Bassfinger

5th coat today. It's getting boring, I know, but the end result is in sight.

4th coat of oil today. No pics as still not much to see.

I love gigging. Ive been sensible and never tried to make any money off it, so never been frustrated or disappointed when I haven't. I get to play with my mates, insist on all the Coca Cola I can drink, and the boozed up groupies flash their thruppenies half way through a song to try and put us off. What's not to like? While I'm in a position to treat it as a laugh and a social event then Im sorted. I do quite understand how musicians quit big, successful, financially lucrative bands because of the pressures of touring - the cash might be nice, but the hassle of everything else that goes with it must be staggering.

Bench grinder does it for me.

Mrs Bassfinger is always for me buying a new bass, as it invariably means a quid pro quo for her, usually either sex or new shoes.

Itemised on my house insurance - Zurich - when at home. Not cheap, but with every item listed and serial numbers recorded theres no argument about whats what if the worse happens. £2000 of free equipment cover from the MU when out the house gigging.

3rd coat of oil on. Not much to see beyond the last photo, so no new pic. By kerrang, it's too hot to be in the sun wet sanding tung oil, butneven worse doing it in a stifling workshop. At least the oil is drying quickly in this heat.

Entwistle forxa nice bit of bite, Warman for some real growl.

Well, on the bright side it'll be half the depth and a lot lighter when its finished.

Ive always got a lawnmower or two on the go. I have a Super Colt and a Punch in the queue after that one, all much the same other than the dimensions. I don't keep many though, only currently have 2 plus my normal lawnmower. You run out of room even quickler than collecting basses! You can imaging Mrs Bassfinger's joy each summer when I get excited because the Vintage Lawnmower Club hold their annual rally not far from here!

Oh, before anyone asks that's part of my latest lawnmower resto in the background. This one's a 1968 Suffolk Colt that I'm going to give to my FiL as a present.

Meanwhile, I was going to dye the front. However, after I'd applied one coat of oil to the rear I realised that the ash had some nice grain, do I decided to oil the whole thing. 2 coats in with the slurry method and it's starting to feel smooth. I'll let it dry for a few days and then crack on with the 3rd, and repeat until it's 8 or 10 coats on there.

If you join the MU you get 2 grands worth of free instrument cover. Mine are itemised on the house insurance, but when out and about that MU cover leaves me warm and fuzzy inside.

Other than a tipple at christmas dinner, I don't drink so I am solely to blame to the parlous state of my playing.

I'm 5 feet 17, don't have a problem.

I hear a lot of bass snobbery. But out in the wilds my 2 cheapest basses, the Ibanez and Harley Benton, are the 2 that get the most complimentary comments about the tone from other musicians. But I never gave a sheet what some PEON thinks anyway. Life's too short for that. The biggest snobs are usually the ones with the smallest genitalia.

Oh lordy, is nothing going ro be simple?! Ok, cheers. I'll be a bit more research.

Hokay, the Allparts bridge is 18mm string spacing, and the bridge supplied a fairly standard 19mm. Thats a cumulative 1.5mm at each outer string. I think it may be OK but i'll take some neck measurements and do some sums, just to be sure. Cheers for the heads up.

Cheers, I'll check that before buying. Other parts slowly arriving..

Done some measuring. The jazz pickup will easily fit inside and under a Rick-O surround and cover, so I've ordered the Retrovibe slim jim version. I'm not worried about the tone - I actually like the JB tone and the Entwistle pickup I have ready is a sizzler - but I want to look like a Rick-O, at least to the casual glance. So I've ground to a halt until the dye and tung oil arrive.

Neck glued on. The whole thing rubbed down with ever finer grades down to 800 grit. I'm not going for a high gloss finish so no need to fill the grain. Indeed, the tung oil slurry method will take care of that anyway. Now just waiting for the dye to arrive.

I always dismantle and lube new tuners. These seem really good, no flashing or the like and the gears mesh firmly with no slop. Mighty impressed for tuners thst were undoubtedly sourced cheaply.

Titebond applied, neck and body clamped firmly - but not too firmly - and left alone in my warm workshop for 24 hours. Meanitime, I've checked the rest of the gear. Tuners are cheapo, but seem susprisingly positive and firm. I may yet keep these. Bridge is a Musicman syle BBoT and is going in the bin. Ill use an Allparts Ricky bridge instead. Can't really gauge the pups by just by looking. I may yet swap the bridge pickup for a Ricky style one, but if I did stick with J style I have an Entwistle that can go in. For the sake of a few quid I'll probably fit a Retrovibe neck pickup anyway. Blue dye on order, watch this space!

It's arrived... First impressions are good. A nicely grained bit of ash, frets well finished, the routing looks accurate, neck pocket a snug fit. Time to get started.

+1 on this!