Ou7shined Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Looking good. That's a very pretty cavity (insert bishop/actress joke ) It's best to get rid of as much as you can though Matt. You have no way of knowing how it will react with the next batch of paint, undercoat included. Did the previous (ahem) "painter" take it back to the wood or are there gold remnants like I found in the neck pocket? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 [quote name='Ou7shined' post='893789' date='Jul 13 2010, 02:59 PM']Looking good. That's a very pretty cavity (insert bishop/actress joke ) It's best to get rid of as much as you can though Matt. You have no way of knowing how it will react with the next batch of paint, undercoat included. Did the previous (ahem) "painter" take it back to the wood or are there gold remnants like I found in the neck pocket?[/quote] It was all the way back, only the strange remnants which were under the bridge and the ones in the neck pocket remained. I'm finding it particularly tough to get that old crappy paint out of the edges. Might have more success with some hand sanding, just use the mouse to take off the bulk of it. Also decided to try making a decal to renew the Artist logo on the truss rod cover. Ordered a sheet of white laser water slide paper, will print it black apart from the logo (leaving it white) then applying it. To avoid visible edges I was thinking of covering the entirety of the top with the transfer so no visible edges then a light coat of lacquer over the top. Sound plausible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Should be fine for the TR cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 More sanding, and lesson learned - don't be afraid to give it a good scrub. It's solid maple after all. Hopefully I'll get it completely clean tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 [quote name='neepheid' post='894446' date='Jul 14 2010, 09:40 AM']More sanding, and lesson learned - don't be afraid to give it a good scrub. It's solid maple after all. Hopefully I'll get it completely clean tonight [/quote] Nice to see you're using the correct tools, i.e. beer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 That's looking pretty nice, some good grain on there. Part of me says leave it natural! Would look good with black hardware and pickguard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 1, 2010 Author Share Posted August 1, 2010 During a break from sanding (which is almost done) I tackled the truss rod cover. I decided to go down the water slide transfer route. I printed off a sheet of them with a fresh toner cartridge (1 sheet of stuff + paranoia). I applied one and thought it looked pretty good: Then I decided to seal it with some clear nitro. Oops: The transfer reacted quite badly to the nitro, it ate into it a little. Let that be a lesson to you all - the white transfer paper does not like nitro. I had to sand all that off and start again. I got hold of a small can of Plasti-Kote Fast Dry Enamel and hedged my bets by applying another transfer to an old pickguard and test spraying onto that. It seemed to go OK so I pressed on with the Enamel. More problems were that the enamel reacted badly to T-cut, went a bit soft Thankfully, cutting back with 1000 grit paper and reapplying seemed to save the day. A few repeats of that process and I'm left with this: I'm pretty pleased with the results: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 17, 2010 Author Share Posted August 17, 2010 Quick update: lacquer's here, and the new pickguard should arrive tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Well as you know I've been charged with the task of the paint and finish. Matt dropped off the Victory all prepped for spraying. Today I rubbed the body and neck back a bit further to rid it of any hairy bits and reduce the scorch marks a little more (don't worry Matt you still have a serial ) and got 3-4 coats of primer on and flattened each time. While waiting for the primer coats to dry I got the first few coats of lightly tinted lacquer on the neck too. I don't think it will need much more tint (pic doesn't do it justice). ...oh and I made a start on Matt's Hagstrom which has been on my to do list for... oooh... about a year now :blush: Weather permitting (I never spray on damp days) I expect more of the same tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Nice work Rich Really looking forward to seeing this bass in the flesh, hopefully at the next Moffat Bash, if Matt will let anyone touch it... P.S. Is that a pub to the left of the shot from your garden? Surely that's a danger... Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 It is rather handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 Exciting times! Thanks a lot for taking this on, there's no way I could do it justice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munkonthehill Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 Matt this looks amazing, I love to see the progress in these threads and this has been a real treat. Needless to say once Rich has worked his magic with the paint this is going to be a monster. I sit here with bated breath chaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 It's maple end to end, it weighs nearly 12lb and I'm going to use it to hit people over the head who say Gibson basses are crap. Then they can really feel the workmanship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 29, 2010 Share Posted August 29, 2010 So Matt was round for the Grand Prix and a