMJ, FauxFender Dinky J, GB Shuttle 3.10T, GK MB200 & 500, Nemesis 410 cab, Korg G5.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group  
Design By Poker Bandits