durhamboy

For paints and clear coats auto acrylics (not enamels) are worth considering. They dry as hard as nails and don't feel sticky like poly can. If you can find an auto paint specialist store, a place that makes up paint and spray cans for customiser's and vintage car nuts, they should be able to match nearly all Fender colours as the colour codes are readily available. I won't spray nitro anymore, my lungs have had a hard enough 60 odd years without adding acetone, toluene and the like to my life time contaminants load. Anyway, Lucite (acrylic) lacquer paints were used by Fender, some colours were exclusively Lucite. (Particularity the metalic finishes.) Here's a couple of quick (and decidely average) shots of my "Stang" type 6 string in Surf Green auto acrylic.

While I've never wanted relic finished instrument, I don't hate or object to them, at least as long as they're well executed and this one looks like it will be. (It's just those hack jobs with wear in the wrong places and random flogging with bits of chain etcetera that look really fake, that make me shake my head.) Looking forward to seeing how this finishes up. Hope it is everything you're hoping for.

Sipo, also called Utile is a species from Africa and is related to true mahoganies. It has about the same weight per square foot and around the same hardness rating. Looking at some pictures of it wet or clear finished it darkens quite a bit with some rich chocolate brown tones. It might be worth just wetting it to see what colors and contrast clear finishing could give.? I'm with PaulThePlug, only paint or stain bad wood. (or the boringly plain stuff and this sure isn't bad or boring.😉)

And.... https://youtu.be/UCOK8HstW_k OK, for some reason this link won't load.... Sorry.

"Live at the Lyceum - 1975" has always been my favorite Bob Marley and the Wailers album. A band at the top of their game and there's a dynamism and energy studio recordings don't capture. Just love it.

Congratulations on uploading the video. Nice tone.

One of the greats, 54 46, Pressure Drop, classics. Always loved Toots' version of I've Got Dreams To Remember as well.

Cool looking bass, not so wild about the cat... (just joking) Nice Logo too, I agree with you on the false labeling issue and in the past have done what you have, Fender script, but not their name. I keep thinking about making a year of birth P bass, for me that's 1952, but I'm not keen on slab bodies, still the idea keeps coming back into my head. Your understated but beautiful 51, isn't helping. 😉

Here's a few possibles in the price range you mentioned, or cheaper in some cases. Yamaha BB line of basses Ibanez SR 200k Warwick Adam Clayton Rockbass Warwick Rockbass Streamer, or Fortress Spector Performer, or Legend Classic None of those are Fender P copies and most have smaller more "modern" bodies. *Depending on the type pf P pickups fitted, not all of these will necessarily give you an exact "Fender P" tone, (whatever that is depending on age and model Fender) but should get you pretty much there.

I'd go with the two pickups, the spectrum of tones available even with MM pickups side by side is worth having. Of course you don't have to use the options, but if you go single pickup, you never have the choice.😉 Great build by the way, looking forward to seeing it finished.

Ooops, posted a link I'd already posted and can't get rid of it! Here's what I meant to post.

Yes! But could you please make sure the tort is that really really unrealistic bright red swirly tort, (sorry to all those who love bright red swirly tort) maybe the burst could be the type with overly yellow/orange center too?

Ah, that might be it, I'd forgotten all that stuff from my school days. (Catholic school in the 50's and 60's, best forgotten.....) You've reminded me of the little glow in the dark Jesus in a little pearly plastic house with a spire and opening doors to reveal said JC. Given by a god parent I think?

The Dubbeez and some Australian Reggae.

Leaving aside the whole walnut contact issue, love the maple top, some real charicter there. Sometimes I find the usual flamed maple tops to be a bit boring, lovely as they are, this one should have some real interest to it when the grain is brought out under a finish.

Ghost_Bass replied, Gold hardware Really??? Pearloid pickguards Oh, come on! I'll give you the gold hardware on the pic you included at least suits the colours of the natural woods, but it's all about personal taste isn't it? On most instruments gold just doesn't do it for me, besides most guitar hardware with gold finish seems to wear/flake of very quickly, then not such a classy(?) look... Pearloid, well, it's always reminded me of crap from the 1950's, but for anyone who likes it, well that's fine.😉

1 inch per year, per inch of thickness is a good rule of thumb, but don't be disappointed if it takes longer depending on your climate and where you store it. I used to store quite a bit of unseasoned wood when living in rural Tasmania. For my purposes, guitars and furniture, I always cut rough boards and racked them with spacers between each board, at about 18 inch intervals and a spacer close to each end. I seal all ends with wax, though wood glue works just as well. Racking with spacers might seem like a lot of work, but it allows all the boards to dry reasonably evenly and boards can stay racked like that for years until needed.

Bloody heck, I think I've owned or built instruments with at least half the features that qualify for "What puts you off?" But there are some things I've always been averse too, regardless of trends, fashion and my own taste and maturity, though any development there, over the past 50 odd years, is open to debate. So my pet hates include, Gold hardware Pearloid pickguards Spiky pointy odd shaped "metal" type bodies and headstocks Embossed leather on guitars and basses Badly done relic jobs where the wear and dings don't relate to actual real wear points. I'm don't own any pre reliced instruments, but can appreciate the work and skill involved in making the well executed ones.

Sounds nice, looking forward to the build. Interested in the EMG MM's I've never tried EMG's and have no idea how their MM types sound.

For anyone not wanting to invest in a new bass, (Yeah, crazy I know...) Rothko and Frost sell 'Luthitec' paisley sheets in all colours including black. (apologies is naming a retailer breaches rules) There may be others options, but I happened to stumble across their offerings recently. Might be an option for converting an existing bass, of doing a paisley body?

True. In comparison to here on Basschat, humor and a general live and let live approach seems to be less obvious at the other place. Not that there aren't plenty of helpful and courteous folks there, just seems like things can get very serious very quickly and there's a percentage who seem pretty intolerant of any view other than their own. (Maybe it's just a fundamental difference between cultures and what to us seems at times confrontational, isn't to folks over there?)

Through the late 70's and the 80's I made mainly six string electric guitars, for a while they were all thru neck, brass bridges and nuts and string thru the body designs. (As was the fashion at that time...) I always wondered about the sustain question and started comparing different build methods. What I finally decided is that there are so many variables that impact on and work together, to determine tone, sustain and all the other properties which we feel, see and hear as desirable in an instrument and that thinking just one thing will give us a particular result is a bit simplistic. By the way, the longest sustain I measured comparing guitars I built and others I worked on, including Gibsons, Fenders, Guilds, etcetera, belonged to a Korean Squier with an one piece Maple neck, tremolo bridge with a cheap pot metal block and a plywood body. It also sounded pretty damn good too. Likewise with basses I've built thru, bolt and set necks, from all sorts of woods and with various types of bridges. All options will have some impact on the instruments sound and characteristics, hopefully delivering results that are successful.

Another tick on the colour. Just lately shell pink has been a colour I'm considering, don't know why, but there it is... Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out.

I'd agree with everything said so far. The general quality of Affinity's is darn good for the money. (similarly with SX basses). Sure, long term these instruments could benefit from better tuning keys and an upgrade of their electrics. Plus a good set up wouldn't hurt, but that's a tweek than plenty of much more expensive instruments would benefit from too. I've been building, repairing and setting up guitars and basses since the mid 70's and the difference in budget priced instruments over the years is like night and day now compared to back then.