Batfastard Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) I was fixing the electronics of this bass, needed new pots and pickups, when I saw a thread about defretting advice and thought sod I'll have a go, Then I realised how badly the points are chipped and how much they annoy me so am thinking of rounding everyhting out, Not the prettiest thing in the world and not brilliant to play but its fun chopping bits of wood up isn't it. If anybody has any advice about epoxying the fingerboard it would be greatly appreciated. Also considering making it headless at some point due to hideous neck dive, or should i leave the head on? Edited August 15, 2011 by Batfastard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 (edited) So far I have matt blacked the neck and laquered it. Chopped off a point and really wish I waited till I had a jigsaw. Got some Wizard pickups, a thumper split humbucker and an 84 jazz. This was just a dry fit before I butchered the body any more, but look at the action height Whats the best way to sort this? Edited September 14, 2011 by Batfastard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 1: lower the bridge 2: if the bridge is as low as i can go, then route out a space in the body where the bridge is, and sink it. 2: if it looks like the neck is tilted forward, then adjust the trussrod, or shim it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 Cheers. The bridge isn't all the way down but is very low so I think the best option would be to route it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Woah, routing the bridge is much too extreme. Just shim the neck pocket, fag packet is the Fender way, but any bit of dense card is fine, just a little strip, probably about half an inch long, across the end of the pocket. Sort that right out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1284756' date='Jun 27 2011, 10:50 PM']Woah, routing the bridge is much too extreme. Just shim the neck pocket, fag packet is the Fender way, but any bit of dense card is fine, just a little strip, probably about half an inch long, across the end of the pocket. Sort that right out.[/quote] Too extreme? Have you seen what he's done to it already? Extreme is how he lives and eats doughnuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote]Extreme is how he lives and eats doughnuts![/quote] How'd you know about the doughnuts? Looking at the nut I should be able to file a little bit out of each slot so th e routeing won't have to be so severe. I'm also going to matt black and laquer the body. Hope fully I will be able to put a white outline of a dragon wrapping around the bridge and pups, so that this bass isn't too gothy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 The only way you're gonna get that bass un gothy is by painting flowers and peach symbols on it. Which I highly advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote]The only way you're gonna get that bass un gothy is by painting flowers and peach symbols on it. Which I highly advise.[/quote] It would be different I admit.Will have a think on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 as long as it flower sparkle your cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 2 quickie comments: For more dense shim than fag packet for the shim I've cut a bit of plastic milk bottle to the appropriate shape. May need two. (Can't be many Fenders without one) Careful about lowering the nut, it only effects open strings but too low can make them buzz. Cut a very little bit at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 Cheers for the tip 4 strings. Tried shimming the neck but by the time it was at a decent action height the neck was nearly a cm out of the pocket. I'm thinking of putting a new nut on any way as it always used to buzz on an open d string. I got given a fader by my boss (with a few other bits and pieces form when he was at Neeve, a studio console builder) and its 10.5kohm. Could I use this as pickup blend/selector? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Just a quick thought on the shimming, you need to change the angle of the neck to the body joint by shimming only the closed end of the pocket, as opposed to lifting the neck within the socket. Usually a millimetre here or two here represents 5-10 at the bridge adjustment. A shim a millimetre thick, the full width of the pocket but only 10mm or so deep, not the whole depth of the pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted July 1, 2011 Author Share Posted July 1, 2011 YEah have read some threads about shims. I was using business cards to shim at first. Too late now though have routed out the bridge area. need to straighten the edges then it put pics up. Have started sanding as well. Thank f*ck for orbital sanders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) So having found that I can't route a straight line for love nor money decided to get a chisel and straighten the edges out. As you can see this went very well and didn't result in more routing and chiseling to remove splintered pieces of wood. The pencil line denotes the area of the bridge and where my original route was. I have also used a jig saw to take off the points. I also tried nitromors on the front. As has been pointed out before it doesn't work to well on guitar bodies. Edited September 14, 2011 by Batfastard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 If you were bothered, you could probably get some wood veneers off ebay to fill in the space around the bridge, something like [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARQUETRY-WOOD-VENEER-HOUSE-HOBBYS-FIGURED-MAPLE-SHEET-/130555646447?pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&hash=item1e65b911ef#ht_500wt_949"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARQUETRY-WOOD-V...ef#ht_500wt_949[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Cheers for the link mate. The plan at the mo is to get some woodfiller and then do a veneer on the front as show by Andyjr1515. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) Progreess since last post: Have heavily coated the body with sanding sealer and put the second layed of wood filler on. This will be followed by a couple of coated of sealer and then the Veneer shall be applied, or more probably botched. Recieved the bits to build a passive circuit, while i try to figure out how the old vintage active circuit went together. Edited September 14, 2011 by Batfastard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted August 5, 2011 Author Share Posted August 5, 2011 (edited) More progress: body sprayed black nitro in my custom spray booth (computer chair box) Veneer arrived and I used the head as a test of how well I could follow Andyjr1515's instructions, I think it turned out well considering it was late and I was impatient. As you can see with the ingenious homemade clamp: 1 Safety boot, 1 thick book, 1 6x9 speaker. The result With the holes cut and a coat of sanding sealer. Edited September 14, 2011 by Batfastard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted August 5, 2011 Author Share Posted August 5, 2011 (edited) The the veneer has been applied to the body and trimmed. Just need to sand down the edges and iron down a couple of angles before coats of sanding sealer and satin nitro laquer. And the neck has been completed. Edited September 14, 2011 by Batfastard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 That is one of the craziest veneers ive ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Hi I take it as a compliment that you (however misguidedly) followed some of my tips and tricks but I think it looks great Any help for the next stages just post or PM me but you seem to be doing perfectly well on your own...I'm really looking forward to seeing the end result I've got some things I've tried (some worked well, some didn't) to fill the grain so feel free to ask Thanks again Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted August 5, 2011 Author Share Posted August 5, 2011 Had a comment from a neighbour that it looks like leather. I'm rather liking the more industrial (badly applied/bodged) veneering. Andyjr1515 cheers mate. Your Ibanez thread did inspire me. It's a shame that when I work with wood it doesn't like me or what I try to do to it. Will probably pm you soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfastard Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) The body will be given a touch up round the edges and laquered tomorrow. So I need to drill holes for the three pots. I saw a bass where the knobs were recessed into the body of the bass with a shamfer on the edge of the hole. Does anybody have any ideas on how to do this? Also need to order some screws for the bridge, neck and pickups, any suggestions of the best place to order from? Edited August 7, 2011 by Batfastard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 [quote name='Batfastard' post='1331451' date='Aug 7 2011, 09:04 PM']The body will be given a touch up round the edges and laquered tomorrow. So I need to drill holes for the three pots. I saw a bass where the knobs were recessed into the body of the bass with a shamfer on the edge of the hole. Does anybody have any ideas on how to do this? Also need to order some screws for the bridge, neck and pickups, any suggestions of the best place to order from?[/quote] Hi Hope you managed to sort your edges OK. I generally use Axesrus for hardware, screws etc, although they tend to be more biased towards 6 string guitars. Stuff like pickguard screws ect they definately have and there service is excellent. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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