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NBD Yamaha BEX4


Maude

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2 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

If it helps - for the money that looks great as you got it

 

This is completely true, and why I'm not overly worried. 

I'd hoped it might've just been a quick clean and polish and it would be like new(ish) again, but you can't win 'em all. 

For the money I've done alright. 

 

The other good thing is that although I really don't need another project right now, it's kind of forced my arm, and now I don't need to feel bad about ripping a perfectly good BEX4 apart and doing something different. 

It'll all come good in the end. 🙂

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5 hours ago, mcnach said:

 

Very nice, despite the signs of cosmetic wear!

I only found out about this one after you already had expressed an interest, otherwise I would have gone to check it out in person myself! :D

But it's ok, I don't *need* another bass.

:)

 

 

Yeah cos I 'need' another bass, just like

I 'need' another project! 😂😂

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1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said:

I like a natural Danish oil or Wax finish...

Hows the neck, has that had a rub?

 

It does look nice just natural, emphasises the f holes and hardware in a really nice way.

 

But hot pink sparkle would be cool too. 😁

 

Not made a start on the the neck yet. There'll be no problems there though. Just take all the finish off and then oil/wax or lacquer it. 

Or paint it hot pink sparkle 😂

The headstock face isn't scratched enough to be a problem either, just wet flat then re-laquer... Or paint it hot pink sparkle 🤣🤣🤣

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And this, boys and girls, is why the sunburst finish was invented. 

The body is constructed with a pair of central blocks, a pair of side bouts, a top and bottom and a top and bottom veneer. 

Annoyingly the top is even two piece, joined sideways rather than longways through the bridge area. So a natural or transparent top is now out of the question. It's rather plain anyway without the flame veneer. 

LsTr7yX.jpeg

 

You can see the top join running down the centre of this picture. Still got the bridge area to carefully sand as the bridge is screwed and glued. 

LLwBd55.jpeg

 

The back is veneer is quite nice, and thicker than the front one so is intact. 

j451mxD.jpeg

 

The different blocks in the body construction. 

QQpTffh.jpeg

 

All of this means it will probably get a solid, coloured top and a transparent burst back and sides, fading to solid to hide the body joins. 

 

I've had a few ideas but I'm very aware that the BEX4 is quite a natural looking bass (like an acoustic) with no chrome bling to stand out from a dark colour. I really like how the features stand out in its now natural colour so I think it'll be a lighter colour front. 

The cogs are whirring but I'm almost settled on an idea, it won't be to everyone's taste though. Let's just say that Duesenburg and Gretsch seem to be doing a lot of what I like. 😁

I'll probably just get on with it and post a picture afterwards to save this post becoming like a build thread, as my NBD posts always seem to. 

 

🙂👍

 

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1 hour ago, Jakester said:

Could you not just apply another veneer to the top, a'la @Andyjr1515?

 

The thought did cross my mind but the binding, and particularly the bridge will cause problems. 

Ideally the bridge would need removing and I'm already in far deeper than I wanted tbh. 

The binding also really wants to go on after a veneer so the the top of the binding is level with the surface of the veneer. 

A veneer could be fitted but, in my mind at least, any workaround regarding the bridge and binding would be a slight bodge. 

I'm just as happy with a painted finish as a wood one so I'm not overly keen to create even more work that won't necessarily look right anyway.

 

I'm pretty much set on a suitably distasteful colour scheme anyway now. 😁

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1 hour ago, Jakester said:

Could you not just apply another veneer to the top, a'la @Andyjr1515?

If it wasn't for the bridge, that would be quite a viable alternative, running at a 6/10 difficulty level.  The bridge puts it up to around a 18/10 difficulty ;)

 

Know any any artists, @Maude ?  With a coloured trans finish, well applied inked grain put on before the colour could be made to look like any other grain...

 

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33 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Know any any artists, @Maude ?  With a coloured trans finish, well applied inked grain put on before the colour could be made to look like any other grain...

 

 

The top is two pieces joined in an odd place, horizontally through the bridge area, so a trans finish would need to be fairly solid up to the join line. I think it would look odd. It's not a massively noticeable join but it's there all the same. 

 

I've considered other finishes that would disguise the top like the Fender paisley, or lace painting, but I'm pretty set on what's in my head right now. 

I'm just holding off buying what I need for a day or two in case I have an epiphany (or should that be Epiphone?). 

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40 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

How about combining the two - veneer AND distasteful colour scheme:

TlaECdNl.jpg

 

:D

Erm... well... that's er, nice? 

 

Couldn't decide which of Granny's sideboards to use so went for both. 

🤭

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1 hour ago, Richard R said:

Does NBD now stand for New Build Diary?

 

I didnt want it to... but yeah. 😂

 

 

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

Following this with great interest and anticipation of the wild but ultimately very cool final finish.

It's not that wild, in fact it's quite traditional (with a twist). 

I've just ordered what I need. May as well just go with my gut. 

I'll mix up the paint at work this week. 

 

There'll be a mix of Sepia calligraphy ink, antique bronze paint, shell pink paint and coarse rose gold flake. 

Possibly gold tuners and knobs. 

🙈

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I had a little play earlier with colours and this will be the palatte. 

The sepia ink is just wiped on a scrap of wood and the flake is still in the bag so very dense but this will be it. 

Shell pink and sparkle for the front front, the bronze and sepia ink for the back and sides. 

 

urAlC07.jpeg

 

Unsure on headstock yet but the black was too heavy with the chosen colours, and now the top edge is nice and crisp again. Either matching or aged natural. 

Unless I think of something else mad, like gold or copper leaf. 😁

New waterslide decal on its way. 

 

0rQybet.jpeg

Edited by Maude
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8 hours ago, Richard R said:

Sepia ink for the headstock, same as that top left image?

Possibly. I'm probably going to do the back of the neck and headstock in the ink so was thinking a different colour for the front. 

I was going to do the neck pink but amount of layers that go on for a sparkle finish would mean quite a step to edge of the fretboard, which would feel and look odd. 

There is a way round that so it might get a sparkle finish but ink would be way way easy. 

We'll see after I've done the body. 

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Don't you just hate it when you prime something, and then think 'ooh that's a nice colour'!

 

Red shades have notoriously bad coverage so I went with a red primer I had knocking around rather than the usual grey. It's more of a pastel maroon and I quite like it. 

It's a bit too much like a poor attempt at the Billy Sheehan Bex though so it'll still be sparkle pink. 

 

iMCaoNJ.jpeg

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