Budget '51 Fretless Slab Just ordered

[Day-mun]

Just popped a budget build inspired by fretless's New Slab in the Pbass gallary. 

Here's the specs:

51 P Bass®, Right handed, Alder, Top Rout, F-Holes: None, Pickup Rout: (Single Coil PBass , None), Bridge: Gotoh 201, Jack Rout: 7/8" (22mm) Side Jack Hole, Battery Box: None

J Bass®, Super Bass, Right Handed Handed, Maple, Indian Rosewood Fretboard, 1-1/2" Nut Width, Standard, Fretless, BML (17.5mm) Tuner Ream, 20 frets, Straight 10" Radius, No Inlay Inlay, White Side Dots, GraphTech White TUSQ XL, No Finish, 34" Scale, Standard 4 Bolt, Standard Steel Rods

Gonna be getting a SD Quarterpound '51 SC, Volume and Tone and that is it. -Bare-bones awesomeness.

Looking for suggestions on DIY finish ideas that are good beginner-level methods... so feel free to advise; I really have no plan at this point for this one.

 

[Cagey]

When it comes to finishes, "beginner-level methods" = let Warmoth do it. It may look expensive at first blush, but they really provide the best finish from any point of view for the least time/money.

Past that, there are a lot of considerations. Chief among them is how much money you've got to work with, how much time/patience you have, and what kind of environment is available. Even a beginner can get very good results with the proper tools and procedures, but sometimes your hands are tied by environmental issues. For instance, if you live in an apartment and don't have access to a good workspace, you're more or less stuck with oil finishes. Also, you have to consider your wants/needs. Oil finishes can be made to look very good, but they're pretty flimsy. If you're a working musician and/or want something more durable, you need to think either poly or lacquer.

If durable is important, we're back to "let Warmoth do it" because they shoot catalyzed polyurethane. There isn't a better finish. But, they have a limited choice of colors/schemes. So, then you're on your own and you're down to lacquer and a private finisher or yourself. Of course, that requires equipment and working space.

So... where you at?

 

[fretless]

Awesome ! My kinda axe  :headbang: Did you custom order , gah that wait is gonna kill us all . Can't wait to see this beauty . Welp for finish I love to see some wood grain so perhaps a reranch nitro transparent like their rranch orange or a Mary Kaye white . I also really like Minwax wipe on poly with a Shellac wash coat . it's super easy to do and looks great . Think of a Godin guitar , it has that sweet natural satin finish . it's also cheap . Nitro is not that hard to do really , do a shellac wash coat , a couple cans of color and a few cans of clear . Check out reranch if you thing you want nitro , while not cheap it would be bad ass . I just refin'd a little Dwarf amp in reranch orange , This color really covers and I mean it covers everything , the walls , the goggles the ground and whatever you are spraying it at .  :toothy12:  oh yeah I prefer to spray fresh shellac in a preval , it goes on nice .

rrorange

 

[leo12.]

Here's a link from Toner:
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=15729.0
Alder won't need grain filling, sand to 320 & go from there.
That cabinet turned out real nice fretless.

 

[Day-mun]

That cabinet is beautiful!

I've done more than a few builds, all with pre-finished parts form Warmoth, but the forum has led me to wishing I was more involved with the finish; those of you doing your own thing with your builds in that department have really been inspiring!

So far, I basically just assemble, and the level of creativity in that seems a bit limited. Sure, I pick the custom options, and click the boxes that will lead to pieces that fit together showing up on a UPS truck outside my house (-not apartment), but I'd like to take it to the next level, and finish seems like a fresh new step to take.

I know this one may not turn out perfect, but I gotta start somewhere, so this screamin' deal body at a nice, cheap $125 seemed like a good place to start. (Neck was $180,btw... thus the term "budget build".)

Cagey, to answer the environment question, I live in a ranch-style house in a small neighborhood with bigger yards and lot of space between houses. Have an attached unheated/no-AC garage with some space to work in, a window to exhaust fumes/particulates to... but absolutely no sprayer or other ventalation equipment save a box fan for said window.

Thanks for the pointers, tips, and advise, guys, -keep it comin'!

 

[fretless]

Thanks man ! You know it's funny , for me I get all these ideas about color then I run off and buy the paint , oly white , Blitz black on and on then I can't bring myself to cover the grain so I go with a clear  :icon_biggrin: . I have just last week custom ordered a Single cut G4 in Maple and a Padouk 32" neck . Pretty sure it's getting just the Shellac & wipe-on  :glasses9:

 

[Cagey]

I'm actually in a condo with attached 2-car that isn't directly heated or ventilated in any way, and I don't have any problem. Lacquer is very forgiving in that it sets up extremely fast and requires that you sand it to perfection after the fact, so dust and other particulates aren't the issue you might imagine. If you wait for good weather, you don't even need ventilation - just open the bay door(s). Plus, that gives you the added benefit of the best light there is - the sun. (don't shoot in the sun, though)

I've had a few spray rigs over the years (used to paint cars in another life), but the one I'm using now is an Earlex 5500 HVLP rig...

They run roughly $300, which may be more than you've budgeted for this build, but when you figure a good professional finish would run you at least that much, then it becomes almost free on the first job disregarding materials. So, if you think you'd like to build more guitars, or may have other things to paint over time, it's a helluva investment. They're nice in that they do an excellent, professional job, they're small, light and easy to store. Highly recommended.

The only downside to them is you have a turbine to supply air instead of a compressor, and compressors are handy things to have around for other reasons - air tools, blowers, pneumatic tire maintenance, etc. But, they're easy and essentially maintenance-free. That counts for a lot.

