Olympic White 66/62 style Jazz Bass build

[kevin_lindsay]

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131101_205924.jpg[/IMG]

[louisthebass]

Great job - that's a superb looking bass. I bet it sounds pretty good too! .

[Lord Sausage]

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1383328354' post='2263299']
Sausage - a full can would provide a good coating. I was trying for a super thin application, but that made it very easy to "rub through"

[/quote]

Thanks mate!

[madshadows]

Wot a beauty !!

Great job

John

[xilddx]

Absolutely fantastic! I'd still have dark tort but that's just me Superb job Kevin!

[kevin_lindsay]

I wanted a plate that looked similar to the mid coloured ones used around 1962:

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/20131102_114250.jpg[/IMG]

Before '61 the plates were even lighter. In '66 the colour darkened:

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/DSCF6826_20090624231223-1.jpg[/IMG]

Edited November 2, 2013 by kevin_lindsay

[Jono Bolton]

I normally don't like white basses, but that's a thing of beauty!

[discreet]

Intresting pics! Is it possible nowadays to recreate clay dots?

[xilddx]

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1383393337' post='2263955']
I wanted a plate that looked similar to the mid coloured ones used around 1962:



Before '61 the plates were even lighter. In '66 the colour darkened:


[/quote]

Cool! But you had a dot/bound neck so you could have got away with it

[kevin_lindsay]

Here's a couple of pics of the control circuitry (with the brass screening plate in the bottom of the cavity). The Fender wiring diagram for a '62 reissue shows a 0.050uF in the neck, and an 0.030uF in the bridge.

However, I'm used to the tone roll off you get on later basses with 0.022uF caps. So, I used a pair of close tolerance 0.022uF Sprague "orange barrels" in my setup.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131102_161938.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131102_161956.jpg[/IMG]

Edited November 2, 2013 by kevin_lindsay

[kevin_lindsay]

Lord Sausage - this will be of interest to you mate:

Every build is a lesson in progress, and this one is no different.

I had noticed a slight rub through midway through the build due to the very slight "blush I had mentioned earlier. This was addressed.

I've used clear gloss as the top coat on my bass. My reason for this is that the original basses were bright white when new. The current creamy colour is due to the clear coat ""yellowing" over the years. I don't like tinted lacquer as it never looks authentic to my eye. So, the clear gloss on my bass will age naturally over the years.

Here's a pic of the back of Paul Turner's '66 Jazz where you can see how yellow the clear top coat has become over the past 47 years. The Olympic White is still fairly vibrant underneath.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/IMG_2173.jpg[/IMG]

so, the white is on, and the clear coat is on. Everything looks great, really white and vibrant. I'm using a thin application of colour and clear coat. But, I've now discovered something which is really handy.

If you take a photo in natural light, it looks great - for example:

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131102_123345.jpg[/IMG]

However, if you take a pic in artificial light using your phone's flash, then any areas where the thin top coat has been rubbed through, will magically appear as a different colour! It's a horrible sensation seeing it, but it does mean that you can then correct the situation.

Here's the same upper horn using the flash. At the upper left hand side of the horn as you look at the pic, you'll see a 10p piece sized area where the top clear coat has rubbed through (the area showing lighter in colour compared to the surrounding area with clear coat in place).

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131102_123356-1.jpg[/IMG]

The area of concern has now been keyed (lightly sanded) and a light coat of clear gloss applied. Allowed to dry for a few hours, then lightly flatted back and rubbed to a gloss again (the pic was taken after misting the clear gloss on. It's still to be flatted back anf buffed in the pic. That's now been done and its fine)..

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131102_125052.jpg[/IMG]

I took pics using the flash all over the body. That was the only area which needed attention. If I hadn't noticed it (or had just decided to leave it), then the finish would look perfectly okay for a while. However, in a year or two it would start to show a light patch where the top coat was missing - the light patch apppearing due to the surrounding clear coat starting to yellow. By ensuring that the Olympic White now has a full clear coat, I'll know that there will be a uniformity to the ageing process of the colour of my instrument.

Also, some of you might be wondering how the area I "patched" between the pickups now looks? Here it is - you wouldn't know anything had been done.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131102_153655-1.jpg[/IMG]

Edited November 2, 2013 by kevin_lindsay

[Myke]

You really did a superb job with this!

[kevin_lindsay]

Thanks Myke!

[Lord Sausage]

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1383412574' post='2264234']
Lord Sausage - this will be of interest to you mate:

Every build is a lesson in progress, and this one is no different.

I had noticed a slight rub through midway through the build due to the very slight "blush I had mentioned earlier. This was addressed.

