The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs => Topic started by: Dr. Aquafresh on March 25, 2010, 05:19:35 PM
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I don't know why I seek out these basket case projects, sink way to much money and time into them only to play them once or twice and start all over again.
Be that as it may, here I am again. Only thins time I've decided to document from the beginning on the off chance that it turns out as nice as the last one. My completely reworked 76 Kramer Aluminum neck.
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/MattsnewphotosnsomeofLisasjunk222.jpg)
My new project began life as a BC Rich Platinum Warlock. I bought it used from a G.C. and with shipping and everything it cost me a hundred bucks.
One look and you will see why, I guess that if you screw more metal into your bass it is better for playing metal...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/MattsnewphotosnsomeofLisasjunk207.jpg)
I had secretly prayed for this to be damaged in shipping to make things even more challenging, Looks like I still have my work cut out for me. I wonder why the P.O. decided to drill holes in it?
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/MattsnewphotosnsomeofLisasjunk208.jpg)
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:popcorn:
So..............You're gonna make a bass outta that? ;)
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First step was to disassemble and chose what to keep and what to toss.
Here is the pile I'm keeping...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/MattsnewphotosnsomeofLisasjunk216.jpg)
Here is the pile to toss (onto e-bay)
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/MattsnewphotosnsomeofLisasjunk217.jpg)
I thought that this would be a piece of actual wood that I could simply add to, no such luck! I was totally bummed to see plywood. The pickups were replaced with EMGs I'll bet I can sell them for a few bucks.
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Mark in a few months this will make you think twice about your T-birds.
hahahahahahahahahahahhaha
Maybe not, but I'd like to think that at one point in time this made some 13 year old very happy, for a little while anyway.
If I can Six Million Dollar man this bass it will be just like Christmas.
I'm all about recycling too, though to look at it I may be better off getting into composting ;D
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Since it would be easier and much better to build a new body I decided to use donor as a template.
Today I picked up 8' of eight quarter mahogany, I'll start working it this weekend.
I have a pretty nice maple top that is just under 3/8" and it's just big enough for this.
The plan is to rework the headstock, really just to see if I can. It would be easier and better to simply make a new neck but like I said, I just want to see if I can.
Worse comes to worse and I can always cut the body in half and build a neck through blank for it.
I'll keep you posted.
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You project reminds me of George Washington's hatched he used to cut down the cherry tree. The handle's been replaced 3 times but the head only twice!
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Not a bad way to go. I once bought a Ric 3000 for the neck and sold the badly abused body on eBay. It worked out fine! Keep us posted!
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You project reminds me of George Washington's hatched he used to cut down the cherry tree. The handle's been replaced 3 times but the head only twice!
You stole the thoughts right outa my pointy little head!
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Of course, once you replace the handle three times and the head twice you still have a hatchet.
Even if this goes incredibly well it will still be handicapped by the fact that it is a BC Rich!
Actually, at the risk of sounding like Ed Roman, one of the nicest guitars I ever played was an old Mockingbird.
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At least your Mockingbird was most likely actually made by B.C. Rich... ;D
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I think you should leave the headstock alone, just paint it up like a Flying Tiger P-40 ;)
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:popcorn:
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OK, moving right along here.
The headstock re-shape is, for the most part, finished. I wanted to change from the dorky. 4 on the top. pointy design and go back to the classic 2 on a side shape.
I filled the numerous holes and added new wood... cut, milled, added and subtracted. After a few days it looked a bit like this
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars003.jpg)
The orbital drum sander was indispensable...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars004.jpg)
Next I added the rosewood cap on the face and rough shaped.
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars001.jpg)
I know it looks goofy but don't worry here is the template
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars002.jpg)
Now time to fit the maple on the back, got to bend it first
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars006.jpg)
clamp the hell out of it...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars009.jpg)
Rough shape with the router, files and sand
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars011.jpg)
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars012.jpg)
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/Guitars013.jpg)
Now we're talking!
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Amazing!
Simply awesome work there, I'm sincerly impressed.
