Difference between RC-4 and RCA-4 on pitbull guitars

[d_1_stortion]

So what's the difference?

Thanks

[WeirdBits]

About $20...

RC-4 basswood body, RCA-4 ash body.

[Simon Barden]

Yup. That's all.

[d_1_stortion]

Which one would you suggest for a beginner?

[Simon Barden]

Basswood is quite soft, whereas Ash is quite a bit harder so will take the odd knock a bit better.

Basswood has closed grain structure, so it doesn't need grain filling to get a smooth surface, whereas ash is open pored and needs grain filling, often quite a lot, to get a smooth surface. Ash is normally a bit heavier than basswood.

It depends how you want to finish the bass. Ash has the prettier big grain patterns, whilst basswood can vary between very plain to having quite a lot of noticeable close straight-grained pattern. So ash generally suits a transparent/translucent finish, whilst basswood is ideal for solid colours, though a lot of people have stained basswood and used a clear finish.

If you go basswood, you'd probably be best to see what the body grain looks like when you get the kit before deciding what finish to use. If you definitely want to see the wood (even through a stain), then I'd go ash.

Grain filling is an easy process, though does involve a fair bit of sanding back afterwards. But then it's not much extra sanding on top of what you'll need to do anyway.

[d_1_stortion]

Thank you for your clear answers

I'm going for a blue with white border around. Kind of like in this picture: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...65e539555b645d

I don't think that I'll go with more than one colour "gradient", so it'll be just plain blue sprayed with spray paint (no gradient like in this picture). Neck would be no colour just on the top where you tune your guitar it would be the same blue, but only on the front side. On the picture on the site I can see that it already has a kind of white border like in the picture. Will I have to spray it or it is already there? Is spray paint good for this project?

[Simon Barden]

The white border is plastic binding. You can spray it and then scrape the paint off, but it's easier to mask the binding before spraying.

To get that blueburst finish, they've probably stained the body the lighter blue, then sprayed the darker blue burst on top of that, then sprayed clear lacquer over that. That particular bass you linked to has a quilted maple top, which they wanted to make the most of.

Doing a sunburst finish isn't that hard. It's worth practising on scrap wood or cardboard first but as long as you hold the can over the body and spray outwards and aim for the edge, it really isn't hard to do.

Notice that the darker blue on the bass is translucent, which means it's a tinted lacquer rather than a solid paint. These are normally nitrocellulose paints, but you might find them in a different paint type, though clear is generally the only standard lacquer colour for non-nitro aerosols.

Of course there's nothing to stop you using solid colour paint for both the light and dark blue, especially if you go with basswood, or else a solid colour burst over a stain (which would be my choice if you don't want to go with nitrocellulose paints as they are expensive and a lot more hazardous to use than acrylic or polyurethane spray paints).

But you need to get your kit first, then start a build diary. Post pictures and ask questions as you go along and we'll help you all we can. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

[d_1_stortion]

Thank you. I'll order the kit in the near/far future. I'll post when I get it. Till then, bye bye.

[wazkelly]

Basswood would probably work best with intended colour scheme for a newbie as Ash does need a lot of grain filling and can easily look crap under a solid colour if not done properly.

Raw Basswood is also a closer colour match to raw Maple thus making it easier to blend colour from body to neck without looking too obvious. Ash is a fair bit darker with an almost pinkish hue which adds a few more degrees of difficulty when trying to colour match neck & body.

Ash is best if going for a stain where you want the grain to stand out.

Cheers, Waz