Say Hello to Sophia

[zenjim]

Hey Guys,
In the past I have always been very purpose built in the instruments I've built. A very specific P-bass, J bass, etc. I was traveling down that same road when I got the West Side Story feeling. I feel pretty, so very pretty. Don't lie, you know you've felt it too. I just wanted to build something that was beautiful and (hopefully) sounded the same. So I grabbed some goodies from the Showcase. Specifically, a Gecko 5 body with mahogany and a flame maple top, and a neck of zebra wood with a zirocote fingerboard! Absolutely gorgeous in person, as you can see below.

My only quandary is gold or black hardware. I generally shy away from the gold, but I think it would look great with both the body and neck. Your thoughts?

I should start the build in about 2 weeks.

 

[Cagey]

Every time I see a Gecko, i'm tempted to take up bass. What a great design! And that one is gonna be spectacular!

I'm a big fan of gold, and think it would look fantastic on that instrument. But, with that color scheme, I'd be torn between black and gold hardware, too. I guess the question would be how much use it's actually going to get. If it becomes your main squeeze and you're putting a lotta hours on it, the gold can get to looking dingy after a while because the plating is vanishingly thin and soft. Wears off easily, exposing the underlying metal. Black paint or oxide is more durable.

 

[zenjim]

Every time I see a Gecko, i'm tempted to take up bass. What a great design! And that one is gonna be spectacular!

I'm a big fan of gold, and think it would look fantastic on that instrument. But, with that color scheme, I'd be torn between black and gold hardware, too. I guess the question would be how much use it's actually going to get. If it becomes your main squeeze and you're putting a lotta hours on it, the gold can get to looking dingy after a while because the plating is vanishingly thin and soft. Wears off easily, exposing the underlying metal. Black paint or oxide is more durable.

Great point Cagey. I forgot how quickly gold can go South. I'm hoping for a lot of use, but not sure at this point.

 

[dmraco]

amazing looking pieces.

I echo Cagey...While I love gold....go black.

 

[stratamania]

Indeed very nice pieces. 

I like the idea of gold hardware especially for the neck, but as DMRACO, mentions black is also an option that would work well with the body.

It would probably look a bit silly with a mix of different hardware, so I would probably lean towards gold.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

"She makes me feel kinda funny, like when we use to climb the rope in gym class..."

 

[bagman67]

"She makes me feel kinda funny, like when we use to climb the rope in gym class..."

Nice one.  Same here.