Finished Pics! Pete's Piccolo Bass

[sblueplanet]

If it was mine I would say "GLOSS VARNISH PLEASE!"
Looking great and seems a super-fast build. Almost like you sneakily bought a kit and stuck it together :-)

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1488571250' post='3250229']
If it was mine I would say "GLOSS VARNISH PLEASE!"
Looking great and seems a super-fast build. Almost like you sneakily bought a kit and stuck it together :-)
[/quote]
Can't believe I haven't missed something really important out. If it carries on the way it's gone so far, it will be done in half my normal build time! And I'm not entirely sure why!


Out in daylight, you can get a better idea of the likely end colour tone. This is just the sealer coat but will be fairly representative. I think you can also see why I'm getting a bit excited about the quilting - it's everywhere! It's confirmed in my head that gloss varnish is the way to go:




The only thing I may have to rethink is the hardware colour. I've gone for black, but I think it needs something to lift and contrast. Probably chrome, but...would gold be too bling?



The back has darkened also to a lovely...well...mahogany colour :

[Paul S]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1488619566' post='3250465']
If it carries on the way it's gone so far, it will be done in half my normal build time! And I'm not entirely sure why!

[/quote]

Must be the swift logo, Andy.

Looks sumptuous, like a slab of rich fruit cake.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1488626379' post='3250550']
Must be the swift logo, Andy.

Looks sumptuous, like a slab of rich fruit cake.
[/quote]

[Oopsdabassist]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1488619566' post='3250465']

The only thing I may have to rethink is the hardware colour. I've gone for black, but I think it needs something to lift and contrast. Probably chrome, but...would gold be too bling?

[/quote]

Gold 'n' Brown? ya know that might just work

[Andyjr1515]

Well, I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure

To varnish or not to varnish.

While I KNOW that the colour absolutely pops out when you gloss varnish a wood like this, there is NOTHING, SIMPLY NOTHING like the organic feel of a tru-oil slurry and buffed piece of wood. Silky smooth to the touch but undoubtedly wood, deep satin in colour tone.

Here it is, photo'd in the shade, after two applications:


..and in the sunshine:


The neck is going to be this finish whatever, but, I don't know...very tempted to forgo that extra bit of bling....

Edited March 4, 2017 by Andyjr1515

[Andyjr1515]

...and yes - going for gold

[W1_Pro]

The figure on that fingerboard is lovely. Great thread Andy.

[sblueplanet]

The current finish on the body reminds me of my former Warwick Thumb bass.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1488728152' post='3251330']
The current finish on the body reminds me of my former Warwick Thumb bass.
[/quote]
Yes - probably much the same process

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1488687577' post='3251046']
The figure on that fingerboard is lovely. Great thread Andy.
[/quote]
Thanks, Stuart Trust all is well with you and yours.

[Andyjr1515]

Just noticed that I started this thread on 8th Feb. I can't believe that, barring late disasters, this is within a few days or so of being finished!

Some of that is because Pete specifically wants the tactile slurry and buffed satin finished rather than a gloss, which would have added at least 3 weeks. I'm actually more than happy with that aesthetically as well as the silky feel of it, having had a sunny day at last so I can see what it actually looks like!



I'm waiting for some hardware, but sorted the magnetic catches while I was waiting:



And also for the truss-rod cover - worked well on Nic's Mouradian-esque build, so I thought I'd try it on this too :




I'm out tomorrow but will try to do the fret-levelling on Wednesday. For the build itself, that just leaves a possible tweak on the volute - it's in the perfect position for the treble strings but, because of the rake, might be a touch too forward for the bass. I won't know for sure until I've got the strings fitted and been able to try it for real...again hopefully Wednesday.

I've got a few weeks to sort out some of the domestic tasks and also to rearrange my work area a bit, and then there is a "this could be the final straw that broke the camel's back" project due to be on the drawing board. More about that one soon

[Bastav]

That looks ay-may-zing!

[TheGreek]

Show us the body profile?? Just love the sculpture contours on mine...

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1488838561' post='3252341']
Show us the body profile?? Just love the sculpture contours on mine...
[/quote]

This?

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1488875502' post='3252472']
This?


[/quote]

There are, of course, limits and there are some downsides, but doing this significantly reduces weight, but also allows a very much slimmer neck heel:

[Andyjr1515]

I've been fiddling about with permutations and combinations of the hardware.

I generally steer clear of gold, but the colours of the wood are just shouting out for something more than black to set them off. Chrome also wasn't quite right when I tried a couple of items. I tried gold tuners - they suited the headstock much more than the black. I tried a gold pickup ring - that looked the ticket. But gold bridge elements - screamed bling and cheap. So with some mixing and matching of components, I've come up with this:







What do you think? Too bling? Too John Player Special (although, even as a non-smoker, that was always pretty darned cool!)?

[BassApprentice]

Difficult to say if that's the best without seeing the other permutations, but I think that looks great!

Understated enough to be acceptable but just enough bling to bring out the best quality of the woods used. Chrome just wouldn't have worked I don't think.

Another great job Andy!

[eude]

Wow!
This looks incredible!
Top work, as ever mate.

Eude

[Oopsdabassist]

Yes yes yes.. Gold 'n' Brown is born!!

[Andyjr1515]

Thanks, folks.

Any views on another possible permutation? The above has gold tuners with a black ferrule, but it might pull it altogether to go black tuners with black ferrule:

Here they are side by side:


Any views?

[Simon.]

I think the combinations on the body hardware are excellent! Understated, without being drab (which I think all black would have been). As for the tuners - I love the mix 'n' match approach, but am at a loss as to which one looks best! Sorry, not a lot of help...

[Harryburke14]

Personally, I prefer the top ones, but that's just me

[Andyjr1515]

There's another option someone came up with that I'll try this evening - black body, gold ferrule, gold knob. Personality complex or wot!

[6v6]

It's a real personal taste thing, but FWIW I'd perhaps go all gold on the tuners without any black, as there's already a lot of different wood colours etc going on, so I think it might look a bit cleaner and draw more attention to the wood?