I am waiting for the supplies to come so I can build my bass guitar. It’s been a while since I ordered them (and it may be longer still before they finish their journey across the ocean). The other day I rediscovered my initial sketch:

I want a bass that is comfortable, cool-looking, but most of all mine. I have glued up a blank of jatoba and have begun sketching out the shape of the body itself. There’s a funny-looking knothole that I’m designing around. Rather than worry that this will ruin my bass, I am preparing myself to embrace it. Perhaps it will become a design element (or at least not interfere with electronic placements).

I’ve also toyed with the idea of using fire as a finish. That might be a terrible idea, since Jatoba has a beatiful color and this blank is going to have gnarly grain. But I love the look of wood prepared using shou sugi ban.

Here’s a video of that process (note: much fire)

What do you think: terrible idea, or brilliant potential?