I also enjoy playing bass in my free time and was in a band for roughly three years. This was a project that I always wanted to do but was always too scared until I finally bit the bullet and got the timber ordered. The most enjoyable thing about this was not only challenging myself, but being able to mix my two hobbies into the same activity and have something I can actually use at the end of it.
The main body of the bass is made from Bubinga, a deep red wood with very good tonal properties. The neck is made of Maple with an Ebony fretboard and stainless steel frets. Absolutely horrid material to try and work with.
The layer of wood you see on the front of the body and headstock is Ziricote. A wood with a very interesting and random grain structure. This top sits 3mm proud of the surface below which has been gilded with silver leaf. To make the silver turn blue, a Liver of Sulphur solution was applied to the surface which slowly applied a patina to the surface and provides a strong contrast against the rest of the body.
Each pickup has its own volume control and there is a tone knob for the entire guitar. It's rather heavy in use but an absolute joy to play!
If you want to see the creation of my most recent bass guitar (it's way cooler) have a look at this video.