bit of a catch up. He reminded me I've not put any further updates up here so.... After much humming and hawing, we plumped for gold (I have a soft spot for gold basses - I think it will be the new Surf Green ) Barring any accidents the painting stages are finished. The learning curve with the metallic gold paint was steep. You can't just "blow in" areas as and when they need it as the blend is highly noticeable. You have to do the whole thing in one go and cross your fingers nothing goes wrong. A drip or run at this stage would be disastrous. The result is very likable. A very natural Gibson-esque gold - not at all showbizy or Fleabass flaky as some gold basses I've seen. I have started with the clear lacquer but the weather has forced me into going for an extended curing period. Which isn't a bad thing. I'm over the moon (and importantly so is the customer ) with the new crisp edges on the headstock - no more chips or scorched and bubbled edges. You can see the "orange peel" effect on the face but I've still to flatten and polish right over the neck. I'll post more pics once I have the clear coats cut and polished, then it will be back over to Matt to put it all back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentbob Posted August 29, 2010 Share Posted August 29, 2010 Only just seen this thread, what a stunning looking bass, and the gold paint looks awesome. Can't wait to see the finished product, even though i'm already green with envy. Good work fellas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted September 2, 2010 Author Share Posted September 2, 2010 I haven't been completely idle while Rich has been working his magic, I've made a new cover for the battery compartment. Compare and contrast with the old one (ruined by adding that daft switch): Just the countersinking to do on the screw holes - but I can't find a countersink bit so I'll have to buy one, boo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 Matt came round the other day with his brand new pickguard for a fitting... we couldn't resist a wee glimpse into the future. He was scared at the prospect of taking the protective film off the p/g just now so it looks a bit greyer here than it will come the grand unveiling. The fretboard looks a bit ropey in the pic too because something in it reacted with the masking tape glue and it went all sticky - never seen that happen before. Presumably it's previous owner/abuser has applied some sort of alcohol based conditioning/cleaning product to the fretboard which has seeped out (or gassed off) and melted the glue. Just another job to rack up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 that is fecking awesome. I want one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 Man that looks amazing! Top work guys! Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted September 14, 2010 Author Share Posted September 14, 2010 [quote name='Ou7shined' post='954623' date='Sep 13 2010, 12:42 PM']He was scared at the prospect of taking the protective film off the p/g just now so it looks a bit greyer here than it will come the grand unveiling.[/quote] Not scared, just didn't see the point in exposing the pickguard to risk of not looking pristine before it's even finally attached to the bass. Peeling the film off will be almost ceremonial, a marking of the end of the project. Speaking of looking pristine, I've ordered some new pickguard screws to replace the rather tarnished originals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentbob Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Can't remember the last time i saw so much awesomeness in one picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 That looks fantastic! Out of interest was the neck always natural finish? Or is this something that you've decided to do? I always though Gibson made an effort to match the finish of their necks to the bodies they were attached to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 [quote name='BigRedX' post='958042' date='Sep 16 2010, 09:42 AM']That looks fantastic! Out of interest was the neck always natural finish? Or is this something that you've decided to do? I always though Gibson made an effort to match the finish of their necks to the bodies they were attached to.[/quote] Yes the neck was always natural finish, based upon the heel being clear and having visible date stamps etc. This bass was originally CAR and clear coat neck. It would have looked like Jules' Custom (but with different tuners) To the best of my knowledge, only the ebony (black) Victory had a matching painted neck and for all other body colours the neck was clear coated. I don't know if that was the rule or some ebony ones slipped through with clear necks. It wouldn't surprise me, I've seen Standards with brass nuts (when they're not supposed to have), Artists with Standard branded truss rod covers, sometimes the headstock says "Gibson Victory" and sometimes it says "Gibson Victory Bass", there's been 3 different tuner types used over a 5 year production run, put simply: nothing would surprise me. Gibson Victory bass information overload: [url="http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/Victory.php"]http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/Victory.php[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Well I think you made the right choice colour-wise mate. Always loved the gold top Les Pauls, but this is going to be way cooler Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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