untune

Just as you've found that I think I came to pretty much the same conclusion neepheid, it looks like the one in the second link (missing all the hardware, pickups etc of course) but that's the only one that matches the headstock as the later Hofner 182 has a slightly different headstock but retains the strat-esque shape etc. Thanks for everyone's help - the gentleman with the Hofner (we presume!) is my grandad, who died in 1980, 7 years before I was born. The guy behind him is my great uncle playing what I've always been told is the 2nd Fender strat to be imported into the UK after the import ban was lifted, ie the one after Cliff/Hank Marvin's. I knew my grandad played bass among other things and always wanted to find out what it was he played so that I could ponder building a tribute as a project. Always thought it was a Fender but seemingly not! Today is my birthday and I'm off work, stumbled on this picture by accident and have solved the mystery! Cheers again guys

Thanks EBS freak, I'm not sure if it's any of those - I've zoomed a bit and it appears that the scratchplate does not pass the left side of the neck, so the upper horn side of the body is bare. Most of those have quite big scratchplates that stretch all the way to the upper horn. Also that strip where the controls are reminds me of something but I can't remember what. I do remember seeing something that had a Hofner style block on top of a scratchplate but don't know what - might have been one of those Eastern European/Russian basses. It appears to have a sortof binding around the Fender-esque headstock, and the logo is right at the top. Seems to be in some kind of script, with a letter that falls below the line like an f, p, etc... hence I thought it was a Hofner but an image search only brings up the Violin style ones

Hi all, just a quick one. Anyone recognise the bass from this picture? I can't work out if it's something like a Hofner, or something more like an imported Japanese type thing... cheers

This one in particular... Precision + flats + flanger if what I read was correct http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unnh0T2Ftro

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1332510004' post='1589366'] Damn! I forgot about Herbie!! [/quote] Good shout with War of the Worlds! That track has made me think Phil Lynott too...

I was playing Alan Wake (a game before I confuse anyone) the other night and when I finished it, Bowie's Space Oddity played over the end credits. Heard it countless times before, but at the time I had headphones on and realised I'd never really paid the bass much attention. What a tone! Herbie Flowers I believe? Seem to remember mention of a fretless jazz... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfbIFiOiHNo[/media] Isolated here but it sits so nicely in the mix, sounds different again

[quote name='nugget' timestamp='1332172493' post='1584250'] I've got a load of dry 2" ash, I've got enough to spare you a one piece body size. It's rough sawn so will need thicknessing etc. It's yours if you want it, plus I'll be driving up around Manchester M60 / M62 Thursday [/quote] That would be absolutely perfect!!! Will drop you a PM

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1332179845' post='1584417'] It's gonna take you another 3-4 hours to clean up the bridge & all the bits covered in crap - why didn't you put them somewhere out of the sh1te storm? [/quote] I was thinking the same thing Either way, hats off for hand sanding... never underestimate the power of Weetabix, eh

I was originally going to go for a transparent finish but that's now changed to a solid colour, so a laminated body would work... nobody I know has a thicknesser/planer, is there anywhere you can take wood to be planed to size on the cheap?

Do you remember what the search terms were? Might be useful to anyone who finds this thread in the future

[quote name='ACE-TONE' timestamp='1331999304' post='1581949'] Thanks for the kind comment. The bridge is an ace-tone original, based on the jazzmaster guitar but without trem, fabricated by my mentor Mr. Jon Rickards. Here's a pic before it was chromed.[attachment=102767:2011-08-24 22 10 14 (2).jpg] [/quote] Nicely done!!! It dawned on me after I asked that there was no such thing so it must have been a custom job Does your mentor do any custom fabrication work? I've still never managed to find anyone to make me a chrome pickup ring, I've made a temp one from plastic and the chrome paint I bought just doesn't look like chrome...

That's gorgeous! Lovely colour, lovely design, just... lovely haha. I could do with that same bridge for my 'Telemaster' bass - as the bottom end of the body looks a little bit bare and I thought that might fill the gap a bit. Where can those be sourced?

