Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) [b]History[/b] The bass was built in April 1980 (serial number 004097). I bought it second hand from Humbucker Music in Leicester in mid-1985. It was then my only bass for around 10 years, in a busy Leicester-based covers trio band called The Chase. We played several nights a week, pretty much every week for many years. This bass has certainly seen some use - and in some way I'm preparing you for some pretty horrible 'before' shots to come. I was young, and foolish and the bass was not particularly looked after. It has been hit against cymbals, battered by drum sticks and literally thrown into the back of vans for many years. In around about 1995 I bought myself a brand new Fender US Jazz Standard, and the Aria was put in the loft where it remained for several years, unloved, almost forgotten. <Cut to scenes of the passing seasons, the falling of leaves, new growth in spring, with stirring string accompaniment, forward to .., 2010 and my mate Andy asks me how the old Aria is, as he's always had a liking for what are now classic Japanese guitars. Curious, I fetched it out of the loft and was dismayed at the state of the poor old workhorse. The loft is obviously not completely damp-free and the years have taken their toll. Those of a nervous disposition may want to look away now. The scenes you are about to see are not pretty, and I'm not proud of myself. If you decide to proceed and end up traumatised, please bear in mind there are happier pictures to come - this is a rebuild thread after all! ... Edited May 12, 2015 by Norris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 I shall be following this closely, as my battered SB Elite will be embarking on restoration odyssey soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 [b]A Bass Barely Alive...[/b] (We can rebuild it!) OK, here are some 'before' shots. Remember - I did warn you! The coffin opens... OK, that's enough of that. As I said, I'm not proud of the state it was in. Luckily Andy is a good mate, a rather good guitar technician/restorer & all round good bloke and he took it away to work his magic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 That's not as bad as I expected.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 [b]Strip Down & Re-Fret[/b] We decided the lacquer was in too bad a state to try to save it and it didn't look particularly good in its 'reliced' state, so the lacquer had to come off, the dents steamed out and the wood sanded back down to a nice smooth surface. Andy had taken some decent photos of the water slide transfers before stripping, so that he could get new ones made up And then re-fretted it That's enough for now. I'll post some more photos shortly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Oh, and before I go... [b]* Advert *[/b] The bass was restored by: Andy Holland mail: [email protected] He's based in South Leicestershire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 [quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1431201674' post='2768811'] That's not as bad as I expected.... [/quote] That's 'cos the Internet doesn't smell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Norris' timestamp='1431202518' post='2768822'] That's 'cos the Internet doesn't smell [/quote] But I do have a slightly damp and rather wiffy golden retriever next to me Did he sand the lacquer off? Edited May 9, 2015 by bartelby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 The Chase? You didn't happen to have a bald headed front man and a huge Mercedes van, did you? I worked at an electronic music service centre (Central Sounds) in Hinkley back in the early nineties. I remember doing stuff for a Leicester band with a name that was short and started with Ch. For some reason I was thinking about them recently and I couldn't quite remember the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 (edited) The drummer Rob Peasant was pretty bald. The guitarist was Danny Willson. We played all round Leicestershire and beyond from 1985 to 1995 Edit: No Mercedes van. We had a white Transit for a long time and then a trailer Edited May 9, 2015 by Norris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 [quote name='Norris' timestamp='1431203663' post='2768831'] The drummer Rob Peasant was pretty bald. The guitarist was Danny Willson. We played all round Leicestershire and beyond from 1985 to 1995 Edit: No Mercedes van. We had a white Transit for a long time and then a trailer [/quote] Ah, oh well. I have a feeling they had more members anyway, I seem to remember there being a keyboard player, too (we were actually a Roland service centre repairing mostly keyboards, but I do remember installing crossovers in a bunch of said band's pa cabs). the name of that band is going to have to go on bugging me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 [quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1431204478' post='2768839'] Ah, oh well. I have a feeling they had more members anyway, I seem to remember there being a keyboard player, too (we were actually a Roland service centre repairing mostly keyboards, but I do remember