No. 29 is underway. (GPB-4M P Bass Maple f/board.)

[ozzbike]

Yes No. 28 the Firebird is still getting finished, and No.27 The Seconds Order Explorer is nearly finished....binding issue.

But I have grabbed one of these just for me.

I have ordered the kit from PBG with these extras:-

Entwistle PBXN pickups
Graph Tech TUSQ nut
Sprague 0.047uf capacitor
Switchcraft 1/4inch jack socket
Bourns Audio Taper Mini 250k pot.

And these from Real Parts:-

PB Style pickup chrome cover
PB style Bridge chrome cover
Wilkinson 4 string Bass Bridge
Bourns 250k push-pull pot
Allparts four inline chrome elephant ear tuning machines
Schaller style straplock buttons
Metal Dome Chrome knobs

And from E-Bay

A black plastic Bass guitar Thumb Rest.

All together to make a sister/brother for this Jazz Bass.

[ozzbike]

But I don't know if I want to colour/dye/stain the body. Or just perhaps use a coloured Timbermate on the grain and then seal it.

Leaning towards the rubbed finish again. The J Bass feels so amazing over 12 months later.

So thinking Feast Watson Fine Buffing oil and then Gillie Stevensons Cabinet Makers Wax to seal it.

But the neck will be one of the few bare Maple necks and fingerboards I have done. I am wondering how oiled and waxed necks and fingerboards handle the strain of regular use from the big strong Bass strings flapping over its surface.

The shade or colour of the finish of the J Bass was set by the use of Walnut Timbermate on the J Bass and then the amber shading over it from the Fine Buffing Oil.

Timbermate comes in a range of colours....

https://www.timbermate.com.au/timbermate.html

I like the idea of the BrushBox, Teak, or Rimu on the Body....and maybe use Rimu, Pine or Oak on the neck and the fingerboard.

Or maybe I should just make a choice and do the whole thing in the same Timbermate and then just seal it up.

I will be cutting the paddle headstock into a P Bass style....I have a multi page template file and I will find which one fits the most of the existing headstock shape....most bang for buck.

I have the wiring diagram from Weirdy from an earlier build and I have the push/pull pot on order and will be putting the parallel/series switching in place.....thanks again Weirdy.

Any suggestions for a natural style finish colour scheme? It would be nice to try something different.

[emuflats]

Timbermate comes in a range of colours....

https://www.timbermate.com.au/timbermate.html

You can also grab the Natural Tint Base & add just about anything to make your own colour at 4:50 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwBbE0PG5tY

[ozzbike]

You can also grab the Natural Tint Base & add just about anything to make your own colour at 4:50 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwBbE0PG5tY

This interests me....but will it work with the watered down nature of an all over body fill we use on guitars? The video is colouring the timbermate in putty form. I can assume it will.

I have lots of water based stain colours at home....test and tune time I think.

I want a darker brown down deep in the marked grain....and the higher smoother wood to be a more amber or honey colour. I hope that will look okay.

My concern of using my own mix would be colour matching any repairs.

I may try a colour of timbermate off the shelf I think.

[WeirdBits]

Just can't help yourself

[wazkelly]

Nice kit Ozzie and with a maple fret board too.


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[wazkelly]

The body is quite light for Ash and very close to the Maple neck which would lend itself to a vibrant all over stain colour. Translucent Tree Frog Green comes to mind. What do you think?

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[ozzbike]

The body is quite light for Ash and very close to the Maple neck which would lend itself to a vibrant all over stain colour. Translucent Tree Frog Green comes to mind. What do you think?

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Translucent Tree Frog Green....great how your mind works. Funny.

I think enhancing natural colours and those produced by the finish will be the extent of my efforts. Sadly my coloured finishes never end well.

Thinking of doing similar to what I did with the Jazz Bass. Use a coloured timbermate to produce an overall hue on the body....then the Fine Buffing Oil and Cabinet Makers Wax will leave their Amber/honey hue over the top.

I am thinking of trying to get a darker brown colouring in the deep grain with a honey colour on the higher grain. I was also thinking of doing similar on neck and fingerboard. So no bright coloured neck for this one.

[ozzbike]

Flying green shed visit today.

I now have NATURAL/NEUTRAL tint and Cedar/Blackwood. The colours look way different in the plastic jar.....and even different to the sample board hanging in the green shed.

I think I will do the normal body wash fill with the cedar/Blackwood and sand it back....then make a mix with the neutral tint and some orange to light brown water based stain.....make a thicker custard style paste for a large portion of the body not the edges......sand back again....then make a mix with Amber/yellow water based stain and again in a custard consistency smeared in a small middle section.....sand back again.

Feast Watson Fine Buffing Oil applied with 000 grade steel wool with the grain...only. Left to get tacky....coarse cloth....five to six hours.....soft cloth. Repeat once a day until the finish is the desired tone I seek.

Then seven days to gas off....then Gilly Stevenson’s Cabinet Makers Wax with 0000 steel wool and then buff until achieving the sheen I need.

Well that is the plan.....timbermate and waterbased stain and sanding produced light burst with an Amber/Honey hue on the neck and headstock.

[robin]

Hey Ozzie, I'll be watching this build with interest as I have just got a P-Bass Kit. Been thinking of keeping it pretty natural, but will try and highlight the grain.

Good luck with the build, but as its #29 I guess you've got a pretty good handle on how to do it by now.

rob