Walnut/Rosewood/Wenge Jazz Bass (pics added!)

[neuftone]

OK, so this is premature, I admit...I have all the components but the wood and some hardware from Warmoth, which have shipped and are slated to arrive end of this week.  I'll update when pictures arrive, but here are the specs of this build:

Rear routed 4str Jazz Bass body, walnut back, Indian rosewood lam top.

Wenge neck, rosewood fretboard, standard Jazz profile.  Hipshot Ultralights (black), and Warmoth installed nut.  No face dots.

Two SD Alnico polepiece musicman pickups (SMB4a), for bridge and middle position.  Schaller 463 bridge in black.

Pickups will run first into two three-way on-on-on miniswitches, for series/split/parallel for each.  Then into a black LP style 3-way switch, then into a master volume and tone pot with black dome knobs.  Schaller black straplocks installed (I bought a nice strap specifically for this instrument, as no doubt it will be heavy!).  No finish on the neck, and the jury is still out on what finish to apply to the body...leading contender right now is Watco Teak Oil, applied very slowly and gradually over many rubbed on coats.  The rosewood lamtop is the trick, but I'll sort it out I think!  Lightweight Rotosound Swing bass strings already on hand.

A few more days and I'll get some pics posted!

 

[neuftone]

It came today!

Pardon the low quality pics, the light was low so it didn't turn out great:

The wenge/rosewood neck is gorgeous, I think.  Both the walnut and rosewood lamtop are lighter than I would have preferred, but unlike the neck, the body will get an oil finish which should darken up the wood considerably (the above is raw/dry, and not wetted).

Gonna be a great bass, I just have to get started finishing the body.

 

[neuftone]

So I'm pretty set now...it'll be Watco Teak Oil, which claims to be formulated for dense woods including rosewood.  I'll try to get some better pics once a few coats are on, showing the new, deepened color.

Then I guess I'd better transition this over to the in progress forum.

 

[DangerousR6]

Nice looking bass........The walnut should darken up quite nicely.

I too have a walnut project in the works, can't decide on Watco's dansih oil, or possibly a tru-oil finish..... :dontknow:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

That is pretty sweet.

 

[neuftone]

Bit of oil finish is apparently all it took...first coat of Watco teak oil is on (very, very thin rubbed coat), and wow, the woods darkened up marvelously.  The rosewood actually looks like what I think of, with rosewood, and the walnut likewise has darkened up.  Once I have on enough coats to feel it is sufficiently protected I'll put the parts together again and see how it matches...and I'll get a pic or two online, of course.

 

[DangerousR6]

Bit of oil finish is apparently all it took...first coat of Watco teak oil is on (very, very thin rubbed coat), and wow, the woods darkened up marvelously.  The rosewood actually looks like what I think of, with rosewood, and the walnut likewise has darkened up.  Once I have on enough coats to feel it is sufficiently protected I'll put the parts together again and see how it matches...and I'll get a pic or two online, of course.

We nee pics man.... :icon_biggrin:

Really though, I'd like to see how the walnut comes out. I have a walnut body I'm planning on using Watco's Danish oil... :icon_thumright:

 

[rockskate4x]

I've been waiting for someone to use a wenge and rosewood neck. Tell me how you like it when you're done  :hello2: :hello2: :hello2:

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Yum yum yum, thats a very groovy looking bass there.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Awesome!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

It's a double-buck or $$, if you will.

 

[neuftone]

I've been waiting for someone to use a wenge and rosewood neck. Tell me how you like it when you're done  :hello2: :hello2: :hello2:

Yeah, it takes a cheapskate to finally try that out...I would have probably gone pau ferro or ebony but for the upcharge.  But the rosewood will match very well with the finished rosewood lamtop (the coat of oil finish gets it much, much closer to matching in color and darkness).  I'll try to get another pic tonight, so you can see how the colour changed.

Maybe I'll call this bass Mista Brown, after the Right Honourable Bootsy Collins' first employer and his primary tutor of the funk, who ran an allegedly tight ship and insisted his hired band address him as such.  Its a nice match as Bootsy was wielding a Fender Jazz in that period (the space bass would have undoubtedly been too much showy upstaging for Mr. Brown).

 

[neuftone]

Still low quality pics, but should show how the wood darkened up.  Actually the pics might be a bad judge of that...I'm looking over at the bass now and it looks MUCH darker than it did, but these images make it look more glossy, less dark.  Oh well!

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

:hello2:
Thats awesome!