Some of you will remember this horror story, but for those that don't this is a link to my original posting which will give you the seriously gory details...
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=1988.0 (http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=1988.0)
The original chrome bridge is presently esconsed on Scott's new Ripper and a black one sits awaiting a new set of posts which I think I've now sourced...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/20100420002.jpg)
...as you can see, I started to pick away at the lacquer-coated neck which pealed off with remarkable ease...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/20100420003.jpg)
... but the face of the head is a badly crackled...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/20100420004.jpg)
... the face of the neck fully stripped...
Some questions gentleman...
I intend to leave the neck bare, but will maple tolerate being used as a fretless...? (this is the only fretless instrument I've owned - I do remember playing a fretless maple-necked Jazz years back...)
The Nitromors stripper I used on the Thunderbird should strip the remainder of the body, but do I have to take specific care of the face of the head...?
Scott suggested leaving all the holes in place as a reminder of how complex an instrument became so simplified, but there is a bit of me that is thinking about plugging the lot and leaving her with just the original pup in the neck position and using Tony's old 20/20 as a "filler" for the other hole, but I may still go for the EMG inside the 20/20 - she'll still be minimalistic... early days...
Another show in the making! Can't wait to see how she turns out...
Well if you are giving her the treatment you may as well go whole hog !
Yes indeed - go for the whole enchilada!
I would leave the peg head as is and I would be very tempted to epoxy to fingerboard.
Id loose the panda , leave as is and use 1200 -2400 gentle wet sand & buff it . Cracks= mojo . Cant hurt! . What are you filling the fret slots with ? Nice project.M
I'd fill the unwanted holes in the body and do a nice veneer over the top and wet sand/polish the headstock as suggested already. A few age cracks up there should be fine and validates the bass's heritage.
She's going to have a solid colour fin but the neck will be natural, oiled...
Not to sure what to think about the fret positions as they were filled in 26 years ago - the neck is perfectly smooth with not a mark on it (frontally)
Still have not found the TRC, but then again, still haven't found the gold Peter Cook pup - there's an awful lot of boxes in my loft space.
a light W&D on the face of the head it will be - may be partially tempted to do the back and edge of the head same colour as the body and fade into the neck...
Me again - just dropped on this one!
I have just quickly gone through the original post, which I read when I first came on board.
Boy, has that thing gone through the mill!!!!
You are obviously not frightened of "getting in there" and moulding the beast to your requirements. ;D
Is there anything you have or have had that hasn't been under the surgeon's knife??
On another note - have you seen how much RD's are fetching??
I so want a sunburst one but think I would now have to sell something precious to afford it. Bah Humbug! :-[ :-[
Cheers. :)
Don't ever really want to buy something I would not be willing to mod if required, and if I buy something it is for keeps, usually...
Only one bass escaped any alterations and I don't even have a picture... a fixed neck Jazz with rear fitted conns that was active - lovely neck but was just not me - dark wood - natural fin - not sure what she was now - literally bought whilst still actively trying to go pro ('83) when I was late for a rehearsal, saw this on the wall, and bought her on the spot, using gear that was in the studio...
Ah... also had a Strat copy, too... actually I ended up with two - one had a split body - built the best of the two into one - sold both on...
Things that did not make it are my Grenn EB2 copy, which was destroyed during rebuilds post the PC purchase, and a Shergold that just was not worth the effort - still have the pup surround...
The Mandolin is almost exactly as purchased (by my wife and daughter)
Another rebuild project is my '74 SG Special... 6 string, that is...
Rave from the graveyard that is my shed...
I finally got off my butt, cleared the cobwebs and pulled the posts out this afternoon, measured up all the holes and was stuck thinking... where do I get 13mm and 10mm maple...?
I compromised... maple drumsticks come in 13mm, so waiting for the post...
I like docs idea of veneering the top, but he has mucho clamps. Now he has a vacume press so we should be seeing a whiole new level of refins from uipstate NY! :mrgreen:
Im glad you are considering leaving the cracks in the headstock. Keep us posted.M
I intend to leave the neck as much alone as I can, just the polish up to the face, but I'm going to plug everything and possibly remain with just the one pot as a master and the selector switch...
The body is another thing... no veneer is going on... ;D
Holes plugged - I'll post a pic once I've sanded down...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/20101009sanding3.jpg)
Light sanding on the head - as previously suggested by Buzz and Shadow, leaving as is - nicely distressed and aged...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/20101009sanding1.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/20101009sanding2.jpg)
Holes that need to be plugged are - sanding started - going to need a new sander as the old one is on the way out - presently ripping in with 80 grit... :o
Be careful with the power sander Mr. Butcher! ;) It's easy to cause ripples and bumps with to much sander - especially around your plugs as the grain is different (DAMHIKT >:(). A good sanding block and very good sandpaper can work wonders.
