My current project, Dingwall ABZ 5 Transformation

[Grand Wazoo]

I have owned my ABZ 5 Natural Ash for over 5 years, it is undoubtedly one of my favorite bass, simple passive, organic no thrills, plug and play perfection. I loved the look of the swamp ash body grains but for a year or so, I had this vision that a lot more could be done to enhance its looks and really bring out the texture of those ash grains forward with a few stages of transformation.

One day I saw a picture of a faded ash body seafoam green telecaster and I was hooked. I took my bass and that pic to a local luthier guru friend of mine, Ian Allerton here in UK at Guitar Works https://www.facebook.com/awesomeguitarrepairs/ and asked him if he could materialize this project I had in mind, he said yes and explained to me that to obtain the result I wanted the bass would have to be sprayed, first black, then sea foam green, then white, and then the hand sanding will take place to remove the bulk of the white, and then gently rub the sea foam green to reveal the black underneath which would have by then sunken through the grains and then finally once the right effect was obtained he would have to seal the lot with a thin coat of polyurethane just like the original Dingwall product. So quite an intense process

Here is what he did in the correct stages...

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All he needs to do is to apply the lacquer and it's done.

Oh yes I might as well show you where I got the idea from..

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[Bearfist]

Absolutely stunning mate!

[gary mac]

He has done an amazing job for you Fran.

[Machines]

Lovely, it's given me some ideas for my swamp ash Corvette.

[mattbass6]

Wow! That is stunning. What an amazing transformation / job 😎

[Rikki1984]

Really, really nice!

[Jonnyboy Rotten]

Really nice! Brave - as that bass is so nice to start with but it looks like its paying off! Love to see more pics of the finished product!

Edited November 5, 2015 by Jonnyboy Rotten

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1446717390' post='2901631']
Really nice! Brave - as that bass is so nice to start with but it looks like its paying off! Love to see more pics of the finished product!
[/quote]

No problem, I am collecting it Sunday don't forget too bookmark Ian Allerton Facebook page, in case any of you need any work done in the area from Greater London to Hertfordshire, Ian is based in Ware, Herts,

[size=5][url="https://www.facebook.com/awesomeguitarrepairs/"]https://www.facebook...eguitarrepairs/[/url][/size]

[Grand Wazoo]

Thanks for the nice comments, I am also very pleased that Ian was able to accomplish exactly what I had in mind and more!

[ead]

Loving that. Has given me an idea too

[Grand Wazoo]

She's ready, Ian just sent me the before and after shots, collecting it tomorrow

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[Subbeh]

Stunning, really impressive work. The bass was a looker to begin with but wow

[Grand Wazoo]

Home safe and sound

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[HowieBass]

Safely protected by that car mat - thank goodness!

[Kev]

Suddenly my yellow NG-2 looks quite subtle! haha

Nice work though bud, certainly a transformation.

[Woodinblack]

Really impressed with the work done. Wouldn't be my choice but it really is a quality job.

[bartelby]

Seeing the body on its own I though... urgh!

But once it was all back together it's more

[Grand Wazoo]

Signature photo updated too

[ead]

I wonder if this treatment would work as well with a darker body colour?

I'd get that fence done to match now.

[Toasted]

That's really cool.

[gafbass02]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1447003991' post='2904063']
Seeing the body on its own I though... urgh!

But once it was all back together it's more
[/quote]

Hahahah. This! looks great.

[roman_sub]

Came together beautifully, works great with the black hardware