Zoot 'Wal-a-like' - FINISHED

[Cosmicrain]

The first coat of satin Wax & Oil have been applied and the pictures show it still wet.  12 hours to dry before I can re-coat.

 

 

[Bass Culture]

2 hours ago, Cosmicrain said:

The first coat of satin Wax & Oil have been applied and the pictures show it still wet.  12 hours to dry before I can re-coat.

 

 

Looking good, Mike, looking really good!

[Cosmicrain]

Back on the neck for more work.  Here I'm doing the face and side dots.

 

 

[Cosmicrain]

Board rad' and Fretwork etc.

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Cosmicrain

[Bass Culture]

Ah, so you don't round off the fingerboard edges until after the frets have gone in?  That's interesting, @Cosmicrain, I sort of assumed it would be done before.  There's going to be a really obvious reason why's it's done this way round, isn't there!

[Cosmicrain]

1 hour ago, Bass Culture said:

Ah, so you don't round off the fingerboard edges until after the frets have gone in?  That's interesting, @Cosmicrain, I sort of assumed it would be done before.  There's going to be a really obvious reason why's it's done this way round, isn't there!

Yep, whilst the neck is still square on the back it's very easy to get a dead level finish on the fingerboard and frets (no "give" in the neck to worry about).  So I do all the fingerboard work and fretwork whilst in this state, then tape if off with three layers of masking tape and then continue to carve the back of the neck.  When all is done I then remove the masking tape and attend to any discrepancies on the frets (which is done when the bass is fitted up and at the final setup stage). It's a very accurate and quick way to work. Well, in my workshop anyway....

[Cosmicrain]

Mark always gets me to do a custom profile to the back of his bass necks.  This profile is a combination of a Wal type V and a modern flattened C.  The pictures show how I did this using my grinder with a 60G disc on it, a hand rasp, sanding block, some curved panel scrapers  and finally some sand paper.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Cosmicrain

[Bass Culture]

Ooooohhhh!

[Merton]

That’s a good looking neck!

[Cosmicrain]

The neck is now ready to be fitted up, just waiting for a Hipshop delivery.  The headstock is hi-gloss polyester and the back of the neck is clear satin polyester.   It's beginning to look like a bass guitar.

 

 

[ezbass]

Ooh! The envy begins 😍.

[Bass Culture]

Not feeling quite so 'conflicted' about the gold bridge units now as I realise they compliment the fret wire really well! 😁

[Cosmicrain]

7 minutes ago, Bass Culture said:

Not feeling quite so 'conflicted' about the gold bridge units now as I realise they compliment the fret wire really well! 😁

KaBling.....and Marks "Essex Roots return".

 

[MoonBassAlpha]

Gold hardware= bass vajazzle? 😀

[Pea Turgh]

Oh me oh my, that’s pretty.  It seems quite difficult to come up with a “new” shape that still looks organic.  This hits the spot.

[Cosmicrain]

Finally finished, Mark is due to collect next Friday.  And before you ask, yes it does sound like a "Wal" and then some.

[Merton]

That is most lovely 😊 

[Bass Culture]

Oh my!

[Rich]

Oh good lord  I love almost** everything about that. Absolutely gorgeous. I await sound clips with bated breath. There will be sound clips, right? Right..?

 

** the gold/black hardware mismatch is a bit jarring for my tastes, and it's missing a string  but obvs that's entirely personal preference

[Bass Culture]

1 hour ago, Rich said:

Oh good lord  I love almost** everything about that. Absolutely gorgeous. I await sound clips with bated breath. There will be sound clips, right? Right..?

 

** the gold/black hardware mismatch is a bit jarring for my tastes, and it's missing a string  but obvs that's entirely personal preference

 There will be sound clips in due course.  Gold hardware - still not completely sure myself, to be honest.  I may get a set of black bridges and see what it looks like with black base plates and gold saddles.

[MacDaddy]

11 minutes ago, Bass Culture said:

 There will be sound clips in due course.  Gold hardware - still not completely sure myself, to be honest.  I may get a set of black bridges and see what it looks like with black base plates and gold saddles.

 

IMO too much gold would be ostentatious. The bridge nicely compliments the line running along the edge of the body.

[crazycloud]

If it was properly Wal like, you'd not be getting it for 3 more years...

 

Came out beautiful. Have lots of fun with it.

 

PS: I'd probably ditch the gold bridges too, but it's not like I couldn't live with it as is.

[4000]

2 hours ago, Cosmicrain said:

Finally finished, Mark is due to collect next Friday.  And before you ask, yes it does sound like a "Wal" and then some.

That’s gorgeous. Congratulations Mark! 
 

FWIW I like the gold bridges, but I don’t mind gold hardware. Black would be fine too, but either way, it’s stunning. Food for thought; I want one!

 

I’d be interested to know what it weighs….

Edited May 11, 2022 by 4000

[Rich]

52 minutes ago, Bass Culture said:

I may get a set of black bridges and see what it looks like with black base plates and gold saddles.

Oh good shout. I bet that would look spot on.

[Rich]

Quick mock-up

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Rich