First Build - EX4

[Rabbit]

Thanks man. I really like the bevel edges, makes it look a bit more metal 🤘

Nah, ya need to wrap it in barbed wire for that !

[Marty]

Nah, ya need to wrap it in barbed wire for that !

Or flames and skulls! 🔥 🔥 💀 💀

Got another coat of white in the body today. Unfortunately you can really see where i'd done the sanding on the other coat which had the runs. Going to need a bit of filler and some more sanding before anymore coats.

Also started putting some thin coats on the neck and headstock which I'm pretty pleased with. Going to have to be very careful about how thick the coats are on the butt. The neck was pretty tight in the body before I did any painting, may have to sand some off but i'll work that out when I get to it.

I'll post some more pictures once the paint has dried.

[Marty]

I think it looks alright. Hoping the black bevel will really set it off

[Rabbit]

Got another coat of white in the body today. Unfortunately you can really see where i'd done the sanding on the other coat which had the runs. Going to need a bit of filler and some more sanding before anymore coats.

It's always hard to do subsequent coats when you have had a run. The run always seems to be visible even when you have spent ages carefully sanding it out and you can't see or feel it after sanding. That next coat goes on and *bang!* there it is again It's a good thing you used white ... black shows up *every* little flaw... gloss black doubly so. The black on the bevels will realy grab the eye I reckon.

[Marty]

Headstock painted. Couple of little marks where the black has bled under the tape. Pretty happy with the black and white, just needs a bit of a tidy up. Debating whether to go around with a small modeling brush or whether to try and scrape some of the paint back with a scalpel 🤔

[Rabbit]

Headstock painted. Couple of little marks where the black has bled under the tape. Pretty happy with the black and white, just needs a bit of a tidy up. Debating whether to go around with a small modeling brush or whether to try and scrape some of the paint back with a scalpel 🤔

Kinda reminds me of black and white spats shoes from the 1920's. If the paint has enough flow, you may get away with the brush, with the scalpel you may still need to touch up the whiite. If you have an airbrush you could sand the black gently with 800 or 1000 grit back to the white then airbrush a little white as a touch up.

[Marty]

Not entirely happy with the paint finish. I do like the black and white, but I can see some marks in the paint, mainly above the pick ups where I had to sand back the previous coat which had runs and an orange peel texture. If i was a perfectionist i'd sand it all back and and start again. But I'm not, and the wife is sick of the sight of sandpaper and rattle cans everywhere.

Thinking maybe doing a very light spray of black over the white for a speckled sort of finish. Then some lacquer and call it a day.

Neck isn't bolted on, just slotted it in to see if the the paint coats were going to cause any problems. Its very tight with no wiggle whatsoever.

[wazkelly]

Very 1920's spats inspired theme happening there which looks great.
Hard not to give in to the quest for perfection, as I was guilty of on more than a few occasions, but reality is the finish will take on marks, bumps & scrapes once you start using it for what was designed for. Otherwise we are merely creating pieces of art to either hang on a wall or live in a case and never get played.
Hope you spend lots of time playing and enjoying this Bass once finished. Explorers are such a fun and surprisingly comfortable shape to play.
Enjoy.
Cheers Waz

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[dozymuppet]

Those small imperfections can be hard not too obsess over, but I'd be keen to see how this looks finished as is. You could always do the splatter effect later.

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[Lappa]

“You could always do the splatter effect later.” I am stealing this. So true and fun way to counteract being overly obsessed about perfection. Thank you for this sentence!