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Ditto. That's incredible.
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That is a stellar improvement from the previous headstock shape! Can't wait to see what happens next! :D
tip ---> A Mockingbird body with double reversed pee's would be extra cool...
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:thumbsup: :popcorn:
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Very nice! I've had to fix a few myself and I like your process. Might have to employ that sometime myself..........
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Thanks everyone, I'm having a good time with it for sure.
Don't you just know that some Christmas or birthday a 13 year old kid got that bass and loved it for 2 or three days. If I can feel like that when I look at this bass it will have been worth all the effort.
The rest is going to be the easy bit... gluing up some wood and building a reasonably accurate Warlock body.
Question is, do the basses look a bit longer than the guitars?
I really ought to use the original plywood body as a template but now would be the time to stretch or alter the shape if I wanted to do that, I've got some time.
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Man, talk about back from the dead! Fantastic work - I can't wait to see the rest!
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I'd do some layout work on paper and measure up where the bridge would be on the current body with the neck scale you're working with. Then, if you stretch thing, you can do it on paper first to see how things will line out.
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the basses are really long. the way it's built makes a long stretch to the nut end. i had a blue one once. :-[
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What about a Mockingbird? I've always had a thing for that body style :-[ And, it wouldn't be so long.
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GOOOOODDDDD.... GRIEF... 8)
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Looking nice!
Great grain matching on the back venner there.
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Looks fantastic !
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Awesome work . Im glad you covered the dowel ends . They do reveal themselves through finish in time . Very cool.
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Hey Y'all,
I have been up to my elbows in motorcycle engines, but I did manage to make some headway on the BC Rich project too.
The Body is coming along really well, it is African Mahogany with a maple top...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/may8002.jpg)
I abandoned the idea of reusing the original body as a template, because it just looked wrong. I fit the neck as tightly as possible with out binding. If you push the neck into place you can pick up the whole thing with no separation, of course, it's been pretty rainy here so it may loosen up a bit more.
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/may8003.jpg)
And, I had enough left over mahogany to make this...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/may8004.jpg)
Lord knows what, if anything, it will ever become.
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Just goes to show what you can do with leftovers... ;)
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I couldn't get enough of Suzi in the last few weeks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6YOhfHwpLQ
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Life's a bich sometimes... :mrgreen:
Lookin' good!
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Great job on that headstock!
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Oh yeah, very nice!
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A lot cool projects here!!
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Véry nice work on that headstock! What kind of pickups are you going to use for this bass?
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Well, everyone else has been posting some very cool projects here lately I better toss my hat in the ring again too.
Here is the Warlock body after a bunch of sanding, routing and some stain on the mahogany parts...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock001.jpg)
Another angle...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock002.jpg)
You can dig the super access neck to body joint, I have no idea why a guy who never goes too far past the 7th fret needs this but I think it looks cool...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock003.jpg)
Tuners got mounted, and the truss rod access hole got cut...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock004.jpg)
Even though glue would have been much easier, how about these steel threaded inserts in the neck?
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock005.jpg)
New fret press idea I stole borrowed from the Project Guitar site, still don't know if it works but it was fun to make...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock006.jpg)
Peter, I forgot to tell you about the pickups. You will not be impressed to hear that I shall, again, be using the GFS rail style humbucker in a chrome cover. Only this time I'm going to use one of the naked lady ones from Greasy Groove.
Later
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Damn impressive work!
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Now that is one bitchin' project. I am seriously impressed!
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That is turning out great!!!
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I love the Warlock shape, which is classic to me. Great work & nice project.
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It has been a pretty fun project. There has always been something about the BC Rich shapes that I thought were cool. Hell, the early models didn't just look cool they were well built with premium materials too... Nothing you don't already know, of course. Too bad that now days they are mostly plywood.
Thanks for all the kind words y'all.
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What Pickup & bridge are you planning to use?
