Torched SX build

This is a thread documenting my first "build" if you can call it that. I am not building from scratch but completely tearing down and redoing a SX SPJ62 I bought used from a fellow TB'er back in 2008. Here is a pic from the original owner. He had installed a SX fretless maple neck on it and EMG P/J's (which were not included). He did include the original fretted rosewood neck.

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This was my first time playing a fretless. After a few months, I didn't end up liking it and the tone didn't really jive with the style of music I was wanting to play at the time so I put the original neck back on it. I bought some DiMarzio PJ's and attempted to install them myself. It was my first time trying to solder something.... I messed something up because it didn't work. This bass ended up sitting in my closet, forgotten about, for almost the last 10 years.

About a month ago, I saw it and was like I really need to get that thing working... this build started as me just planning on redoing the wiring on the pickups and now it has turned into something completely different. I will be posting pictures of the build up to this point and then updates after that as they happen.
 
Did very light sanding with 220 grit by hand after burning it, which I am glad I did. It kind of blended it a bit, almost like rubbing pencil with your finger when sketching. Did 5 coats of rattle can clear satin poly that I had handy already. I didn't get pictures of that process but last night I started assembly and here is where it sits now. Just waiting on the bridge, pickguard, and a set of strings.

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Personally,I scorch it just a BIT more!
Seal it.
Then coat it with a clear red/orange poly!

I thought about doing it more but I knew I was going to have to go light on the neck so that I didn't mess up the fret board and I wanted the neck to match as much as possible. Being maple, I knew it wouldn't match 100% but I wanted it to be close. I was really worried about torching the neck but fortunately there were no issues.
 
I thought about doing it more but I knew I was going to have to go light on the neck so that I didn't mess up the fret board and I wanted the neck to match as much as possible. Being maple, I knew it wouldn't match 100% but I wanted it to be close. I was really worried about torching the neck but fortunately there were no issues.
I don't know about torching a neck.
Who knows how the heat may affect the stability of the neck.
Warp?Twist?
 
Nice alder body...I think I agree with torching it a tad more then light sanding and clear coat would be cool too.
Have fun with the build...Great bass for the cost too...
 
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That’s looking really good! I hope the heat to the neck doesn’t mess it up. Keep us updated. I would like to try doing that sometime after I read up on it more. Again it looks great, good job.
 
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That’s looking really good! I hope the heat to the neck doesn’t mess it up. Keep us updated. I would like to try doing that sometime after I read up on it more. Again it looks great, good job.

Thanks! I hope so too. The key is trying it out on a scrap piece of wood first just to get a feel for it and how close you want the flame to get. It goes from slightly burned to very burnt extremely fast but fortunately if you do go a little overboard in one spot you can sand that spot and it will lighten that area up quite a bit.
 
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The practice of roasting necks is common with guitars and makes them considerably more expensive to buy. Supposedly it crystallizes any sap remaining in the wood and dries it out further. The idea is that this makes it more stable and more resistant to bending. It also is supposed to make the neck vibrate easier. Not sure how much is truth and how much is hype and how much difference burning as compared to roasting would make, but my thought is if you tried to keep the heat fairly even on it you probably will be O.K. Let us know if it explodes when you string it up.........bad joke. Good luck.
 
The practice of roasting necks is common with guitars and makes them considerably more expensive to buy. Supposedly it crystallizes any sap remaining in the wood and dries it out further. The idea is that this makes it more stable and more resistant to bending. It also is supposed to make the neck vibrate easier. Not sure how much is truth and how much is hype and how much difference burning as compared to roasting would make, but my thought is if you tried to keep the heat fairly even on it you probably will be O.K. Let us know if it explodes when you string it up.........bad joke. Good luck.
The roasting or torreafaction process is a lot different than putting a torch to something.