Lord Sausage Posted July 28, 2013 Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) Hi, I bought the following bass of ebay for £23. It's an Infinity 5 String. Basically I'm gonna rip everything out of it. Strip the finish, refinish. Buy new pickups, pots bridge and probably tuners. I've never done anything like this before and I'm probably no good at it. I've read loads of threads on here and read things on the internet. Just gonna bash ahead. I'll put it all up on here stage by stage. Please feel free to help and advise! Here's some pics of it in current state. The volume pots aren't attached to the body inside. Cheers. [attachment=139963:20130728_112656.jpg] [attachment=139964:20130728_112709.jpg] [attachment=139965:20130728_112718.jpg] [attachment=139966:20130728_112734.jpg] Edited January 7, 2015 by Lord Sausage Quote
Lord Sausage Posted July 28, 2013 Author Posted July 28, 2013 I have no idea what the finish is i.e nitro or poly but i have some nitro mors on order Quote
Grangur Posted July 28, 2013 Posted July 28, 2013 I'd use a blow-lamp or heat lamp. Nitromores is messy and stings like hell if you get it in the wrong place and don't wash it off well. (Blow-lamps sting too though I guess) Quote
Lord Sausage Posted July 28, 2013 Author Posted July 28, 2013 Cheers, I've paid for the nitromors now, so being a yorkshireman I'll have to try it or it's a waste of money. But if it don't work I'll give it a go! Quote
Lord Sausage Posted July 31, 2013 Author Posted July 31, 2013 (edited) Ok, just started taking it to bits. Looks like it's made of plywood. I have a couple of questions. ( Bear in mind this is the first time i've took a guitar to pieces, these will seem like stupid questions) 1) When i took the pick ups out there was foam pads under the pick ups. Will i have to keep these for the new pick ups to sit on? 2) I intend to buy new vol and tone pots and jack socket. Should i keep the wires from my old ones or will they come with some? I've just looked again, I just buy new wire don't I. It's all the same. However, do you need a differnt type of wire to go between pots and bridge? Edited July 31, 2013 by Lord Sausage Quote
Grangur Posted July 31, 2013 Posted July 31, 2013 Yes, disappointing isn't it when you're expecting a nice piece of alder, or swamp ash and you get this lump of ply. But hey, what do you expect for £23? But you knew this. 1)The foam is there to give springiness to the pups, so the screws push against the foam and you have the pups stable at a given height. If your foam looks knacked you can replace this with a strip cut from an old foam mouse mat. 2) No, you won't get wires with the pots. You MIGHT get a capacitor with them. I did when I bought Fender pots, but normally the pot itself is what you get. I normally replace the wires. You can buy a meter or 2 from Maplin. For the jack, I was advised to get a stereo one. You don't need the middle terminal, but it gives better stability, so I was told. Quote
Lord Sausage Posted July 31, 2013 Author Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1375300594' post='2159555'] Yes, disappointing isn't it when you're expecting a nice piece of alder, or swamp ash and you get this lump of ply. But hey, what do you expect for £23? But you knew this. 1)The foam is there to give springiness to the pups, so the screws push against the foam and you have the pups stable at a given height. If your foam looks knacked you can replace this with a strip cut from an old foam mouse mat. 2) No, you won't get wires with the pots. You MIGHT get a capacitor with them. I did when I bought Fender pots, but normally the pot itself is what you get. I normally replace the wires. You can buy a meter or 2 from Maplin. For the jack, I was advised to get a stereo one. You don't need the middle terminal, but it gives better stability, so I was told. [/quote] Sound, i will be buying Fender pots. What about the wire that goes thru the body to the bridge, can that be the same type as what you wire up the pots with? Quote
Grangur Posted July 31, 2013 Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1375300968' post='2159561'] Sound, i will be buying Fender pots. What about the wire that goes thru the body to the bridge, can that be the same type as what you wire up the pots with? [/quote] Yes. I tend to use a stranded cable rather than a single core, as the stranded cables are more flexible. Other than that it doesn't matter too much. Quote
Lord Sausage Posted July 31, 2013 Author Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1375301609' post='2159569'] Yes. I tend to use a stranded cable rather than a single core, as the stranded cables are more flexible. Other than that it doesn't matter too much. [/quote] nice one! Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 3, 2013 Author Posted August 3, 2013 Nitro mors has had no effect, so its Poly. Time to get a sander. Ordering a B&D mouse, Detail hand sander. Quote
Grangur Posted August 4, 2013 Posted August 4, 2013 OMG, you'll be at it all month with a sander if you're stripping back to the wood. Otherwise you'd do well with a heat gun or blow lamp. Where are you located? Maybe another BC member near you has one. Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 4, 2013 Author Posted August 4, 2013 Well i've already a sander on order cos i need one anyway. If i have no joy, i get paid on Thursday, there are a few heat guns on amazon at a reduced price so i'll order one then. Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 4, 2013 Author Posted August 4, 2013 Thanks for all the advice so far by the way! Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 8, 2013 Author Posted August 8, 2013 (edited) Jumping the gun a bit here but i'm getting a new bridge for this. it has more holes for screws for mounting it to the body. Will i have to fill the old holes in the body then put it in the same place or place it a few mm's behind? What's the best stuff to fill the holes? Edited August 8, 2013 by Lord Sausage Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 9, 2013 Author Posted August 9, 2013 Just sanded the headstock. Took me about an hour. So i think i'll get a heat gun tomorrow to do the body. Quote