installing crossovers in a bunch of said band's pa cabs). the name of that band is going to have to go on bugging me! [/quote] We never had a keyboard player or indeed a PA as sophisticated as to need crossovers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 [quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1431202759' post='2768825'] Did he sand the lacquer off? [/quote] I'm not sure - I'll ask him. I think a lot of it was scraped off, but there was obviously a lot of steaming out the dents and a lot of sanding too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel36 Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 That's a good diary Norris and a good job in getting the dents out. This is going to be a beauty when finished and a keeper also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 The work looks great so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 It's just a flesh wound! I hope that the CA used in the fretwork cleans up well. That's a lot of squeezeout! Good work on the waterslides. Any chance of sharing the image file? I think Pete has the same text also, however I don't know how clean a version we have in the "Aria Pro II" community at large. Even though the first batwings weren't produced until 1977, a first release bass would make a great 40th birthday present for me....I'm sort of a '76 vintage so it's either that or a Thunderbird. I think an original T-Bird pup would cost more than a reasonable condition '77 batwing....! Looking forward to seeing another one of the old girls getting back into her prime. She's certainly been around some rough lads it seems....haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 [quote name='Prostheta' timestamp='1431284513' post='2769639']Good work on the waterslides. Any chance of sharing the image file? I think Pete has the same text also, however I don't know how clean a version we have in the "Aria Pro II" community at large. [/quote] I've got a selection as vector artwork, a PDF copy of which got posted up on the Mats forum - I dare say it's still there somewhere. The range has expanded a bit since then, so if you need anything let me know. FWIW I did the artwork for Jason's CB Tribute B'n'G & that turned out rather well. Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Is this it: http://www.matsumoku.org/temp_pages/ap2_masterpiece_logos.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 [quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1431323363' post='2769876'] Is this it: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/temp_pages/ap2_masterpiece_logos.pdf"]http://www.matsumoku...piece_logos.pdf[/url] [/quote] That's it. The pointy finger is the giveaway The current range is: The Aria Pro II (Batwing) Aria Pro II (open book) 'Designed & Approved by H. Noble' paragraph 'Designed & Approved by Aria Research...LAB' paragraph Aria Pro II The Advanced Electrics (don't think this was ever a headstock decal, but it'd scale up very nicely to a t-shirt) RSB Special RSB Deluxe-5 Cardinal Series In the works is artwork for the ZZB-Deluxe, & I'll get around to the ZZB-Custom at some point. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) Excellent, cheers Pete/Bartleby! That finger and the text might look good on the rear of the headstock. Edited May 11, 2015 by Prostheta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 I don't seem to be getting any notifications on this thread at the moment, so apologies if I've not replied to any queries. I'll try to post pictures of the hardware clean up and the respray this evening (although attendees of the Midlands Bass Bash have already seen it on Saturday) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 "That's funny. The damage doesn't look as bad from out here" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 I wish I'd taken photos with the old strings on. You can probably tell how bad they were from the state of the case lid. They were twice the normal gauge from all the rust. What you probably can't see on the photos are the cracks that had to be glued. Mainly around the knobs, switch and socket, but also quite a nasty one on the top half of the body where it had started splitting along the grain of the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 That's a difficult fix despite cracks normally being fairly easy. The wood (Chestnut? white Oak?) on the wings is coarse, and when that cracks it likes to stay that way....or give you nice gluelines! Part of me wants to kick you in the shins for letting her get this way, however you seem to have figured out what the proper way to treat this lady is. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 [quote name='Prostheta' timestamp='1431358999' post='2770442'] Part of me wants to kick you in the shins for letting her get this way, however you seem to have figured out what the proper way to treat this lady is. :-) [/quote] I don't blame you The bass has a lot of sentimental value to me, which is why a lot of time, effort and a fair chunk of money has gone into the restoration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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