Power sander...? Buzz...! that's my new extreme profiler... :vader:
I've got a nice solid flat block and a rubber one for my profiling... - the sander did show up something of my previous butchery on the upper horn - it had a slight dip in the centre - that is now flat...
anyway, more profiling... err, sanding... and some filling...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/201010121.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/201010122.jpg)
I'm leaving the larger hole (which will lurk under the plate) in case I go for any phase switches in the future... unlikely, but...
Sand and seal now on - hopefully going to get a coat of paint on the beastie this weekend if the weather holds out...
Looking good. Man, that thing sure has a lot of patches!!!!
Go, Kenny, Go!!!
Cool!
I take it that the Moog curcuirtry is long gone?
You could say its a hollow body... :D
Well...anything to trim some weight off!
My RD Artist was a little over 13 pounds.
The Moog died back in '87 and the replacement cost (through the then authorised repairs/spares group in the UK) was £125 - they had three PCB's and they were the only ones known to be in the UK at the time... pass...
Mind you, mine's already about a 1lb lighter than most already, for other reasons... :vader:
(that's why Scott and myself have twin-sons-of-different-mothers syndrome - ie causing un/necessary mutilation to instruments in the cause of function-over-form - simples...!)
Hollowbody indeed my Grecian buddy... ;)
The fin I planned has (sort-of) changed as the cost went out the window - not available as a rattle and as I want to do this myself... crazy part is that, in theory, the three-part fin can be done in a day - base coats - something in the middle - top coats - 10 minutes between each application - if it all goes well it should be pretty cool...
I may just fit the single pup but fit controls for the sake of futureproofing - there's a bit of me going with the bridge pup (where it was prior to strip) but I'm leaning more towards the neck position now... opinions...?
Final plan is to strip out the contents of the 20/20 pup Tony supplied ages back and slot in an EMG I have for the bridge slot...
Mabe you could mount something else in the cavity w/ LED's & put a clear cover on it.
Maybe a naked mole rat colony?
Ant farm.
Smuggling bananas out of Greece...
(http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Borat-movie-08.jpg)
Gonna be great as Freddie Mercury.
Jest not - SBC is playing Freddie...!?
Quote from: Kenny's 51st State on November 17, 2010, 09:47:37 AM
Jest not - SBC is playing Freddie...!?
Thats the rumor I have been hearing. He's got the moustache for it ;D
Many sources iincluding Rolling Stone and MTV confirm Sasha IS Freddie
Well, goes to show how far we wander when you see the top of the page... :mrgreen:
Anyway, same as the AD, a scandalous period of time for projects to be stalled... :rolleyes:
Right now it's nearly 0700 and I got up at six; coffee made, and out in the garden to play catch-up; sun's well up and temp right now for you non-Euro's is 60 with no dew...
So... where to begin... the canvas is a good start... had her to where I wanted to be with the filling... flawed, like me... and the RD design, imho... i.e. too much stuffed into too small an area...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%204_zpsacs2xj76.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%202_zps7m9wuulj.jpg)
... and the arsenal at my disposal... albeit the two Tonetech nitro's for the AD...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%205_zps1gn76yfr.jpg)
So... off we go...
Somewhat surprised that the can of base-coat only got me three coats...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2015_zpspu3tdjc9.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2014_zpsiq8cnlto.jpg)
... so off I went to get more...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2027_zpsdosw1zdq.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2026_zpsr5oblh8l.jpg)
... and this I was happy with...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2028_zpsry7enlkv.jpg)
... So I did what came naturally to me on a Saturday evening... had a beer... Spitfire, of course... :mrgreen:
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2032_zpstljkhis6.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2033_zpscazrp6qh.jpg)
... took the fanged-beast for a walk, and came back to see what the "crystal" looked like...
... and if I'm honest, it just doesn't work for me...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2036_zps0odlluf3.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200516%2038_zpsqblyfika.jpg)
The recommended base coat is black for this one but I wanted to experiment, and like all experiments, some just don't go as you hope... I knew I had to put on a top-coat to finish the effect, but didn't expect to find what I did find this morning...
Looks like a silvery sheen in the early morning light, but that's not the disappointment problem...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/DSCF9103_zps0zksoctl.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%201_zpsawy2nnnz.jpg)
Gutted...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/DSCF9102_zpsgbujn2xu.jpg)
... although enough time was given between coats, I've had an avalanche, and not where it can be hidden beneath the scratch-plate, so time for some rethinking and out with the power sander, or maybe the blow-torch... :vader:
Yes, I know you can still see the branding-work and the outline of the maple-plugs in all those holes, but that's what I wanted... a re-purposing of something so thoroughly OTT into something so honestly basic and functional, with something interesting to wear...
Time for a fresh coffee and thoughts on a "Tequila-fin"... (:o what did I just think out loud...?)
The multi colored / oily / silvery spots are caused by too high humidity of the air. Most of it will disappear when the paint is completely dry. And the rest can easily be sanded out.