 

[Day-mun]

-Glad to hear that I will be able to get by without a booth/filtered ventilation if I went the sprayer route. I'd eventually like to get set up for that, but $ is the unknown. The last Fender-manufactured bass I own is on CL right now, and depending on if it sells, I may have the bucks to get that set-up... but, then again,where I am is sorta an economically depressed area, and spending about a grand on a used instrument isn't in most of my west-MI neighbors' budgets.

 

[Cagey]

Spanning about 13 years I lived in Grand Rapids (mostly), Kalamazoo, and Wayland. Lovely area, and I wouldn't mind moving back since I'm quite conservative myself. I've been on the southeast side (where I was born and raised) for as much time now so I don't know how depressed the west side is today, but from what I remember that area is ultra-conservative and people don't make major moves easily no matter how flush things are. If you want to sell something, you're probably much better off on eBay than Craig's List or the local papers.

 

[Day-mun]

-Then ya know what I'm talkin' about! -Yeah, probably better go ebay with it.

Grand Rapids is quite the best-kept secret of this area; a smaller city with all the stuff ya like about larger cities like plenty of culture, great food, adn always something goin' on... without the traffic and ridiculously expensive everything.  My favorite part is Rainbow Music on Leonard street! One of the last surviving ma 'n' pa shops in the area that Guitar Center and MF didn't choke out. John (the owner) is a super great guy and always seems willing to make ya a deal. Pete is a really good luthier, if I didn't know what I was doing myself, I'd take my stuff to him.... (-sigh) it's a small world after all. -Great to run across a fellow Michigander! -Viva the Motor City  :headbang1:

-I'm gonna have to read up on all these suggestions, -you guys have given me quite a bit to look into, I really appreciate it  :icon_thumright:

 

[Day-mun]

Thanks man ! You know it's funny , for me I get all these ideas about color then I run off and buy the paint , oly white , Blitz black on and on then I can't bring myself to cover the grain so I go with a clear  :icon_biggrin: . I have just last week custom ordered a Single cut G4 in Maple and a Padouk 32" neck . Pretty sure it's getting just the Shellac & wipe-on  :glasses9:

I totally hear ya; I keep picturing it in a very earthy, natural color, maybe some sort of brown or amber tint, but for the most part clear.

...then again, I keep thinking of that TV finish on the LP bass, -but Alder may be the wrong grain for that sorta thing. I dunno. (-Still meaning to check up on that link to the Novak method.)

 

[sixstringsamurai]

I'm actually in a condo with attached 2-car that isn't directly heated or ventilated in any way, and I don't have any problem. Lacquer is very forgiving in that it sets up extremely fast and requires that you sand it to perfection after the fact, so dust and other particulates aren't the issue you might imagine. If you wait for good weather, you don't even need ventilation - just open the bay door(s). Plus, that gives you the added benefit of the best light there is - the sun. (don't shoot in the sun, though)

I've had a few spray rigs over the years (used to paint cars in another life), but the one I'm using now is an Earlex 5500 HVLP rig...

They run roughly $300, which may be more than you've budgeted for this build, but when you figure a good professional finish would run you at least that much, then it becomes almost free on the first job disregarding materials. So, if you think you'd like to build more guitars, or may have other things to paint over time, it's a helluva investment. They're nice in that they do an excellent, professional job, they're small, light and easy to store. Highly recommended.

The only downside to them is you have a turbine to supply air instead of a compressor, and compressors are handy things to have around for other reasons - air tools, blowers, pneumatic tire maintenance, etc. But, they're easy and essentially maintenance-free. That counts for a lot.

Not an ungodly price tag on those either, going on the tool wishlist!

 

[Cagey]

If you do eventually get one, be sure to buy a 1mm needle for the gun. They typically come with 2mm parts, and sometimes an additional size like the 1.5mm part as well. But, for something as fine as lacquer, you need the smaller needle. When I ordered mine, they were throwing in the second needle "free" so I asked for the 1mm part in place of what they were offering. But, in looking around the web, the price that supplier is charging is roughly the price of a second needle higher than Amazon is getting for the rig.

Yeah, I know. Surprise!

 

[sixstringsamurai]

If you do eventually get one, be sure to buy a 1mm needle for the gun. They typically come with 2mm parts, and sometimes an additional size like the 1.5mm part as well. But, for something as fine as lacquer, you need the smaller needle. When I ordered mine, they were throwing in the second needle "free" so I asked for the 1mm part in place of what they were offering. But, in looking around the web, the price that supplier is charging is roughly the price of a second needle higher than Amazon is getting for the rig.

Yeah, I know. Surprise!

I have hand applied french polish on my last two builds, and was thinking of spraying my next one.
PM me if you have an opinion on spraying Shellac.
I like mixing and experimenting with pigments, but with my Back/neck issues I had W finish this upcoming build.
But I have Hijacked this thread long enough...


ON WITH THE BUILD!!

 

[Cagey]

I don't spray the stuff. But, you may want to read this article.

 

[Day-mun]

No need to cease any Hijack; half the point of starting this thread before anything arrived was to have plenty of time to learn from you guys. -Glad you're discussing it on this thread!

 

[fretless]

I see the ship times are much quicker than quoted  :cool01: ask me how I know  :laughing7:

 

[sixstringsamurai]

man I hope that's true I am totally Chaffing for my kit to get here....

 

[alterbridgefan]

I see the ship times are much quicker than quoted  :cool01: ask me how I know  :laughing7:

Congrats! How does it all look?

 

[fretless]

I see the ship times are much quicker than quoted  :cool01: ask me how I know  :laughing7:

Congrats! How does it all look?

it all arrives next week ... checks watch...taps foot..