New Build Day.. London Plane DC

Rabs

Roland said:

Go for the dark knobs. They bring out the dark lines of the spalting. 

Yeah.. I think if they were a bit lighter or darker it may have worked but they clash a bit which is what I thought might happen. Still.. Thats why I got the ebony ones too   They will also go with the Ebony fretboard I have for this build.

TTony

Ebony, definitely.

The others are camouflaged!

normula1

I think both work, but I like the zebra ones better.

Rabs

normula1 said:

I think both work, but I like the zebra ones better.

Theres always one    But actually I will know for sure when all the hardware is on which is all chrome and black.... Sometimes it can make things look very different.. We will see soon...

normula1

Rabs

TTony said:

Ebony, definitely.

The others are camouflaged!

That was kind of the point.. From the front on look I kind of wanted to maintain that awesome wood look. From the players view you will always be able to see them...  But they are just the wrong hue I think..  I may now have to find a body to work with the Zebrawood knobs    (any excuse)

Jazzthat

For me neither of them , but then again I always have dilemma with knobs too

Have you got any other knobs , perhaps metal chrome dome , that may go with the hardware ?

Rabs

Jazzthat said:

For me neither of them , but then again I always have dilemma with knobs too

Have you got any other knobs , perhaps metal chrome dome , that may go with the hardware ?

Hmm, I got some black speed knobs.. Some reflector knobs.... Maybe more.. Not sure.. When the appropriate time comes I will have a dressing up session   

WezV

If you were making your own knobs you could use the spalt combined with ebony.  Like an ebony knob with spalted top, or vice versa. 

I did that on  few builds about 15 years ago.... can look classy and add much needed contrast

Roland

How about reaming out the top of the ebony knobs, and inserting a circle of the spalted Plane. That way it will look spalted from the front, but black from the player’s perspective. Alternatively turn your own knobs from off-cuts of the Plane.

Rabs

WezV said:

If you were making your own knobs you could use the spalt combined with ebony.  Like an ebony knob with spalted top, or vice versa. 

I did that on  few builds about 15 years ago.... can look classy and add much needed contrast

Hmm, interesting idea cheers. I could chop the top off of each knob and glue some of the offcuts from the top on them and re-shape it..  I will have a good think about that

Rabs

Roland said:

How about reaming out the top of the ebony knobs, and inserting a circle of the spalted Plane. That way it will look spalted from the front, but black from the player’s perspective. Alternatively turn your own knobs from off-cuts of the Plane.

Never done turning actually.. Something I have thought about many times. They have all the equipment at the workshop and an induction course to do it..  Just never got around to it so far. I guess I could ask one of the turners to do it for me.

Roland

@Andyjr1515 can remind us where he got his inserts from.

Andyjr1515

Roland said:

@Andyjr1515 can remind us where he got his inserts from.

I've got a note of the supplier somewhere.  I'll try to find it later this morning

Andyjr1515

Roland said:

@Andyjr1515 can remind us where he got his inserts from.

It's here.  They are out of stock at the moment but that happened from time to time even in 'normal' times

https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/knob-insert-for-diy-knobs/

WezV

These are the ones I use.... obviously out of stock at the moment

https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/knob-insert-for-diy-knobs/

Here is some  on one of my old builds. . These ones are not high contrast, but I think they work well. they were plain walnut, maple veneer and a fancy walnut top. If I was doing them again I would probably use maple or ash for the bottom section to match the cookies and cream colours of the rest of the bass and that pickup cover.

Anyway, dead simple to make without a lathe.   I cut them on a hole saw and turm them on a drill press for final sanding and shaping.... but if I had access to a lathe I would have used that.

Roland

Andyjr1515 said: They are out of stock at the moment but that happened from time to time ...

I’ve got a few that I could post if you decide to go down that route.

Rabs

Cheers guys....

My small issue with those type of knobs (and a lot of the metal ones) are the height of them. I like to have a lower profile as I can usually with knobs...  (ohh errr )

Neilybob

@Rabs Did you finish this amazing looking build? 

Rabs

Neilybob said:

@Rabs Did you finish this amazing looking build? 

No not yet..  Annoyingly I have had some issues to deal with and havent done any building for a while. I do hope to get back to this and like the three other builds I started and havent finished either, at some point. Hopefully.