Finished Pics! A quick 'lighten and veneer' job

Andyjr1515

UnclePsychosis said:

Wow, that looks really great. Always enjoy your work. 

Surprised someone is prepared to pay you to do that to a Harley Benton though. They're decent enough instruments but still... 

I'm using this as a bit of a showcase, to be honest, so agreed a 'deal' with the owner.  

Apart from anything else, he has let me try out a new technique on his precious (though affordable) bass, which is cutting the lightening chambers from the top rather than simply adding faux control chambers from the back.  I think it was fair enough to offer a decent deal to him for letting me do that

UnclePsychosis

Fair enough. 

The end result looks fantastic, I'm sure the owner will be chuffed to bits. 

Andyjr1515

The finish on the body is pretty much there.  

The hardware will be all black and I've been kicking around some photoshop'd pickguard options with the owner.  We've firmed up on something like this:


In the meantime, the headstock is done, including the owner's 'sunflower' emblem in place and glued:


All the hardware is on the way so this should be all done and dusted by early next week 

impmann

I like the black guard, but the traditionalist in me wonders if the original shape mirrors the body shape better... 
Has he upgraded the pickups to suit? The HB precision alike I played was pretty good (if heavy) but the pickup was pretty lousy, imho.

Andyjr1515

impmann said:

I like the black guard, but the traditionalist in me wonders if the original shape mirrors the body shape better... 
Has he upgraded the pickups to suit? The HB precision alike I played was pretty good (if heavy) but the pickup was pretty lousy, imho.

Hi, @impmann.  
Im pretty sure they are not stock - they are Entwistle JBXN's - I think the original are Wilkinsons?

It's also got a KiOgon loom

Andyjr1515

OK - all done.  It's about 1.5lb lighter and still sits fine on the strap.  

Here it is in all its glory:

Bridgehouse

Impressed. Really impressed. I reckon quite a few would pay good money for that (a lot more than HB prices!)

Good work!

Andyjr1515

Bridgehouse said:

Impressed. Really impressed. I reckon quite a few would pay good money for that (a lot more than HB prices!)

Good work!

Thanks, @Bridgehouse  

There is something especially satisfying about these kinds of project

William Williamson

IK can't help but think the new pickguard's bottom arc should be inverted (i.e. ballooning out) but it looks fantastic craftsmanship either way. Good show!

Andyjr1515

William Williamson said:

IK can't help but think the new pickguard's bottom arc should be inverted (i.e. ballooning out) but it looks fantastic craftsmanship either way. Good show!

I know what you mean, William - and I did a mockup doing that - but it lost the essence of the 'starburst'.  Of the various paper-template tries I did, this was the one both the owner and I thought captured the look we were after best.  

With a different figuring of veneer, then almost certainly your suggestion would be the better one

mudslide73

That's lovely mate. Top marks.

Sarge

Bloody hell that's a beauty!  Sterling work that man! 

May I ask what brand of ink you used and is it calligraphy ink? 
I only ask as I have a quilted maple top washburn rs10v which has been badly refinished in some yukky amber and it's crying out for a red finish. 

Andyjr1515

Sarge said:

Bloody hell that's a beauty!  Sterling work that man! 

May I ask what brand of ink you used and is it calligraphy ink? 
I only ask as I have a quilted maple top washburn rs10v which has been badly refinished in some yukky amber and it's crying out for a red finish. 

Hi @Sarge

Thanks!  I generally use Diamine inks - they have a very wide range of colours and shades, have a good website, are cheap and despatch quickly. The variety of shades is helpful because the underlying wood can alter the shade markedly so sometimes you need to pick a slightly different tone to the one on the sample card to get the desired result.

The main red I've used here is one of their standard fountain pen inks and is Wild Strawberry shade.  The burst is a darker shade ... can't remember which one I used but any darker shade in the same part of the colour spectrum will usually do.

The small 30ml bottles, only a few pounds each, are usually easily enough for a guitar or a bass.

Sarge

Thanks for the info! 
I don't want to demean your thread but could I pick your brains for a second? 
Is there any particular technique to get the quilt to pop? or is it the same as with flamed maple ie: a darker highlight sanded back then the desired colour on top? 

Cheers! 

Andyjr1515

Sarge said:

Thanks for the info! 
I don't want to demean your thread but could I pick your brains for a second? 
Is there any particular technique to get the quilt to pop? or is it the same as with flamed maple ie: a darker highlight sanded back then the desired colour on top? 

Cheers! 

Exactly that.  I don't use a darker stain personally.  I just stain then light sand a couple of times and then do a final light stain of the same colour.  Most of the 'pop' comes when you subsequently clear coat.

Sarge

Ok thanks for that. 

DartmoorHedgehog

Nice work 

TimmyO

Andyjr1515 said:

..and today, bringing this up to present, the - yes, you guessed it - red ink:

 

Wow - I'm not familiar with your previous work @Andyjr1515 (I don't frequent this bit of the forum much) - that is fantastic work. Will look up some of your other threads. 

Jalapeno

Lovely job !

Andyjr1515

TimmyO said:

Andyjr1515 said:

..and today, bringing this up to present, the - yes, you guessed it - red ink:

 

Wow - I'm not familiar with your previous work @Andyjr1515 (I don't frequent this bit of the forum much) - that is fantastic work. Will look up some of your other threads. 

Thanks!
 
The galleries on my website (www.ajrguitarmods.co.uk - it's OK, not a commercial venture, just a hobby ) also have examples of veneer jobs as well as full builds I've done.  If you click on the thumbs on the gallery pages it will take you to a more detailed page of the guitar or bass in question (and if it doesn't, do let me know!)...