Also what color finish?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/BO07QgQmkKGrHgoOKisEjlLl5Pu2BJwoecj.jpg)
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I'm not exactly going all out on the hardware, but it will be all chrome ;D
My last project I used the GFS rail style humbucker in a solid cover from Stew Mac. It sounds... OK and it looks pretty good good. Here it is...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/MattsnewphotosnsomeofLisasjunk222.jpg)
I'm going to go with this same idea only I'll be using one of the Greasy Groove pick up covers...
http://www.greasygroove.com/proddetail.php?prod=3106-PU-M-C-P-MI
I went with Gotoh everything else tuners and a 201 bridge because it matched the original bridge pretty closely (remember, I didn't change the nut width) and was affordable.
I was going to try and make the maple a honey color but I'm really liking the stark contrast so maybe just clear? I can always add a tint as I go.
That green really jumps out and grabs ya!
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Cool pickups. Clear amber tint would look cool.
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Man you guy's do some incredible work around here!
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This bass is gonna be terrific!
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Talk about pigs ear into a silk purse! WOW!
The fretting tool looks cool - do you have a link to the article?
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Wow... that's coming on nicely...!
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Lightyear, here is the link...
http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=39920
Like I said, I haven't tested it yet. I don't see it replacing my arbor press anytime soon but it may come in handy one day. I made mine differently since I have a mill at work but it's pretty much the same idea just fewer bits of aluminum.
The one potential drawback is that it closes while making an arch rather than coming straight down like the press. I thought about redesigning the jaw but, like I was saying, I don't see it replacing the arbor press anytime soon. Maybe it would be good for gluing in individual frets or something?
Let me know what you come up with.
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Hmmm, I like it - it fits my thifty mindset! Thanks for the link. We have Harbor Freights all over the place down here so getting the clamp will be easy. I'm wonding if the angle of the dangle being off a bit will be that much of an issue? I'm so anal on the details I would probably tap the frets with a fret hammer "just in case" no matter how they were seated. My thought is that if I save $150 then I can by other tools I wouldn't otherwise be able to afford.
Please let us know how you find this gem to work.
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Finally finished with all the machining on the Warlock style body, all that is left now is a little finish sanding...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock012.jpg)
Yeah, well that's all fine and good but how do you plug the damn thing in?
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock014.jpg)
Sorry for the crappy picture...
My bass has an anus :gay: :gay:
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock010.jpg)
I got the nut fitted too, you can't see it in this picture, since it is also a sucky pic. but I bedded the nut with epoxy like a gunsmith would fit an action into a stock. I'd like to say I did it because I'm bad ass but really I just cut the slot wrong and I needed to fix it...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock013.jpg)
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My bass has an anus :gay: :gay:
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock010.jpg)
To quote Big Gay Al " Suuuperrrr! "
(http://thomasdolina.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Big_Gay_Al.gif)
Fantastic job BTW
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"My bass has an anus"
Hmmmmmmmmm.............. Shaved, nice! :gay:
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Not only it has an anus, but its an input device also. Damn, that's a horny (b)ass.
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There goes the neighbourhood... ;D
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That bass needs to have its perineum bleached... :mrgreen:
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Rob!
You're making me blush ;)
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Does that mean your bass has an input jack? Or is it an output jack?
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You just leave Jack outta this, ya hear... ;D
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Denis, its just a jack. You can use it as you wish, input, output, or both.
Well, not at the same time ofcourse, that would be kinda crowded.
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You just leave Jack outta this, ya hear... ;D
That'd be Wireless Ken ;D
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Hmmmmmmm
Too Yellow?
I think I'm liking this more than I thought I would...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock017.jpg)
Not as flammy as I would have hoped but the next hunk o' wood should be killer, here is another look...
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock018.jpg)
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q126/hootiemcfly/warlock019.jpg)
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More yellow, or maybe some red, with a splash of green and blue; some black splats here and there; maybe a splodge of white for balance, and... hey... who are those guys in white suits, and why are they carrying that straight-jacket and a Tazer...?
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The Yellow looks great and will look even better once the hardware is on & strubg up. Nice job.