JPJ Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 So this project started off back in 2013 when I traded my Musicman Stingray 5 string with Rumple of this parish for this Overwater Perception This beauty had begun life as a fretless with a beautiful unlined ebony fretboard. At some stage it had been fretted but apart from that was a stock Perception with a flamed sycamore top and back with a thin ebony black veneer line and a walnut core. Shortly after she became mine, I opted to replace the Overeaters 3 band pre with a U retro, which to my ears suited the bass better. In truth, right from the get go I noticed that the fret job wasn't the best in the world, with the ends of the fret tangs extending just enough beyond the ebony to make sliding your hand up and down the neck more akin to sliding your hand up and down a Zip. After a few gigs, rehearsals and home practices, my annoyance with this had reached the stage where the bass wasn't getting any further use. At the same time, I couldn't bring myself to part with her, and so this plan was hatched. I decided to have the fret job reversed and also to cover up the 'G Plan' woodwork with a paint job. I had very specific requirements, but I am fortunate to have Mr Dave Wilson living close by, and with his reputation and history, he was the perfect man for the job. More time passed as we tried to coordinate my availability with his, until eventually the bass was handed over around four weeks ago. What follows is some low resolution progress photos exchanged by Facebook, but I am so excited by the progress Dave is making that I had to share them here. First, he defretted the neck: [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/defret%201_zpswrywrwnp.jpg.html"][/url] Then he filled the fret slots with African black walnut as I didn't want to great a contrast to the ebony: [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/defret1_zpsarvrkwyu.jpg.html"][/url] After a lot of trimming and sanding, this was the result. [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/defret%204_zpstecasxsp.jpg.html"][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 Having tackled the neck, Dave moved on to the body. I had asked for a 'green'burst' finish with a 57 style black edge. I was looking to pick out the grain of the sycamore with a black grain filler and then for a translucent dark green (think British racing green) to avoid the aquamarine colour some greens can look in certain lights. After the first colour coats, she looked like this: [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/top%201_zpsxobiqa86.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/top%201_zpsxobiqa86.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/top%202_zpsshbalaej.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/top%202_zpsshbalaej.jpg[/IMG][/URL] In consultation with Dave, we decided that this wasn't quite dark enough so back into the booth she went for another green coat or two, the end result being this: [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/top%203_zps75yfnloj.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/top%203_zps75yfnloj.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/back%201_zpsaqiaafr9.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/back%201_zpsaqiaafr9.jpg[/IMG][/URL] This was pretty much exactly what I had in mind when describing the brief to Dave at the outset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 Dave then turned his attention to the neck again, and specifically the headstock. I had asked for the headstock to be finished the same as the body. Dave suggested that we carry the green on right up the neck into the headstock and I followed his suggestion: [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/headstock%203_zpsw2qopdkp.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/headstock%203_zpsw2qopdkp.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/neck%201_zpsctw5ebnx.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/neck%201_zpsctw5ebnx.jpg[/IMG][/URL] That's pretty much where she was at the last update last weekend. There is still a while to go as Dave applies the numerous coats of clear to build up the gloss, but so far I am over the moon with the progress he has achieved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 That is a lovely colour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 That looks fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 That looks very nice indeed. And kudos to Dave Wilson for suggesting matching the back of the neck to the new body colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Yes, me too... I like this very much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Love that shade of green... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 what a gorgeous colour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Lovely colour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubbersoul Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 Looks really good. That green is stunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 Thank you for all the positive comments. I've just seen a picture of the back of this with the clear coats on. Holy cow it's looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scojack Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Personally i liked the gplan look, but i must admit ........ what a stunning transformation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted May 13, 2016 Author Share Posted May 13, 2016 So today the Overwater has been buffed and polished, may be ready as early as Sunday 😜 [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/F5A6980D-2483-4130-ADF4-D2AAE9002FC3_zpshgrxidoh.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/F5A6980D-2483-4130-ADF4-D2AAE9002FC3_zpshgrxidoh.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/B5270344-C69A-454B-ABC8-89B69B15084B_zpsbaxtczob.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/B5270344-C69A-454B-ABC8-89B69B15084B_zpsbaxtczob.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 It looks darker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted May 14, 2016 Author Share Posted May 14, 2016 So she's been reassembled and strung up. Dave reports that she sounds fantastic so I'm a happy man. Picking her up tomorrow 😎 [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/A5C66495-5641-4C8C-834B-77AE28F1BCFB_zpsbdmdtakd.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/A5C66495-5641-4C8C-834B-77AE28F1BCFB_zpsbdmdtakd.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/969E82BB-6674-4E89-A161-391FDE78210E_zpsd9rlrydk.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/969E82BB-6674-4E89-A161-391FDE78210E_zpsd9rlrydk.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/084E4A52-3B14-4C19-AC74-3F5C718A23DB_zpspfvx6s00.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/084E4A52-3B14-4C19-AC74-3F5C718A23DB_zpspfvx6s00.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/30982416-982A-4B34-833D-6CDC052964A4_zpsypa0sbuy.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/30982416-982A-4B34-833D-6CDC052964A4_zpsypa0sbuy.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 That's stunning! Much, MUCH better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 I wasn't so sure about the darker colouring but assembled that actually looks quite special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 That looks stunning. Most impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share Posted May 16, 2016 So I collected her yesterday and I haven't been able to put her down since. Amazing finish, exactly what I had in mind when describing her to Dave at the outset of the project. Playing-wise, she has growl and mwah by the bucket load, and she plays like butter. All in all, an outright success, now I've just got to improve my own chops to a level which is worthy of such a fantastic bass. I now know what it feels like to commission your own full custom bass, this one will have to be prised out of my cold dead hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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