| Author | Message | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4467 Registered: 6-2000 |
Hi Paul, Here's my quick mock up for the 5th fret inlay:  The fronds are in abalone and the trunks in bronze mother of pearl. That's a blue LED at the center. I'll be working on the 12th fret initials tomorrow or Wednesday. We can't proceed with getting the fingerboard on the bass until the inlays are decided, since there are front Laser LEDs to place. I'm trying to work the designs around the normal positions (centered both ways) so that the spacing will look even from the audience. | ||
| mele_aloha
Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 94 Registered: 1-2007 |
Mica, This is very nice! I like the colors. And the bronze and the grain is chilling!! This is going to be an awesome effect as the moon rising between the trees. I am sure you may have thought of this but, is this blue dot what the actual led surfaces like or can it be inset and covered with a larger diameter thin layer of pearl to mimic a moon effect somehow? And if so could the pearl be cut to be nestled in the tree as the moon rising in there. Please say yes!-, although I did discuss this with Val at an earlier time if we could do this behind the logo in the headstock. But the only reason for not doing that effect there was that we would be weakening the neck at a crucial point in order to hone out the wood for the wire. I could understand though not knowing how the led is inlaid here so don't worry about me. I know there would be an extra charge and a delay but it would be well worth it to me to accomplish this if possible. Credit Card standing by!!!!hahaha Excellent job Mica, really. Thank you, Paul | ||
| mele_aloha
Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 95 Registered: 1-2007 |
Hey Mica, Just so I can see for myself, where are the front led's on, say Raging Bass, Thunder and Lightning. Are they behind the inlays cuz I can't see them in the actual pictures. Thanks Mica, Paul | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4472 Registered: 6-2000 |
On Raging Bass the LEDs are through the shell, you can see the elements. On Thunder and Lightning, the LEDs are also through the shell, and you can see the 24th fret ones flank the inlay. At high brightness, mother of pearl shell makes a poor diffuser. You will still see a bright point. On something like Cheshire, there's a bank of LEDs running at low brightness to make an even illumination. Since the oval inlays are abalone, making a mother of pearl diffuser for only one LED would look odd when illuminated. Having the 5th fret and the 24th fret LEDs embedded in the Ebony directly, they will look discrete. In the center of the remaining abalone ovals, they are not obvious with all the figure in the shell. | ||
| mele_aloha
Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 96 Registered: 1-2007 |
Hi Mica, So are you saying that all of the front LEDS are drilled through all of the shells or they are on the backside shining through. I see the two on either side of the MD. Are they all like that, I can't really see them. I understand you are saying the pearl shell makes a poor diffuser. But are all of them still behind there evenly or are they drilled through like MD? Sorry, I don't quite understand. Thanks | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4473 Registered: 6-2000 |
The LEDs are drilled through the shell. I think if you look at the photo I linked to of Thunder and Lightnig above, you should be able to barely see the LED - of course, they are not illuminated in that photo. Look just to the left of the A string, and you should see part of the LED in the center of each oval. | ||
| mele_aloha
Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 97 Registered: 1-2007 |
Oh! OK, I gotta. They are still going to put the abalone oval in there like I have ordered and they will just cut it to fit in between the palms to make it fit? Is that what we are talking about? Sounds really nice to me. Go for it! Thanks | ||
| mele_aloha
Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 98 Registered: 1-2007 |
What is amazing is that even on my computer screen I can see the different colors in the bronze changing as I move my head up and down. They actually came out in the photo. That is wierd. Cool! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4474 Registered: 6-2000 |
No, on the 5th fret and the 24th fret, the LEDs will be embedded directly into the Ebony. In all the other positions, the LEDs will be drilled through the ovals. | ||
| mele_aloha
Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 99 Registered: 1-2007 |
Yes I did see the LED's along the A string. I can barely see them but now I understand what you are saying. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4477 Registered: 6-2000 |
