Paul's Custom Series II Mele Aloha

[mele_aloha]

Hi Mica,  
 
So are you saying that all of the front LEDS are drilled through all of the shells or they are on the backside shining through. I see the two on either side of the MD. Are they all like that, I can't really see them.  
 
I understand you are saying the pearl shell makes a poor diffuser. But are all of them still behind there evenly or are they drilled through like MD?
 
Sorry, I don't quite understand.
 
Thanks

[mica]

The LEDs are drilled through the shell. I think if you look at the photo I linked to of Thunder and Lightnig above, you should be able to barely see the LED - of course, they are not illuminated in that photo. Look just to the left of the A string, and you should see part of the LED in the center of each oval.

[mele_aloha]

Oh! OK, I gotta. They are still going to put the abalone oval in there like I have ordered and they will just cut it to fit in between the palms to make it fit? Is that what we are talking about?
 
Sounds really nice to me. Go for it!
 
Thanks

[mele_aloha]

What is amazing is that even on my computer screen I can see the different colors in the bronze changing as I move my head up and down. They actually came out in the photo. That is wierd. Cool!

[mica]

No, on the 5th fret and the 24th fret, the LEDs will be embedded directly into the Ebony. In all the other positions, the LEDs will be drilled through the ovals.

[mele_aloha]

Yes I did see the LED's along the A string. I can barely see them but now I understand what you are saying.

[mica]

Here's a bass with blue LEDs that we recently completed. With the lights on:

  And up closer with them off:

  It's easier to see on the 4-string basses.   That bronze shell is a trip. The blank I scanned wasn't buffed yet, so the look will be smoother in reality, and the color banding should come out even more.

[mele_aloha]

Ya Mica,  
 
I love the way those look. Are you saying then that they will install the abalone in between the palm trees and just trim it to fit?
 
Also Mica, I would ask you if there is any way that I can get the bronze logo like Scott's bass has?
Please Mica, I just can't see a silver logo going on this beautiful bass at this point.
 
It's very important to me. This was one of the first things I asked Val if I could have Gold an he had explained to me that the gold was to soft for the spray detailing. I can understand that but now it looks like it is possible for bronze.
 
Also I was just wondering (and I'm not questioning your words) but how were the pick-up covers able to be engraved on Thunder and Lightning? Is there some place I can send them out to have it done?
 
Thanks, Paul

[mele_aloha]

Mica,
I don't remember my password so I couldn't edit above but what I forgot to mention is whatever it costs, I'll handle it.
Thank you.

[mica]

For the palm trees, I was thinking of embedding the LED directly in the Ebony, without any abalone around it, like on the 24th fret example. Even when the LED isn't illuminated, there's a moon just in the LED itself, and the rest of the shell acts as the position marker.  
 
We can change the inlaid logo to buffed bronze. What Val was telling you is that we can't do a goldplated logo as an inlay. To get the fit right, it's possible to strain the plating and destroy the nice look. The only other option for the logo is solid gold (which is considerably more expensive). The pure gold logo looks similar to the bronze, though it's not identical.  
 
The pickup decoration depends on the number of strings. The 4-string size has the gold stamp in the ABS plastic shell. The 5/6-string size is molded polyurethane, and the engraving is part of the master we make the silicone mold from. We'll probably add the ABS plastic shells for the 5/6-string pickups at some point in the future.

[mele_aloha]

OK Mica,
 
Yes embedding the LED directly in is great. I think it will look nice in the Ebony.
 
Good news about the Bronze. Ya, Val told me about the gold plating. Of course I would love to have the solid gold but how much are we talking? Is it under a thousand?, I am probably crazy asking that one!
 
If it were around a thousand for gold I would go for it otherwise Bronze Please. It will look so much better with the rays.
 
Thank you so much!

[mica]

I'll leave a message for the jeweler for the current price to cast in gold.

[mele_aloha]

Mica,
 
Are you saying that there is a way to have the gold inlay in the 5 string pick-up, but just that it's not in the ABS shell. If so what do you mean please?
 
Thanks

[mica]

5-string pickups are only available with the engraved look right now. What I said is that sometime in the future (probably a year or more) I'll have ABS shells for 5-string pickups with the gold stamping.  
 
The gold is a hot stamp process done on the plastic shell. If there's no plastic shell, there's no way to hot stamp.  
 
We don't offer it, but I've seen other people paint gold in the engraved letters before. You can always try that if you like.

[mele_aloha]

That's what I mean, did Thunder and Lightning have there's done somewhere?