Dave Vader Posted August 9, 2013 Posted August 9, 2013 superglue and cocktail sticks/toothpicks are great for filling old screw holes. Make sure your saddles on the bridge are sitting where the old ones did and you should be fine. Welcome to sanding hell, poly finishes are the worst, and enjoy doing the cutaways. They are damn near impossible. Quote
Skol303 Posted August 9, 2013 Posted August 9, 2013 Wow, that's a steal for £23! Good one Here's a thread on my own attempt at something similar-ish. I gave up on stripping the finish ('cos what lay beneath turned out to be MDF!), but the thread contains some great advice from folks on here about removing poly finishes and such like: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/196051-how-easy-is-it-to-remove-a-polyresin-finish-update-project-finished-photos-added/ Keep us posted on how you get on with it... Quote
JimBobTTD Posted August 9, 2013 Posted August 9, 2013 [quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1376060201' post='2169197'] superglue and cocktail sticks/toothpicks are great for filling old screw holes. Make sure your saddles on the bridge are sitting where the old ones did and you should be fine. Welcome to sanding hell, poly finishes are the worst, and enjoy doing the cutaways. They are damn near impossible. [/quote] Yup...I refinished a Telecaster copy once which had a thick poly coating on it. I did it all by hand - no heat guns, no chemicals...just sandpaper and a sanding block. It took me weeks. The good bit was that parts of the plastic coating flaked off in the cutaway areas and I could pick it off with what was left of my fingernails. I still had to do a lot of sanding there, though, and it was a long way from easy. But very satisfying! Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 9, 2013 Author Posted August 9, 2013 [quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1376065553' post='2169301'] Wow, that's a steal for £23! Good one Here's a thread on my own attempt at something similar-ish. I gave up on stripping the finish ('cos what lay beneath turned out to be MDF!), but the thread contains some great advice from folks on here about removing poly finishes and such like: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/196051-how-easy-is-it-to-remove-a-polyresin-finish-update-project-finished-photos-added/"]http://basschat.co.u...d-photos-added/[/url] Keep us posted on how you get on with it... [/quote][quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1376065553' post='2169301'] Wow, that's a steal for £23! Good one Here's a thread on my own attempt at something similar-ish. I gave up on stripping the finish ('cos what lay beneath turned out to be MDF!), but the thread contains some great advice from folks on here about removing poly finishes and such like: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/196051-how-easy-is-it-to-remove-a-polyresin-finish-update-project-finished-photos-added/"]http://basschat.co.u...d-photos-added/[/url] Keep us posted on how you get on with it... [/quote] Cheers Skol Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 9, 2013 Author Posted August 9, 2013 Bought a heat gun earlier. I'll have a go tomorrow. Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 12, 2013 Author Posted August 12, 2013 Had a bash with the heat gun. Did all the sides and cutaways. See what you mean about it being a bit off a ball ache. I will do the top and bottom later in the week. I'll post pics of the lovely chunk of plywood when it's had the dings filled and sanded. Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 22, 2013 Author Posted August 22, 2013 Nearly down to all the wood. Just got the top face to do. Will i have to sand it with a fine sandpaper before i spray a primer? Just ordered this bridge for it. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/schaller_3d5_b.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/schaller_3d5_b.htm[/url] Quote
Andyjr1515 Posted August 22, 2013 Posted August 22, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1377211064' post='2184975'] Nearly down to all the wood. Just got the top face to do. Will i have to sand it with a fine sandpaper before i spray a primer? Just ordered this bridge for it. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/schaller_3d5_b.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/schaller_3d5_b.htm[/url] [/quote] Yes - I sand it first with coarse (c 80 grit) then wet it with a squeezed out cloth - this reveals the scrapes and dings. Repeat until all the scrapes and dings are gone, then sand progressively down to around 400 grit. It should then prime well and flaw-free. Edited August 22, 2013 by Andyjr1515 Quote
Lord Sausage Posted August 22, 2013 Author Posted August 22, 2013 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1377211712' post='2184985'] Yes - I sand it first with coarse (c 80 grit) then wet it with a squeezed out cloth - this reveals the scrapes and dings. Repeat until all the scrapes and dings are gone, then sand progressively down to around 400 grit. It should then prime well and flaw-free. [/quote] cheers Quote
Lord Sausage Posted September 9, 2013 Author Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) Ok, The bridge i bought [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/schaller_3d5_b.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...aller_3d5_b.htm[/url] has like another plate underneath that sticks to it. Obviously it makes the bridge a bit higher. What's the point? Should i use it? Would picture help with this description? Edited September 9, 2013 by Lord Sausage Quote
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