Here's a bass with blue LEDs that we recently completed. With the lights on:  And up closer with them off:  It's easier to see on the 4-string basses. That bronze shell is a trip. The blank I scanned wasn't buffed yet, so the look will be smoother in reality, and the color banding should come out even more. | ||
| mele_aloha
Intermediate Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 103 Registered: 1-2007 |
Ya Mica, I love the way those look. Are you saying then that they will install the abalone in between the palm trees and just trim it to fit? Also Mica, I would ask you if there is any way that I can get the bronze logo like Scott's bass has? Please Mica, I just can't see a silver logo going on this beautiful bass at this point. It's very important to me. This was one of the first things I asked Val if I could have Gold an he had explained to me that the gold was to soft for the spray detailing. I can understand that but now it looks like it is possible for bronze. Also I was just wondering (and I'm not questioning your words) but how were the pick-up covers able to be engraved on Thunder and Lightning? Is there some place I can send them out to have it done? Thanks, Paul | ||
| mele_aloha
Intermediate Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 104 Registered: 1-2007 |
Mica, I don't remember my password so I couldn't edit above but what I forgot to mention is whatever it costs, I'll handle it. Thank you. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4479 Registered: 6-2000 |
For the palm trees, I was thinking of embedding the LED directly in the Ebony, without any abalone around it, like on the 24th fret example. Even when the LED isn't illuminated, there's a "moon" just in the LED itself, and the rest of the shell acts as the position marker. We can change the inlaid logo to buffed bronze. What Val was telling you is that we can't do a goldplated logo as an inlay. To get the fit right, it's possible to strain the plating and destroy the nice look. The only other option for the logo is solid gold (which is considerably more expensive). The pure gold logo looks similar to the bronze, though it's not identical. The pickup decoration depends on the number of strings. The 4-string size has the gold stamp in the ABS plastic shell. The 5/6-string size is molded polyurethane, and the engraving is part of the master we make the silicone mold from. We'll probably add the ABS plastic shells for the 5/6-string pickups at some point in the future. | ||
| mele_aloha
Intermediate Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 105 Registered: 1-2007 |
OK Mica, Yes embedding the LED directly in is great. I think it will look nice in the Ebony. Good news about the Bronze. Ya, Val told me about the gold plating. Of course I would love to have the solid gold but how much are we talking? Is it under a thousand?, I am probably crazy asking that one! If it were around a thousand for gold I would go for it otherwise Bronze Please. It will look so much better with the rays. Thank you so much! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4481 Registered: 6-2000 |
I'll leave a message for the jeweler for the current price to cast in gold. | ||
| mele_aloha
Intermediate Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 106 Registered: 1-2007 |
Mica, Are you saying that there is a way to have the gold inlay in the 5 string pick-up, but just that it's not in the ABS shell. If so what do you mean please? Thanks | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4482 Registered: 6-2000 |
5-string pickups are only available with the engraved look right now. What I said is that sometime in the future (probably a year or more) I'll have ABS shells for 5-string pickups with the gold stamping. The gold is a hot stamp process done on the plastic shell. If there's no plastic shell, there's no way to hot stamp. We don't offer it, but I've seen other people paint gold in the engraved letters before. You can always try that if you like. | ||
| mele_aloha
Intermediate Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 107 Registered: 1-2007 |
That's what I mean, did Thunder and Lightning have there's done somewhere? | ||
| mele_aloha
Intermediate Member Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 108 Registered: 1-2007 |
P.S. I'm not asking to see or anything because I know you are very busy but are they working on a pistol grip body for me now? Or have you picked out my Coco yet? Just a friendly check!!!! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 4483 Registered: 6-2000 |
Thunder and Lightning is a narrow spaced 5-string and used the 4-string width pickups. Mom's done 2 drafts of the pistol grip, and feels like she's just about there. She's got her hands full the rest of the week, but version three should be ready next week. I'll post it when it's ready. |