I found that the pub next to my old college is getting shut of some old tables, 2ft diameter round ones. The tops are only 1 1/4" thick though, bit too thin...

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1331713704' post='1577421'] Teak can be a beautiful wood (especially reclaimed Brazilian and Burmese stuff), but can be really heavy.It has natural oils and can be quite 'greasy' to touch, and consequently great in damp environments (hence so much teak garden furniure) I have no idea about the tone different woods would produce, but at least you know the body would withstand a spilt pint or sweaty player If you live near a timber merchant, they often have offcut bins that you can browse through. [/quote] I remember the old science workbenches at school and they were solid as rock haha, so I can imagine it wouldn't be too friendly on the back. I was originally hoping to find a mahogany table or something, ash would be nice - even good solid pine (if it's good enough for Squier CV's!) as long as it wasn't full of knots. I can get a 2 piece sapele blank for about 40 quid so anything more than that would be a waste of time, since the work would already be done. Be much more satisfying to make something from something else though! [quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1331725389' post='1577687'] My pub's about to throw away a couple of old solid oak bar stools which I'm hoping to be able to convert into guitars. Lovely well worn patinated wood, I'll not be finishing them at all, just be screwing the hardware straight on! Truckstop [/quote] That's the kindof thing I mean... it'd just feel great to have something that had some character. The front and back doors from my house were replaced last year and the old back door was a solid chunk of wood (no idea what it was) that had been on probably since the house was built in the 1920s. It got left outside for months in the rain though so can't imagine it would have been much use... Would have been great to practice with though!

Hi mate, That's a great idea, hadn't thought of that. I wonder what teak is like as a tonewood? I'll have to check some of these sources out, I've kept an eye on gumtree etc but not seen anything worthy. Not got any major woodworking tools either so hopefully I can find something at an ideal thickness, if I can find a solid tabletop or something!

Hi all Since I enjoyed my bass project so much last year I've got an itch to do it again. I've got a 1951 style Precision single coil that I bought from BC that was going to go in another bass to fix a string spacing issue but I ended up going a different route with it. According to BassDoc the pickup I bought was a rewound Japanese one by the late Jim Cairnes and I've had it sat in a box since I felt using it on the other would be a bit of a waste and I'd rather it went into something a bit more special. I envisioned making something of a Dusty Hill style tribute - the most basic bass I could think of. 1951 style slab body, rear routed control cavity, a volume and a tone. What's more, I'd prefer to go a step further this time round and make the body from scratch, including the finishing. Already got the required templates etc, but I don't have the cash right now to sink into another build like I had last year. I'm curious about using wood from a more unusual (and ideally, cheaper) source rather than just buying a blank - recycling, if you will. I've always liked those stories where someone builds a body from the bar from a closed down pub, or an old fireplace or something like that. So I'm curious - any suggestions for sources of wood along those lines? There's a local junk shop that does house removals that I might check out, see if there's any old furniture etc...

Looks incredible, bet it sounds awesome! A truly beautiful instrument

I remember seeing a video of him a few years back, he had been playing bass 20 years prior - as much as I dislike slap he does have a very unique sound! Great that he can mix it up with a primarily electronic style... proper drum and bass

[quote name='Jono Bolton' timestamp='1331056585' post='1566994'] I've got one of these as well on my MIM P, I took a Gotoh 201 off it and put the Wilkinson on, I much prefer it although I personally hate the Wilkinson logo stamped on it. [/quote] That's what puts me off everything Wilkinson do, despite the great rep. I don't like seeing big brands plastered all over everything - I'd love a set of the brass saddles that come with the Wilkinson to replace the chrome (brass) saddles on my Gotoh 203, purely because they look so good!

Cheers again folks, and Merton - cool that you got to meet the Ashdown fellas! Oooooh BOC news! A PM is required...