rubis

That's a lovely grain orientation on that body Bridgehouse. I have an idea in mind for a 5 string build I started a while ago, involving a technique called cerusing. I think it would work great on a nice swamp ash body like that, where you apply a dark stain ( I thought jet black) then seal the body, then apply a light coloured grain filler. There are lots of video's showing the technique and it has been applied quite well to guitars, ash in particular because if its open grain. The effect can be quite dramatic

I've done a bit of yellowing on it now, it was great fun once I got going, in fact quite difficult to hold back and not go over the top with it! Rick and Bridgehouse were dead right, this is addictive! I fitted parts onto the body to provide natural masking, leaving the un-aged sonic blue underneath, and didn't screw the scratchplate down tightly so that I wasn't left with a hard line, as it would be (and in fact is) warped with age and so there would be a softer line between the yellowing and the clean colour. I hope this looks more realistic. I know it's only really visible when the scratchplate is removed, but I might as well do it if I can. I did a bit with the bridge cover on and then removed it and did a bit more, to try to make it look like the cover has been on and off 'over the years' I will tweak it a bit to rub back a little bit of the yellowing on areas that, from what I've seen in the dozens of photo's I have looked at, seem not to yellow. I can only imagine that this is down to some sort of continual wear pattern from contact against your body whilst playing. I mean on areas such as the forearm contour, the belly contour and the lower curve where it rests on your leg when you are seated, but again, I need to remind myself……..less is more! sorry if the photos don't show the colours or detail up very well, but the natural light was fading and i had to take them indoors. I'll take more photos when the clear coat goes on.

If it ends up looking like that I'll be well pleased

The pickguard has arrived, and very nice it is too. Nice touch to sign and date it on the back The second picture shows it on the as yet, un-yellowed body, so it looks a little bit odd, but it's a nice fit and when compared to the black one from my son's Westfield copy, there's quite a bit of difference in fit. I'm so glad I waited rather than use the black one to create an un-yellowed patch, as the different profile would have caused a problem

Thank you Andy A quick update just to show I haven't been completely inactive, I've done some shopping for some more parts while waiting for the Spitfire guard to arrive (and clear customs.....ouch 🤑)

I'm contemplating how to go about getting an aluminium shield that goes underneath it. you can get them in USA at reasonable cost, but I can't find a UK supplier. I will have to wait and see if I get stuck-on for import taxes on the pickguard, it seems a lottery whether you do or don't, and if I could I would rather source parts here. I could always make the aluminium guard, I used to be a blacksmith years ago! I think they are 14 gauge aluminium sheet, and I will have a template to use!

Happy to oblige! I actually got it from a gentleman of this parish, who contacted me, having ordered it for a project of his own, which very sadly won't be going ahead.

Things are at a bit of a hiatus at the moment with the body ageing, I have a Spitfire pickguard on it's way, and until it gets here I can't do the yellowing process. I tried using a pickguard from my son's Westfield p bass, but it's not a very good fit on this body, so I might as well be patient and wait a while so that the 'un-yellowed' bit under the pickguard matches the shape of the actual guard properly. I'm afraid I might end up with a bit showing which doesn't look properly sunburned, like a white tan line! I've been online shopping for a few bits and bobs, got some Durham's water putty, which apparently is great for the clay dot markers, a 7.25" radius block and a a period correct truss rod nut. I also found this clip on youtube, which may be the simplest way of doing a veneer fingerboard

That's rather lovely, that is

That’s awesome mate It’s reassuring to know I was on the right track with the method, thank you kindly for your help

Thats just the sort of effect I’m after, nice one

Thats very kind of you Bridgehouse I intended to use an old pickguard, bridge cover and neck plate to ‘mask off’ areas that would not get UV yellowing and then more clear coat over the top. Its the first time I’ve used nitro and it does seem to ‘melt’ into the previous coats a bit, so that may help it look more natural

Funny you should say that, I was googling away this afternoon and found the same suggestion ( I think it was on the TDPRI site in America) and the reply was that it would be the wrong kind of light from a tanning booth. My knowledge of the light spectrum is not all it could be, I must admit, and I thought that it would be the same sort of light as sunlight, which I think is what yellows the lacquer. Thanks for replying, we wait for someone with a tan who knows about these things

