Flon Klar Guitars

Rich- I'm using the "standard" Transtint dyes in various hues, definitely not naturally-ocurring colors. I guess I'll have to find a way to pressure cook on a large scale! Thanks. John

No, I've already tried soaking it and letting it sit for hours- that still doesn't allow the dye to penetrate. The "industrial" method involves "pressure cooking" it, but I don't have the equipment for that.

1. I have the dye. 2. The dye has been mixed with IPA. 3. The dye solution, when applied to the surface of the veneer, does not penetrate the veneer. In other words, once the veneer is dyed and cut/sanded, the edge of the veneer again shows white. I need the color to completely penetrate the interior of the veneer.

I know that this question has been asked before, but upon searching the forums, I have not seen that the question was ever satisfactorily answered. Maybe someone has come up with a solution over the last couple years, so I'll restate the question, with my own specifics: I have some 1/40" ash veneer that I would like to dye all the way through. Does anyone have a method for doing this that doesn't require industrial equipment? Thanks in advance.

I create a separate patch in my fx unit for each of my basses. Each setting is designed to compensate for output level and tonal discrepancies between instruments. Then I set my amp rig exactly where I want it and never touch the settings (I should just break off the knobs!).

Hey People- I'm looking for a good finish remover to pull some lacquer off a bass. I'm really interested in something that I can brush on, let sit overnight, then scrape off in the morning. I've never done any finish removing, so I'm hoping one of you can point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

I saw this miracle substance and had to laugh a little. No doubt it will be quite useful in general use, but I couldn't get over how excited that damn guy got over the stuff. I can't be certain, but the name might be Mighty Putty. Cures cancer, helps you quit smoking, baby sits the kids and repair leaks, great stuff, lol. J I work in mechanical maintenance, and I've been using these 2-part epoxy putties for years- they work great for many different uses. There's a version made expressly for wood repairs by Protective Coating Co., and I've used it on several guitars. It's a viable remedy to many "accidents."

Guitar Nucleus (http://www.guitarnucleus.com/gnstore/screws.html) has a pretty good selection of guitar-specific screws. It's pretty easy to buy screws that are too long and grind them down to the length you need.

My 2 cents: I've used ss frets on my last 4 builds. I've been working with metal a lot longer than I've been working with wood, so I wasn't at all intimidated by the thought of the stainless beating up my tools. I use the same files to level and bevel that I use with my ni-sil frets, and the same nippers, all with no extraordinary wear. I use the same standard LMI crowning file as well, even though the guys at LMI told me it wouldn't last on stainless. So I bought a diamond crowning file (from somebody on ebay), and it didn't make it through one complete stainless fret job! Even if I have to buy a new crowning file if this one DOES wear out prematurely, the feel and durability of the ss frets will still be worth the cost!

Hey Everyone- Just wanted to jump in here for a minute and thank you all for the compliments and criticisms; all are appreciated. When I first started building, my thought was to build an instrument that I just couldn't get anywhere else. After all, what would be the point in making a copy of something I could go out and buy off the wall at Guitar Center? So yes, all my designs are "weird" (I prefer "unique"), and some border on experimental. Judging from the amount of interest and the number of orders I've received lately (following a successful sale on ebay), I think I'm on the right track.

I know it's been a while, but I've been sidetracked with other projects. Here are pix of the completed Angel bass. I'm still waiting to see how that "experimental" headstock holds up under tension, but so far it looks good.

Oh. Well, I guess I have a different problem then. Thanks anyway.

I'm having what sounds like a very similar problem. What was your solution?

I'm having what sounds like a very similar problem. What was your solution?

Thanks EG!

Thanks Ben. Yeah, the horn just brushes the back of my hand when I go up high, but I really liked that curve, so I opted for a slight impedence. Are you talking about the string angle from the tuner to the nut? With the Beast headstock, as wide as it is, I really couldn't get the tuners any closer to the center. And the tuners for the 2 inside strings on the bass, well, that's just where they go! The bird wings are the same wood as the top of the bass (sycamore) with the same dye. However, they show up a little brighter since they don't have the polyurethane over them. Funny thing about the grain direction. The guitar was originally going to be painted black, so I wasn't really paying a lot of attention to the grain direction when I cut it out. But when we saw how cool it looked, we decided to keep the natural wood (which would be my choice anyway).

Yep, pointy is what I do!!

Hey People- Just wanted to stop by and post some shots of my 2 latest (completed) projects. The guitar's been done for several months, and Rob (aka The Skullsplitter) is very happy with it. I finished Firebird a couple months ago, and I love it! It's become my #1 bass. Firebird specs: 35" scale 28 stainless steel frets Canarywood fretboard with 7-wood Firebird inlay Neck- 3-pc. African mahogany/walnut, through Body- African mahogany back, fire-dyed sycamore top, hand-rubbed polyurethane finish Headstock- mahogany back, sycamore top Pickup- EMG MMTW with single volume control/on-off switch, all 3 coils tied together Chrome hardware (including drop-D tuner, not pictured) Special construction features: headstock is a "cap" joined to neck by a mortise and tenon joint; overall length of the instrument is a whopping 53" (I guess I need to start building my own cases too)! Viszikon specs: 25.5" scale 24 nickel/silver frets Ebony fretboard Neck- 1-pc. royal mahogany, waxed finish on back, through Body- nicely striped African mahogany, gloss lacquer finish, Vixen shape Headstock- African mahogany wings, Beast shape Pickup- single EMG 81 with on/off toggle switch Black hardware (including Sperzel locking tuners) Special construction features: string-through body; fretboard positioned completely above body; very thin v-neck

Well, I might be picking up a Schaller off ebay, if it stays in my price range! Here's a pic of the bridge I got rid of:

Well, actually, I had a bridge that was set up like that, but I wanted more intonation control, i.e., a separate saddle for each string. But thanks for the suggestion.

Anybody know what's available in a bridge for 8-string (4x2) bass? After much searching, all I can seem to find is the Schaller 471 from Warmoth and the ABM from AllParts. I'm sure they're fine parts, but are they my only choices? Anyone got an extra bridge they want to unload?

Cool, that's a little more to the point! Thanks man, that helps a lot. I like to try something new with every build, so I'm always a newb on some level! Thanks for your input; the shellac sounds like a plan.

Thanks for the reply, and I don't mean to sound rude, but yes, I understand all that; I'm looking for a little more in-depth information on what particular experiences people have had with finishes over the dyes. Is there anything that tends to bring out the color more, or something that doesn't mix well with the dye, or ??

Wow!! That Ritter is just hideously gorgeous!!!

I'm in the final stages of putting together my "Firebird" bass. I used red and yellow Transtint dyes to color the body, headstock and part of the fretboard inlay. Now I need to protect it, as the dye is pretty delicate, i.e., comes off easily. Does anybody with any experience with the dyes have an effective method for finishing it? I'd appreciate any ideas and information. Thanks.