stewblack Posted November 5, 2020 Share Posted November 5, 2020 A couple of months back I hit on a Facebook advert which ended up with me chatting to the man who runs Impure Guitars. I really liked the inventiveness and imagination evident in his work, and so a seed was planted. I sent him pictures of basses I liked the look of, just randomly culled from a Google image search without too much thought. He came back with a sketch of an idea for a body shape. The seed sprouted! After a bit of back and forth we realised my original idea of a lump of old charred reclaimed timber and some hillbilly, rustic stylings were not compatible with the shape and style we were developing. So the idea now is more late 50s Atomic Age. The project has begun. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon. Posted November 5, 2020 Share Posted November 5, 2020 Looks intriguing - I'm having visions of the Jetsons! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted November 5, 2020 Share Posted November 5, 2020 Mmmm, Jane Jetson... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted November 5, 2020 Author Share Posted November 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Simon. said: Looks intriguing - I'm having visions of the Jetsons! you got it! 1 hour ago, Si600 said: Mmmm, Jane Jetson... easy tiger 🐯 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted November 8, 2020 Share Posted November 8, 2020 Ooh this looks intriguing. Is the chamber for a soundhole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted November 8, 2020 Share Posted November 8, 2020 Looks interesting. Like this sort of shape? https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Hartwood-Charger-Electric-Guitar-Strawberry-Milkshake/31J1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 10 hours ago, Woodinblack said: Looks interesting. Like this sort of shape? https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Hartwood-Charger-Electric-Guitar-Strawberry-Milkshake/31J1 That just looks how I imagine the OP one should look... apart from I had seafoam green in mind. It's kinda got that 50 futuristic (oxymoron, I know) look about it? Like all the retro US car styling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 (edited) 3 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: That just looks how I imagine the OP one should look... apart from I had seafoam green in mind. It's kinda got that 50 futuristic (oxymoron, I know) look about it? Like all the retro US car styling. They do a peppermint one: I think they look great, apart from I think the dropped the ball with the pickups, which should have at the very least been filtatrons if not something more retro Edited November 9, 2020 by Woodinblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted November 9, 2020 Author Share Posted November 9, 2020 (edited) 12 hours ago, Woodinblack said: Looks interesting. Like this sort of shape? https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Hartwood-Charger-Electric-Guitar-Strawberry-Milkshake/31J1 Yeah kind of, I do like that guitar though. I'll share the pic with the guy see what he thinks Edited November 9, 2020 by stewblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 I like offsets. That initial pic looks very promising 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 I like to think this was your muse 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted November 14, 2020 Author Share Posted November 14, 2020 5 hours ago, Pea Turgh said: I like to think this was your muse 😂 That is just pornographic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 So... my build has suffered from the lockdowns - home schooling quite rightly taking precedence over bass making. Not a problem for me, I'm far from impatient. I gave Stu at Impure Guitars full discretion once we'd agreed on a shape and a thematic idea. I don't believe in commissioning an artist and then telling him how to paint (as it were), so I've left him to get on with it. My only stipulation was he had to be happy with the result. The finish was applied but it just didn't float his boat like he'd hoped it might. So he stripped it and started again, going this time for a nitro seafoam green, and it's perfect 👌. In the interim he stripped some bakelite from an old radio and polished it up for the pickguard. The pics are a bit shaky but give a pretty good idea of where we're heading. Waiting on the dual concentric pot and a whatever else has to happen paint wise, then it all comes together. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Lovely colour. I also absolutely love things like reusing old bakelite for the pickguard. Such a cool idea. 🙂👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Oh, @stewblack you tease! Looking forward to the big reveal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Pea Turgh said: Oh, @stewblack Looking forward to the big reveal! me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Nice bit of toaster action. What toaster is it? I couldn't quite work it out at first as the reflections on the centre metal piece looked like raised pole pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Only just seen this thread. I did wonder if you were heading in this direction: https://eastwoodcustoms.com/projects/backlund-100-bass/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 I quite like this... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 23 hours ago, Maude said: Nice bit of toaster action. What toaster is it? I couldn't quite work it out at first as the reflections on the centre metal piece looked like raised pole pieces. It's a Retrovibe. I wanted to shop local! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 1 hour ago, MoonBassAlpha said: Only just seen this thread. I did wonder if you were heading in this direction: https://eastwoodcustoms.com/projects/backlund-100-bass/ That's nice! We aren't a million miles away shape wise, but in the end we opted for a more simple look. The thing evolved over time, had a lot more going on at one point. It was then I realised that if I micromanaged the process we would end up with Homer's car in guitar form. It was then I resolved to let the builder make the decisions from there on in. I know some people couldn't commission a build and not have the final say - after all that would be the whole point. But for me, with fairly limited knowledge and catholic tastes, I like having something to look forward to. Don't get me wrong Stu and I made sure we were on the same page before he broke out the tools. But I chose him because I believe he has a good eye and a creative mind, I don't want to get in the way of that. I won't know if I like it until its hanging around my neck, but that's almost always true. Apart from three of my basses I have never played any of them prior to the unboxing and things generally turn out OK. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 (edited) A few other of his basses, one bass based on my bass, basically, is not a bass. (try saying that with a mouthful of sherbert lemons) Edited January 23, 2021 by stewblack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 4 hours ago, stewblack said: It's a Retrovibe. I wanted to shop local! As well as shopping local they're excellent pickups. They were second on my list for my Hofner build but I didn't want the toaster style covers. They'll sound great. 🙂👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTool Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 6 hours ago, stewblack said: A few other of his basses, one bass based on my bass, basically, is not a bass. (try saying that with a mouthful of sherbert lemons) Not sure why, but I am finding that quite attractive, and I usually NEVER go for any of that there 'relic' nonsense...😆 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 2 hours ago, BassTool said: Not sure why, but I am finding that quite attractive, and I usually NEVER go for any of that there 'relic' nonsense...😆 This isn't, technically speaking, a reliced bass. It's a chunk of old wood from a barn (or something like that anyway) so it's grown old naturally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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