Project JAEbird

[Highlander]

Should be - you can see that the carriage could be the other way round, but that's the way she came...

[dadagoboi]

I think I've settled on the final body shape.  Sanded and sealed with 8 ounces of Mohawk heavy bodied nitro sanding sealer last evening.  This AM scuff sanded with 320/400 no fil sandpaper and a block.  Filled some missed spots with thinned lacquer based wood filler (I love the smell of Famowood in the morning)

Ditto the back


2 heavy wet coats of Mohawk nitro lacquer, about 8 ounces, sprayed at around 20-25 PSI at the gun with a fairly tight fan pattern, 15 minutes between coats.  I'll sand it back with 400/600 this evening and shoot 2 more coats.


Mighty Mite neck, which came with a sealer coat, sprayed with Mohawk nitro gloss clear, around 3 ounces.  I used a detail gun.  Did not go with a "Vintage Tint" because it's not period appropriate.  I'm considering doing polyurethane over the decal which will give a slightly yellow initial tint yellowing more as it ages.  BTW, Mighty Mite P bass necks are out of stock from every vendor I've talked to.  I will be using Allparts instead.  They are at the least of equivalent quality, have traditional heel trussrod adjustment and a more period correct 10" fretboard radius.


This is my spray setup.  Paint cost is around $20 a gallon, 3 guns total cost $70 (only one gun really necessary) and a home made shooting stand. Twin Turbo not included.
I can only paraphrase Baz, "If you don't own a spraygun, you don't understand."  

[Dave W]

Interesting spray setup. Are the rods fixed or do you rotate them?

[dadagoboi]

Interesting spray setup. Are the rods fixed or do you rotate them?

The EMT is  a tight fit in the holes in the maple and has enough friction to allow rotation but hold position.

[Highlander]

I use a coat hanger cut to suit, a butchers meat hook (yes, you heard correctly) and the shed roof as a swivel point, and rattle-cans...



This is a slightly bigger spray shop I used to have access to... unique pictures - none otherwise known to exist...

[dadagoboi]

My buddy Hannibal says those meat hooks are quite versatile for a number of applications, not all involving rattlecans.

[Highlander]

... with a nicely chilled (chilling?) little chianti...?

[dadagoboi]

I prefer Nero d'Avola...it's a Sicilian thing

[Dave W]

That looks like a good low tech solution.

[Highlander]

Low tech wine...?

Ai... donta mess wid the-a Sicillians, or da JAEboid will be sleepin' wid da fishes...

[dadagoboi]

Today I did the final templates for pickguard bevel, templates for pup rings and control cavity.  Oh yeah, and I burned the toast this morning

[exiledarchangel]

You know, black plastic TB+ pups would be perfect match for that color scheme! Now, where are my running shoes?

[dadagoboi]

You know, black plastic TB+ pups would be perfect match for that color scheme! Now, where are my running shoes?

If you got 'em, smoke 'em. We install All


Finished up some pup rings, one caught an edge on the buffing wheel and took off for parts unknown.  But it sure looked pretty in the split second I saw it flying away.

[Highlander]

Found another early Fenderbird - watched the original broadcast when it went out and taped it with an open mic - best I had at the time - I've had this on video (now DVD) for decades - completely forget until I dug this out for the Skynyrd thread... considering they toured with the Who, is this a PC given to Leon Wilkeson by JAE...?

[dadagoboi]

Definitely looks like it.  If so Baz has the bridge from it.