Discussion

[mica]

Once we start the build, I'll add updates here.

[mica]

Here's some action from the assembly table:  

 Ready for veneers on the peghead.  

 Accent laminates are glued to the back laminate. Your body core is at teh tippy-top of the picture, with the front accent laminates in place.

[jacko]

gorgeous woods Bob. I bet you're glad you took your time speccing this baby.
 
graeme

[mica]

From the side:
 

 
This is only one side of course, and it's only partially shaped, ready for the roundover. But at least you can see we got all the body laminates in place. The Purpleheart framed in Maple is especially sharp looking.

[bsee]

Thanks for the pic - it's very sharp!  The colors and little bits of grain look great already.  
 
I'm so happy to see things moving along again!
 
-Bob

[mica]

Preset time, frets getting installed:  

  Even here, the body laminates are stunning. Up close, the tiny sort-of-flame figure is evident:  

  Peghead, with the bevel cut:  

  And a closeup detail, showing that Chip was able to use Purpleheart interior veneers and boy do they look crisp:  

[David Houck]

Beautiful top!!

[bsee]

Mica, thanks for the pics!  You sure got back to this a lot more quickly than I would have expected.
 
Total agreement, Dave, the top is all I could have hoped for if not more.  From the pics, I do wish the peghead veneer were much darker to achieve my original vision.  Maybe it's just a lighting/flash effect, but my vision was a logo that would leap out at you from a dark and solid base.  I am sure it will look great in person, though.  The bevel and PH laminates look fabulous with the PH-surrounded-by-maple theme working throughout the instrument.
 
It looks so close to done, but I know there's so much left to do.  I can't wait for the next update, this progress is getting me stoked!
 
-Bob

[mica]

The bee is in place now:

 
It's still got glue and gunk all over it, but you can still how cute it looks! The Tahitian black mother of pearl has such excellent color. The gold has nice gold color and there is some good figure in the whote mother of pearl wings.  
 
The bass was back in finish today, so it won't be much longer until you have this bass at home to enjoy.

[bsee]

Hi Mica-
 
I can see a little of the figuring, but as usual, I suspect the picture doesn't do it justice.  The balck and white MOPs both look really happening.
 
Sending you an email as well.

[grateful]

Wow, I love that bee Bob (not to mention the rest of the instrument!).  Is that on the front or the back?
 
Mark

[bsee]

Thanks, Mark!  It's on the back of the headstock.  We had talked about putting it somewhere on the body, but I really didn't like any of the possibilities there.  
 
Here's the original inspiration picture, an embroidered patch that was glued on my first bass:
 

 
Mica gets the majority of the credit for how it evolved to the final form.
 
-bob

[mica]

Picking up the converation from the woodbank, here's that #3766 with the Small Standard body shape outlined.

[mica]

[bsee]

Thanks Mica!  I really needed to see the body lines on there for an approximate scale.  While the photos had the inch lines there for scale, I just couldn't picture the scale of the body shape to apply it.
 
I appreciate that this position captures the eyes in the dark part of the wood, but how about something more like the photoshop hack I am putting in here?  I think the four little eyes in a row are cool, and I thought the best feature of this wood was the figuring in the light section near the top center.  I can be swayed either way, so I would appreciate any comments from others who may stop by the thread as well!
 
Thanks!
 
Here's the pic: