The Bass kit finishing + input

[TRex]

My bass kit for GFS was put on hold since i had to keep the house and garage cleanish for showings. Now that we are in the new house, I'm looking ad how I want to do this.

First topic is body and neck finishing. The neck is raw maple with a already finished maple board, and the body is Paulownia wood.

The neck will get some clean finish to keep that nice maple on maple color.

I'll get some pictures tonight, but I'm debating if the grain is pretty enough to want to show off. I'll post pics later after practice.

If I go stain, should I true oil it or poly finish it or what? What's yalls opinions on what's easier or yields best results? (This goes for the neck and body)

I do need to cut the headstock to shape and thought to ask this...

I hear extra mass on the headstock helps move dead notes up, so should I go for a large headstock?

And any ideas for the shape besides the normal fender shape? Just thought I would ask while I'm here.

 

[TRex]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input

Here are some cell pictures for an idea of what she looks like so far.

All the other hardware is in a baggy over on my workbench.

 

[TRex]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input

An Ibanez pointy head would not require much wood removal.

For my tastes, to disguise the mismatched body wood grain, an opaque would be preferable.

Not to mention it would be easier as there are less rounded edges

That's what I'm leaning towards at this point on the body, the more I look at it the less I think it would turn out great.

 

[Gaspasser69]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input





I stripped a black ibby gtr 70 and then veneered it with some blue stain on the top horn. Of course i did some serious body shaping before hand. The back just stained right now. My brother in law wants to design custom graphics for the back , so its sitting in limbo. You could veneer it or stain it dark. I use minwax stains then lacquer. Maybe oil up the neck and light brush on lacquer. The grain isnt that bad. Do some routing and shaping and make it yours. maybe prestain conditioner to even out the color in the body pieces.
Or just build a nice case and hide it if you screw up

 

[TRex]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input

View attachment 68194
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View attachment 68196

I stripped a black ibby gtr 70 and then veneered it with some blue stain on the top horn. Of course i did some serious body shaping before hand. The back just stained right now. My brother in law wants to design custom graphics for the back , so its sitting in limbo. You could veneer it or stain it dark. I use minwax stains then lacquer. Maybe oil up the neck and light brush on lacquer. The grain isnt that bad. Do some routing and shaping and make it yours. maybe prestain conditioner to even out the color in the body pieces.
Or just build a nice case and hide it if you screw up
View attachment 68198

Sweet Bass man

The only extra routing I really want is a battery box and maybe a extra pickup in a bridge position.

I'm new to bass, so I'm not sure what body contours I like with it.

BTW, are those Violin/Viola Cases in the background?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input

Or just build a nice case and hide it if you screw up
View attachment 68198

Wow...whole new meaning to a coffin case! :firedevil

 

[Gaspasser69]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input

The cases are guitars and basses. I have a violin around here somewhere. Thanks. If you put a second pick up, make sure its hum cancelling. Like a double stacked j. Mine is single so coupled with the p it's buzzing. The p is a hum cancelling pickup but the j is not. Thats just how they made this bass. I replaced the j with a sd quarter pounder like 15 yrs ago and didnt know i could have put in a double stacked j and cancelled the hum. This body started off looking like yours in shape. Black gtr 70 starter bass package around 1999-2000. Btw refinishing ibby's is a PITA !!!! i think ibanez encases them in concrete. ;p

 

[Gaspasser69]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input


Another veneer refinish. Rg 7420 in black sparkle paint. Black pearl? I think they call it. It needed to be first ibby in camphor burl veneer with a sd ssl-1 7 string single coil in between the v7 and v8 hums. Luckily ibby pickups are easy to mod. The wire leads are long inside so converting a 2 conductor hum bucker to 4 conductor wire is not hard thank god. Thought i was gonna have to buy a new pick up before i opened it up to try and connect to the coil leads.

 

[chadd]

Re: The Bass kit finishing + input

I did Reranch neck amber on a maple strat neck that turned out pretty well. As for the body, I would go solid color. I've had a thing for white with tort guards lately for some reason.