I've used clear gloss as the top coat on my bass. My reason for this is that the original basses were bright white when new. The current creamy colour is due to the clear coat ""yellowing" over the years. I don't like tinted lacquer as it never looks authentic to my eye. So, the clear gloss on my bass will age naturally over the years.

Here's a pic of the back of Paul Turner's '66 Jazz where you can see how yellow the clear top coat has become over the past 47 years. The Olympic White is still fairly vibrant underneath.



so, the white is on, and the clear coat is on. Everything looks great, really white and vibrant. I'm using a thin application of colour and clear coat. But, I've now discovered something which is really handy.

If you take a photo in natural light, it looks great - for example:



However, if you take a pic in artificial light using your phone's flash, then any areas where the thin top coat has been rubbed through, will magically appear as a different colour! It's a horrible sensation seeing it, but it does mean that you can then correct the situation.

Here's the same upper horn using the flash. At the upper left hand side of the horn as you look at the pic, you'll see a 10p piece sized area where the top clear coat has rubbed through (the area showing lighter in colour compared to the surrounding area with clear coat in place).



The area of concern has now been keyed (lightly sanded) and a light coat of clear gloss applied. Allowed to dry for a few hours, then lightly flatted back and rubbed to a gloss again (the pic was taken after misting the clear gloss on. It's still to be flatted back anf buffed in the pic. That's now been done and its fine)..



I took pics using the flash all over the body. That was the only area which needed attention. If I hadn't noticed it (or had just decided to leave it), then the finish would look perfectly okay for a while. However, in a year or two it would start to show a light patch where the top coat was missing - the light patch apppearing due to the surrounding clear coat starting to yellow. By ensuring that the Olympic White now has a full clear coat, I'll know that there will be a uniformity to the ageing process of the colour of my instrument.

Also, some of you might be wondering how the area I "patched" between the pickups now looks? Here it is - you wouldn't know anything had been done.


[/quote]Thanks a lot for that mate!

[kevin_lindsay]

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131103_151127.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131103_151210.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131103_151250.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131103_152509.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131103_152519.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131103_152531.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131103_155416.jpg[/IMG]

[chardbass]

Stunning Kevin, stunning. I bow to your knowledge, patience and taste.
I hope it plays as well as it looks.

[kevin_lindsay]

Thanks mate. Fortunately, the bass plays fantastically well - really even accrossbthe neck, with no fret buzz anywhere. Nice and punchy.

[sblueplanet]

That is stunning!

My own lefty white jazz 62RI MIJ is pretty roadworn and could do with a similar makeover (hint, hint) :-)

I've already spoken to Kiogon about making me a lefty stack-knob control plate.

Very nice job indeed.

[kevin_lindsay]

I'm going to give the bass a control cavity makeover soon as I'm due to receive repro paper-in-oil .050uF caps and a pair of carbon resistors.

Quite a few people have suggested I try out the original "twisted resistor" layout. So, I thought I'd give it a go.

[garyod7]

This bass looks absolutely spectacular to me - that headstock alone is downright erotic!! 😍😍

[kevin_lindsay]

The bass is getting a public airing today in Bar Gumbo in Glasgow. Yippee!!

[Billy Apple]

Lovely build Kev. A fine looking bass

[kevin_lindsay]

Repro paper in oil capacitors, and carbon resistors. When the new CTS 250k/500k stack pots arrive, I'll try out the original style wiring.

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/62_66%20Jazz%20Bass%20Build/20131114_204935.jpg[/IMG]

[Grangur]

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1384463916' post='2277142']
Repro paper in oil capacitors, and carbon resistors. When the new CTS 250k/500k stack pots arrive, I'll try out the original style wiring.


[/quote]
Kev, I can't see your pics mate. According to Photobucket you need to upgrade to "Plus" for extra bandwidth, cos too many folk are looking at your pics.

Photobucket says: [list]
[*]If you like to link to forums, blogs, etc. you get up to 10GB/month of bandwidth. If you need more, [url="http://photobucket.zendesk.com/entries/21100831-"]upgrade to a PLUS account[/url]! With a PLUS account, you have unmetered bandwidth in addition to extra storage and no ads!
[/list]
Maybe you can reduce the resolution of your pics? Cos 10GB is a lot of data.

Edited November 19, 2013 by Grangur

[kevin_lindsay]

The monthly bandwidth replenishes on the 21st, so only a couple more days to go

I just checked - it's actually the 28th before the bandwidth replenishes.

Edited November 20, 2013 by kevin_lindsay