skibum5545

I have no experience with it tone-wise, but you can find some pieces with crazy beautiful grain, and even some with minor curl, that would just make a fantastic solid-body guitar.

TRAITOR!! You used to be a respectable -bass- builder, and now you've moved to violins?!! You make me sick. Seriously, though, it's nice to have you back. I'm glad to see you're doing something still with building instruments, and it looks like you've taken on quite a challenge. Didn't you build a violin from a kit before this, too?

Let someone else borrow my bass for a year?! I wouldn't ever dream of it! Actally, the UU congregation has a special fund set up for paying people outside the congregation for gigs like this. I suspect it's because the congregation has no members that play bass well enough. Also, "membership" is a bit of a strong term for the whole UU setup. It seems that people sort of come and go as they please.

Well, simply put, Les Claypool is visiting us from an alternate universe, and while he wows us with strange bass lines, he uses his telepathic powers to influence our musical tastes towards the strange and eccentric. Or something like that. Actually, I like Primus because I'm a bassist and really appreciate the completely different angle Claypool takes on the instrument from everyone else, ever. On top of that, they just have the strange but cool factor. You just don't quite get what they're doing, or why, which is why it's so much fun to see what they're going to do next. Another band that shares that quality to a certain extent is They Might Be Giants.

Ditto that! Also, I assume you're the bassist... right? What's your setup? Your tone is superb.

wouldn't it be srekcuf ewa ?

Basswood? Paint it. Or if you really like the grain, go for a nice, thick clearcoat. Otherwise, it'll never survive. I have a walnut bass I made with a tung oil finish, and it's already dented and dinged more than I'd like (or expected). If I could call a do-over, I definitely would have used a hard finish.

How well do you handle being in debt? What other financial burdens do you have to deal with? Have you tried out all the equipment you're talking about buying? Are you -sure- that they all get you the perfect tone, or are they compromises in any way? If you answered no to any of these questions, don't do it.

Toddler, I'm so sorry, but I just can't vote for a guitar that doesn't show the neck laminates on top. Actually, Metal Matt gets my vote. The guitar is an excellent blend of cool exotic woods and crazy mega awesome metalness. The execution is also dang near perfect. Great job, all of you guys!

www.rockler.com sells veneers and 1/8" thick sheets of various exotic and domestic woods. You should be able to find something there that fits the bill.

Well, there's always being crushed by your gear or getting electrocuted by a bad outlet, but there's one other--and much more dire-- threat to bassists worldwide: bad church musicals. That's right, it seems churches always need basses for various pageants, and you tend to get sucked into them before you have a chance to realize what you've signed yourself up for. This morning, I played bass for a Unitarian Universalist Congregation's production of "Guys and Dolls and UU's Too!", a show wherein they take the music from Guys and Dolls, and change the lyrics and storyline to preach the UU principles of respect and coexistence, and tell a story, in this case about gay marriage and conversion of fundamentalists to the UU way of life. It was a truly scarring experience. Anyway, just thought I'd share this experience with all of you as a cautionary tale. Was it really worth the $100 they paid me to learn 15 songs in 4 days and sit through 8 hours of rehearsal and performance of what can only be called a massacre of the good name of musicals? That's up for debate. Bassists, -please- look before you leap!

I like it a lot! Actually, it's a whole lot better than a lot of the crap that gets radio play nowadays. Keep it up!

So... you want the bottom four strings of a guitar, spaced like they would be on a bass? Well, use bass spacing, and guitar scale length, and guitar strings. That's about all you need to do.

I like the idea of the mini 3-string guitar! It would be very cool for him, too, or at least I imagine. Above all else, teach him an appreciation for good music-- classical, jazz, rock, everything you can-- and the wish to make good music will come naturally. However, it's equally important to give him the means to make that music. Guitar, obviously, is a place to start, but if he ends up wanting to play bass, you have to accept it. I can just see the conversation when he's 16: "Granddad, there's something I need to tell you." "What is it?" "Granddad... I want to play bass." "Bass? Oh no! Is that really the choice you've made?" "It's not a choice! I was born a bassist, and I can't deny who I am any longer!"

Send a PM to the member mushytheshroom. His guitar (the Nebula; won GOTM a couple months back) imbedded all the electronics and the pickup -between- his back piece of wood and the top piece so as to not break the wood's pattern on either side. Granted, you have to use high quality electronics so they don't wear out and you can't get to them, but the look can't be beat. He could give you a lot more detail on how he did it. And if you do PM him, tell him I said hi!

Whoa! Crazy cool! Thanks much for that one; I'll wait around to see if any more suggestions arise, but that may just be the answer to my problems.

Actually, good point. I've seen walnut veneers around, but all with the same problems: I just don't need a 4x8 sheet of walnut veneer! Really, the problem I'm having lies in the quantity, not the type of veneer.

Good observation! Actually, just in case it wasn't obvious, there was an actual question beneath the fake one.

[sarcasm]Hi guys, I'm new to the forum, and I was wondering if you guys knew how to put a maple veneer on a guitar top and also where can I buy one and does pine work for a body?[/sarcasm] Actually, it's a different veneer question from that one. I'm looking for a pau ferro veneer to use as a pinstripe veneer between a maple top and swamp ash body. However, all the places I've looked at either require you to buy a 4'x8' sheet, or a 9" sheet 47 feet long, or a series of 47 flitches, each too small to stand alone as a veneer. Moreover, they all have $10 processing fees. All I'm looking for is a 1'x2' sheet of veneer! Is there any place I can buy such a thing without the rest of the bundle--fees, shipping cost, an extra 47 square feet of veneer-- or am I just going to have to suck it up and blow $35 on pau ferro pinstripes for all the guitars for the rest of my life?

That neck is one of the most exquisitely beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.

I'm thinkin the Topo Gold wrap, personally.

Personally, I like to believe that since they were so daring as to use plain, cream strats and a P-Bass for heavy metal, the Great Guitar God in the Sky was so kind as to impart them with some of his infinite tonal beauty. I wonder if the plethora of mini-HB's in the band helps?

I like it! Actually, I'd leave the headstock natural maple. I happen to really like the look of a walnut covered body with a maple headstock... like my first: Deja Vu, no? Sorry for the blurriness. Anyway, great job. I like it a lot, and the bridge and pickup covers add a nice vintage touch that really gives the bass a finished look. The only thing I don't like is the black sides, but to each his or her own, eh? Again, congrats on a nice mod, and I can't wait to see your first from scratch build!

Asm's last post on -any- thread was in February... methinks he may be gone for good.

As a matter of fact, I totally dig that! TBH it would have looked a lot better if it were rear routed and the covers were on the back, and in either case, it would have been nice to see the covers sit flush with the surface. Also, the toggle switch would look nice next to the other controls (the guitar ones). That said, the necks are fantastic; I've always loved dark necks with lighter laminates. The bodu shape is wonderfully funky. Personally, I think a satin nitro finish would better suit this particular project over a wax finish, but to each his own. I'm going through a phase where I prefer hard finishes, but that may wear off soon. Who knows? Anyway, congrats on a job well done, and special kudos for ignoring the standard guitar designs and doing something funky and original... even if you did steal the body shape. Keep it up, and let's see that purpleheart monster of which you speak!