Barry's Dark Custom

[bkbass]

Thanks Mica!The coco looks great.Certainly the highly figured parts are what I'm interested in seeing with the cutout tracing as previously mentioned.The back piece of coco with that evil looking Pac Man needs to be on the back of the bass with Saturns rings and the darker rim on the front.Now I don't want to set the forest on fire but,on the back set of wood on the lower corner that is sort of cut off by the picture size sort of the 5 o'clock position would make a mighty fine oval wood sample as it will become scrapwood after the shape is carved and I'm thinking that this with a standard logo embedded in optically clear epoxy might make a purdie belt buckle ala excellent industries.Are they still around?Please call to discuss.Rami it's a series 2 electronic package sans the 4way selector and master volume but including a standby switch.Kevin as far as Gibson goes theres an old saying that simply saysya can't polish a turd foreverLOL!Actually I'm pretty sure that an Alembic guitar with 2 filters in it will allow you to dial in just about any sound your after including a jazz box sound(s).Think about it,a bass company,clean clear sounding electronics and unlimited wood (tonal choices)= A dimensionally stable eyepoping solidbody with everything from a strat-gibson sound to the warmth and clarity of a jazzbox!Is it exact or authentic well no BUT It's one guitar to carry with enough of those signature sounds to pull off the club or studio gig and BTW can sound like a Alembic too.

[rami]

Hi Barry,
 
Are you going for the continuous wood covered pickups?  I'd love to see that on such a  gorgeous Coco-Bolo Rogue.  
 
Rami

[kmh364]

Understood. Unfortunately, the general populace doesn't know Alembic from Schmendrick. If it doesn't say Gibson or Fender Custom Shop on it, nobody wants it. Personally, I'm not impressed with either Fender or Gibson's quality, or lack thereof (I own both). Alembic is the cream of the crop, but try convincing the Guitar/Bass Player Magazine crowd of that. If you can't find 'em at Garbage Center or Sam's Ass, it doesn't exist, LOL!
 
(Message edited by kmh364 on April 20, 2004)

[bkbass]

Yes Kevin I agree,it's easier to sell crap than quality.That is why both the F&G can be sold with no problem to get your next fix.Ahh the general public silly mortals!LOL!Got your phone message and I'll try to call tommorrow.Rami sorry no wood covers this trip.It would make perfect sense if it where book matched to center besides,I just took delivery on a fretted Rogue series 2 with a continous truss cover.That's enough spending for now(look honey how much money I saved you as I said to the boss).My two Orions have plastic,my two spoilers have brass so I thought I'd trade up on the last one with wood.This one will also have a wood truss cover and continuous backplates but alas no PU covers.The next one will have booked matched to center on the front only and similar wood features as the last so by the time I get to having wood PU covers I'll be dead three years!BTW,where's your latest lady,is it done yet?

[rami]

Hi Barry,
 
Your Bass is going to be spectacular nonetheless.  I thought by how the boards were displayed that it would have been bookmatched to center.  Can't wait to see it!  Will it have a purpleheart body???
 
P.S.  My two are back at the shop for some cosmetic retouching, and the Black Byrd (I assume) should be ready soon.
 
Cheers,
 
Rami

[bkbass]

Rami,yes it will have the same funky purple for the body.It should visually pop.BTW your twins are truly spectacular as is the BB.Kevin you out there?Did you get my phone message?

[kmh364]

Barry,
 
I got your message. Sorry I haven't been able to return your call as I have been extremely busy at work. We'll talk after the weekend. I hope to be out on the Harley all weekend, assuming the weather holds like last weekend.
 
Kevin

[bob]

Okay, we need some more info on this purple stuff.
 
First time I saw it, I switched over to look at it on a Windoze laptop (instead of my Cinema Display); also copied one of the images out and looked at it in a graphics program on my Mac, reviewed my monitor calibration - and yeah, the damn stuff really was purple (well, more bluish on the laptop...).
 
We've seen a lot of purpleheart here, but none before that I would really describe as purple - is this a really exceptional piece, or what?
 
I'm making gradual progress on being comfortable wearing clothes that involve purple, and am probably not ready for a bass like this - but it is really striking. What do you think it's going to do over time?
-Bob

[bkbass]

Bob,overtime it'll have the living s- -t played out of it!LOL.Seriously,hard to say,I have an all purple heart w/ vermillon accents spoiler(pre purple princess)that sort of has the temperment of that PH Rogue 5 that's threading around.It has a glossy finish and so far has not changed in appearance over the last 12 years the vermillon on the other hand has oxidized to a brick red.Still a very purdie plank all in all.I remember being told that at the time Ron had used  the UV light of their blueprint machine to get the woods(cut at different angles from different boards)to cosmetically blend.If this is so then I would guess that if this or any bass where to have more exposure to the sun things might change in appearance and that different woods will react faster than others etc.I think Mica mentions this thoughout the threads.Paduk(vermillon)sapwood gets it's color from the sodium sulfide(rusty looking,oxygen scavinger that darkens as it takes on more oxygen) presnt in the soil.I think purple heart comes mostly from India which is a large producer of indigo hence the aforementioned process for Purple Heart.Are there any Indian, wood working,bluejean wearing,soil tilling,bass playing chemist's out there to confirm or refrute these claims?Mica you should be able to contribute something here for the group.  

[rami]

Hi Barry,
 
Check out this website:  
 
www.durablewoods.com/purpleheart.htm
 
You'll find that Purpleheart actually comes from South America.  The tree can grow up to over 170ft high and have a 4ft diameter.
 
Rami

[bkbass]

Rami,thanks for the correction and the info.One would think that with that much wood in just one tree we would see a tad more flame and other interesting figuring coming our way.

[mica]

Miek wants to position the top to catch the most of the weird flmey-sorta-reflecting parts like so:  

  He also had to reveneer the back laminate on the peghead. That peskity Coco Bolo split when sanding:  

  Now the only Maple on your bass are the small little sidelines.  Chip insisted I send you a shot of the neck witht he rough shaping. He specifically picked this piece with some good reflecting-flamey looking parts. Will be great with the particular Coco Bolo, dontcha think?  

  Let me know if the plan for the cut on the top meets with your approval and I'll pass it on to Mike so he can get a gluin' and a cuttin'.

[bkbass]

Thanks Mica,the coco bolo looks great with that orientation.After finally seeing it this way,I realize we would have lost the dark streaks if it were flipped around.Please proceed with the game plan.Once again a great job.Where did that scuzzy lookin' knot hole come from?Is that the front of my neck in the photo,and if so,will that be routed out for the sustain block?I ask because in the first photo of the neck there is no knot and related swirl that can be seen.Mike gonna put that twin evil pac man pattern in the back orientation?Please tell Mike to start a gluin' and a cuttin'.Hi Kevin,Hi Rami,you guys like the orientation are you diggin the program so far?

[mica]

That's not your neck in the photo with the inked in shape-it's a scrap off of it about as thin as a veneer. We are just messin' with your mind, Barry!
 
I have to confess I don't quite see the evil pacman pattern, but the iea is to orient the back as show in the proceeding photos (the bottom of the photo is the bottom of the bass). I'll let Mike know and he'll probably get your body in clamps before he goes home tonight.
 
Have a good weekend, will probably have more updates for you next week.

[mica]

It'll be Monday or Tuesday when your body is glued together, but here's where things are today: