rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 After buying my first Overwater, an '07 Perception 5, fifteen months ago, I recently decided to take the plunge and have a bass made, just for me! Woop! Another factor that contributed to this decision was my visit to the Overwater London Bass Day in October 12. The guys (and girls) at Overwater, have become my good friends since my '07 arrived, and their support and service, even though I bought that bass privately, is quite exceptional. A fantastic company, an invaluable resource, and great coffee too! Brief spec of the new build is as follows: 5 string, low B, Overwater Perception 34" Scale, Thru-neck design. Walnut body wings with one-piece Ziricote topwood (very dark and exotic, and expensive!) Wenge/Walnut 5-piece neck, with Ziricote head Veneer (I will stare at the Wenge for days!) Gotoh Lightweight (Aluminium) Tuners Hipshot individual Bridge pieces, with through-body stringing Overwater Scott Devine electronics Overwater Single Coil pickups Ziricote ramp Overwater Flatwound strings I placed my order, after mucho guidance and advice from the OW guys, in November, and my good friend Martin Lee is doing the build. Woodwork is largely complete now and indeed it is a thing of beauty. Lots of pics to follow! RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Tasty! Is this the one they've posted a couple of build pics of on Twitter/FB? http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=13808542&l=4228537d79&id=325141415745 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Having problems wwith the Image Uploader. Hope this works, A neck, glued up. The build starts! Neck cleaned up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1359123206' post='1950203'] Tasty! Is this the one they've posted a couple of build pics of on Twitter/FB? [url="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=13808542&l=4228537d79&id=325141415745"]http://www.facebook....id=325141415745[/url] [/quote] Yes hubrad, mine is one of a pair they are building at the moment (god, 'one of a pair', I sound like Arthur Negus!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) Neck blank with head angle completed Final Wood Selection day! Neck blank Walnut wings Ziricote Edited October 16, 2018 by rk7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Head veneer applied. Oh my! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Truss Rod fitted Neck and Head routed out. It's starting to look bass-like! Starting to experience new levels of joy and impatience now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Body wings cut out. And glued up! Brilliant work Martin! Yee-har! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Looking good, I didn't realise they did through neck Perceptions, is that special order or something new from Overwater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Topwood, cut, bookmatched and glued. Aaaah, the top! Although this top attracted a price premium, and required Chris Mays express permission, it is a truly beautiful piece. I am lucky, yes i am! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1359125973' post='1950286'] Looking good, I didn't realise they did through neck Perceptions, is that special order or something new from Overwater. [/quote] Hi Rumple, I believe they have always been available, but are becoming more and more popular. I know of at least another one that was built last year, and there is a further one being built alongside mine. Perhaps the OW guys can further clarify. RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Maple veneer and topwood fitted! Clamped! For some reason this pic reminds me of Hellraiser, therapy needed, I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 This is awesome, it's almost like the bass is being built before our very eyes! Ziracote Top, good choice mate, I've got some on my ACG 6er Keep those pics coming! Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Rear view From the front! Endways on! The bass is nicely coming together now, and is looking better than I ever could have hoped. I'm now frantic to get my hands on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='eude' timestamp='1359127860' post='1950329'] This is awesome, it's almost like the bass is being built before our very eyes! Ziracote Top, good choice mate, I've got some on my ACG 6er Keep those pics coming! Eude [/quote] Hi Eude! Yes, Martin has been brilliant in sending me pics at every stage of the build, hence the rush of image uploads on this post. I should point out that the guys at OW have shown as much enthusiasm as me during this build, which is fantastic. I'm loving the wood combination just for its looks, but the OW guys are already enthusing about the tone this bass will deliver. I am a lucky chap indeed. RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 That looks lovely! (this is also my favourite build thread so far as all the stages to date have been nice and close together so there's no wading through pages of other folks being congratulatory in order to see the goods!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1359129178' post='1950369'] That looks lovely! (this is also my favourite build thread so far as all the stages to date have been nice and close together so there's no wading through pages of other folks being congratulatory in order to see the goods!) [/quote] Hi Andy, thanks for your comments. The build has been on the go for a week or two so I am able to upload the images held to date, but it will slow down as I catch up with martin. Sorry. RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) Well, the latest batch of photos did it. I jumped in the car yesterday and headed for OW headquarters in Carlisle to visit the bass! I am lucky in that I live close to the factory and can call in fairly easily. i am blown away by the detail of the wood(s), and the 'magic' that top Luthiers can perform. (Its up his sleeve! lmao). Headstock wenge grain detail. I will stare at this, a lot. A big lot! LMAO Front view Body pic. Incidentally, whilst I appreciate that there is a lot of hardware still to be fitted, I was amazed at the lightness of this bass. I know this is something Martin has been mindful of throughout the build so far, given the wood choice, but I expect that this will be a comfortable instrument to 'wear'. Result! Edited October 16, 2018 by rk7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 [IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/2s8qy49.jpg[/IMG] More clamping! But no Hellraiser jokes. The therapy must be working! [IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/2nlrehi.jpg[/IMG] Rosewood fingerboard fitted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 this is super sweet! I love dark woods, subtle but elegant!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Beautiful! Good choice of woods and excellent work done by Overwater. I bet you spend half your waking hours thinking about the bass! And who could blame you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1359135166' post='1950569'] Beautiful! Good choice of woods and excellent work done by Overwater. I bet you spend half your waking hours thinking about the bass! And who could blame you? [/quote] Hi Jimbob. Way more than half my waking hours, and quite a lot of my sleeping hours too. I'm very pleased with the wood choice now that the bass is coming together. I'm expecting great things from the tone of the instrument. Happy days! RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 This is looking stunning RK Can you tell us what those two channels are for that run parallel to the truss rod channel at the heel end of the neck? Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Hi Rubis, yes I can. The two slots receive small metal bars, which add some strengthening to the thru-neck construction at the neck/body joining point. Once the fingerboard goes on, they are lost forever. But I have to point out that I am only able to answer this because I asked it myself on Thursday - I hadnt a clue, lmao. All credit goes to Mr Martin Lee, bass-builder to the stars, and RK! yo! RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rk7 Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 Hi all, more pics and an update from Martin today, Body perimeter routed! Rear cavity machining. Rear body rounded-over Top, rounded-over. Deep joy! RK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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