The runners in the paint is a more difficult problem. You are going to have to sand them away. But that is kinda tricky as the end of the drop will not be hard enough to sand flat without removing it entirely in that location. But you will be able to refin this locally as the rest of the paint has not become inert yet. It'll take a couple of layers till they're gone completely.
Understood...
Off out to buy some paint... ;)
Well it was looking good, hope you get it all sorted out!
Eeehh, a little adversity builds character! ;) Still, it's looking good and I think you'll get it straightened out in the end.
Ah yes, if I only have a dollar for every redo I had to tackle, I could retire again! Good luck with your next step!
Well, as you say, Bill...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%204_zpsdcvj5yah.jpg)
... stripped the top back to the maple and wrote off the fin... just plain gutted about it... I liked the idea about white, with a subtle twist, but it was just not meant to be, so, I thought about it, and the plans for the move, and the quality of the light on a clear day, and the colour of the mountains...
... so I bought three cans of metallic in a Ford mauve (for the heather) and an indigo, for the sea lochs, and a blue, for the skies... and off I went...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%205_zpsfhbttwyn.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%206_zpsylyga58l.jpg)
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%207_zps1jqemab2.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%208_zps2odnvj4k.jpg)
Played around with a "burst" at first but I went for a graduation effect, running from the fin to the horn, and up the neck...
Al will not like the "mauve" as it is rather purple heather-like...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%209_zps0kvrn03m.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%2010_zpszohpemke.jpg)
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%2011_zps7ywfp0pe.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%2012_zps72tuuucv.jpg)
The effect is not so visible in the light I had for the pictures...
I can't remember who suggested leaving the head "damaged", so I just lightly sanded and sprayed with the catalysed lacquer; just enough to preserve the failed original fin...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%2013_zpsirmpipko.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%2017_zpsoruittqw.jpg)
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%2015_zpsl89xuf05.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015%200517%2014_zpsts1zsxb5.jpg)
Now the beast is covered in a few coats of top-coat and fingers crossed for no oddities between now and buffing...
Hope that works for you this time.
No, that's a very nice blue! Or at least it renders that way. I like it!
You haven't seen the edge yet, Al... ;)
I'm a-go for polishing... checked this morning and looking good...
Wow, looks great. I'm envious! Don't know when I'll get mine finished!
Looking good Kenny!!
Quote from: Pilgrim on May 17, 2015, 10:15:20 PM
No, that's a very nice blue! Or at least it renders that way. I like it!
BLUE? ??? Tis' PURPLE!!!! :P
Regardless of what colour it truly is I like it!
I did warn him... :mrgreen:
Stealth bass, for use in the Highland Hills and Glens... we're up for sale now so keeping 'em crossed... ;)
Quote from: Lightyear on May 18, 2015, 08:07:03 PM
BLUE? ??? Tis' PURPLE!!!! :P
NYET! I VETO!
(http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080805101523/uncyclopedia/images/0/04/Khrushchev_Banging.jpg)
Sorry Al... no REDS in the Highlands, especially shoe-wielding Nikita's, except maybe for the sunsets... :mrgreen:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGIwSwAvp6o
When you bring up Der Bingle, how can I argue?
Maybe I'll work on a nice candy-apple RED fin for you in the future... I still have a Jazz neck that needs a body for a home... ;)
Well, she's a goer...
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015-10-24%2019.31.45_zpschaasbiw.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015-10-24%2019.32.07_zpsrmyzdr5k.jpg)
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015-10-25%2014.57.37_zpsnjc5rozs.jpg) (http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015-10-25%2017.07.52_zpsws15nx9x.jpg)
Took her out to rehearsal tonight (last night, sort of) and well pleased with the sound...! The drummer has a 1968 blue Peal kit which is very complimentary... 8)
Holy cow that is a big cavity for one potentiometer ;D
Really cool ! Is it pickup switch/master volume?
Looks like the move has worked out! HiWatt next?
Aye... it's mostly all gone rather well... I also have an earthing fault on that GK I picked up cheap, Carlo, but if worse-comes-to-the-worse the drummer knows a decent repair guy nearby... I'd love to get the Hiwatt up to spec...
Tony... your pup was faulty, iirc, but it was the perfect space filler to replace the damaged pup, so afaic, it's perfect... as for the pup selector, that's just filling a hole... this is as bear-bones as it gets... pup - pot - XLR
Slink... there's some folks here that love that big cavity... :mrgreen:
Sure Looks good!
Gorgeous sound Tony... as simple as it gets... principles personified...
I'm really happy with the way this has turned out...
The guys I'm working with are somewhat surprised with the differences in sound I'm getting as most of the players up here are of the "I only need the one bass" school, so they are rather pleased too...
The guitarist commented that the fretless will be a real head-turner, and there's me thinking how good a player he is... a less-is-more blues player, so well pleased too... drummer is tight too... really looking forward to gigging this...
Quote from: Highlander on October 25, 2015, 07:19:16 PM
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/RD%20Artist/2015-10-25%2017.07.52_zpsws15nx9x.jpg)
Congratulations, love them both!
Merci...