P-Bass (PBA-4)

[wazkelly]

Hi Shimmix, just catching up with some threads and tripped over this one.

Ash is probably not the best timber to be used for a solid colour as the grain definition is very strong and dominant which requires a lot of sealing to prevent the contours showing up later, as was evident on the back in an early photo of the initial blue coats.

I have only done one Ash body in a stain and no experience in solid colours, but it looks like many, many coats of primer may be required to achieve an overall flat finish.

Cheers, Waz

[ozzbike]

Hi Shimmix, just catching up with some threads and tripped over this one.

Ash is probably not the best timber to be used for a solid colour as the grain definition is very strong and dominant which requires a lot of sealing to prevent the contours showing up later, as was evident on the back in an early photo of the initial blue coats.

I have only done one Ash body in a stain and no experience in solid colours, but it looks like many, many coats of primer may be required to achieve an overall flat finish.

Cheers, Waz

Could not agree more WAZ. I am sorry...but I just don't understand the attraction of a high grain, open pore timber, to be used under a solid painted finish????

Basswood is fine for that. Actually Basswood comes up nice under stain and natural oils/wax finishes.

Buy a starting point that offers the least problematic outcome. Sealing and covering all that grain in an Ash Body would only appeal for a full gloss clear finish...over natural or stained timber....but not over a solid colour.

Why do this to your self????

[Shimmix]

Hi Shimmix, just catching up with some threads and tripped over this one.

Ash is probably not the best timber to be used for a solid colour as the grain definition is very strong and dominant which requires a lot of sealing to prevent the contours showing up later, as was evident on the back in an early photo of the initial blue coats.

I have only done one Ash body in a stain and no experience in solid colours, but it looks like many, many coats of primer may be required to achieve an overall flat finish.

Cheers, Waz

Thanks Waz!
As this is my first kit, and I'm learning as I go, and I also had this pretty clear idea of how I want the bass to look like, I chose Ash over Basswood probably because I'm more femiliar with it (I have a few guitars made of Ash), any way I think it turned out pretty cool in the end (I put it together and did initial setup - still need to level and crown 3 buzzing frets) and also sounds great to my taste.



I will upload a video once I will finish up the setup.

[Andyxlh]

That looks good. Nice colour too!

[wazkelly]

Have to agree with Andy, nice colour combo.

Hopefully no shrinkage over time to expose the typical Ash grain underneath.

[Shimmix]

That looks good. Nice colour too!

Thanks Andy.
Actually t turned out quite similar to what I envisioned

[Shimmix]

Have to agree with Andy, nice colour combo.

Hopefully no shrinkage over time to expose the typical Ash grain underneath.

Thanks Waz!
Will have to wait and see (again this is my first paint job, the previous bass I build- my first one ever, from scratch - had a Tung oil finish (wood combination walnut on top of Wonga)

[Shimmix]

I have a question regarding fret buzz.
most of the frets are great - no buzz, pretty leveled and pretty good job over whole.
I have 3 frets that are buzzing - the 7th buzz on the second D string, and the 11th & 12th are buzzing on both the second D and third A strings.
Is there a way to deal /level/work only on these frets, or should I do a complete work re-leveling and crowning the entire frets on the board?

Thanks

[Simon Barden]

You can try tapping them with either a soft-faced hammer (brass, plastic or hard rubber) or a lightly with a normal hammer and a bit of wood on the top of the fret.

Note that it's the fret after the buzzing fret that's likely to be proud/a bit too high, so for the 7th fret buzz, tap the 8th fret (and so on).

That may seat the fret a bit lower. If that doesn't work, you can just try and work on individual frets, but I think it's easier (and more likely to get a good result) if you do all the frets together.

[king casey]

I've become a tad OCD with the frets using that '3 fret level' gadget.
I found that not every individual fret is necessarily uneven all the way across.
Therefore I'm checking across the fret in roughly 6 places (it's a guitar) and only marking where it's actually rocking.
[edit] Then using a small file to address the marked areas.
My thinking is that the radius sanding block a bit like chemo-therapy....using a sledgehammer instead of a little finesse.

cheers, Mark.