Now, the dilemma I have at the moment is how to best achieve this look. My original plan was, once the colour was on, to apply a clear coat and then some subtle yellowing followed by more clear coats I intended to put the bridge and cover and also the scratchplate in place before yellowing, which would leave the colour beneath to show how it looks when new. Also trying to avoid yellowing the neck pocket, because these areas wouldn't be exposed to the light. I have pored over countless pictures of guitars and basses, both naturally aged and otherwise, and this is the frustrating bit, there are contradictions in how to go about it, and some look less convincing than others, so I'm thinking less is more! Here's the main point of confusion at the moment, sorry if it seems trivial, but if I'm doing this, I may as well do it as best I can, and if there are those who move among us who own a naturally aged and yellowed beast, then please advise me. I had thought initially that areas which come into contact with the body whilst playing, would have less visible yellowing, I assumed that the constant rubbing would 'clean it up' I'm thinking particularly of the forearm and the belly contour on the back, maybe even that little patch that sometimes wears away just in front of the bridge below the G string. I've highlighted the kind of area on the photo below, again remember I'm aiming for slightly more subtle than the guitar in this picture if I can! But then I saw a YouTube video of a bloke doing a Strat body and yellowing the paint "where it comes into contact with the body"...….the opposite of what I had assumed would happen. What do you think would be the correct pattern of yellowing...…...where the body touches, or everywhere else except where the body touches?

I've been doing a bit more of the colour coat and before the next step, it's time for my next appeal for help, opinion and advice! This is the sort of look I'm aiming for, a sort of slightly yellowed with age and lightly relic'd look , a bit like this bass shown below.

I've managed to get a little bit of work done on the body, taking advantage of the heatwave going on at the moment, I have sealed the body then applied white primer and then a coat of sonic blue. I appreciate that although the finish will be aged, or lightly relic'd, it would make sense to start with a good finish before 'attacking' it, as that would have been how it started out, so I will aim to get the best finish I can using just rattle cans. I have a compressor, but as I'm not aiming for a showroom finish, I can compromise a little bit. I this heat, the paint from a rattle can goes on quite well as the paint and the body are warmed up nicely. Bit more work to do though, when I'm happy with the colour coat, I'm planning on a clear coat, then a bit of subtle yellowing with light amber neck tint, avoiding the areas that would not be affected, such as under the pickguard, bridge/cover and neck plate, then another clear coat.

Thank you very kindly

Sorry, didn't come out clear there, I meant to say a white (or white-ish) guard, I refer to them all as nitro, should have said nitrate ! Other than Spitfire, what other brands of repro guards are available? thanks Harry

Thank you very kindly, this is exactly the kind of help I was hoping for I found a build diary on TDPRI that a guy from Isreal did a while ago, and he used Durham’s water putty for the clay dots, it looked very authentic and is availble on Amazon, so I’ll have a little play with that Bram is waiting for a nitro Spitfire guard he’s ordered to arrive, and although they are a bit expensive, I think I’ll end up with one I was looking at using those Gotoh tuners, are they authentic, does anyone know? Thanks again for helping out

Wow that looks fantastic

This is a very cool project

Andy Thanks for your interest. According to the onfo I have found, and I don’t at all mind being corrected, the ‘transition logo’ came into use in either late summer or fall 64, during the transition of ownership/management between Leo Fender and CBS If this is correct, then I would probably need the earlier spaghetti logo to fit in with March 64 Can anyone confirm this please ?

Thanks for your comments gents Woodinblack - how right you are! I assumed (wrongly) that the numbers were the day the neck was made.....not so, as you point out, the numbers relate to the neck type, something I’d overlooked and confirmed here http://www.guitarhq.com/fender.html However, this is a happy accident because I still want the stamp to read 17 MAR 64, so much the better if officionados such as yourself, spot the inaccuracy, but hopefully, appreciate the reason for doing it, it’s a personalisation, I don’t want to slavishly try to recreate a ‘64 bass, I don’t have access to one to take measurements from etc and this one will have a neck to suit my hands, IE a thick profile thank you for educating me, please do continue 🙂