Facelift and tummy tuck!

[Minimolizard]

[size=3]Hey there everyone. Just joined this website so I wanted to share my recent adventure with my old Tanglewood Warrior!
So here's the Bass
[attachment=15450:SNC10014.JPG]

I plan to sand it down and go for a natural oil finish and get some EMG's on there. Was thinking about getting some new hardware but we'll have to see what happens there. Would really like a Warwick bridge but don't think there's really room!
Warwick use a graphite adjustable nut that I'm gonna try out.

First pass with sanding, hard work! The grain is stained pretty deep.

[attachment=15451:SNC10702.JPG]
More soon![/size]

[neepheid]

[quote name='Minimolizard' post='319168' date='Oct 31 2008, 04:13 PM']First pass with sanding, hard work![/quote]

Therapeutic though

[budget bassist]

oower missus, i didn't know tanglewood did a warwick corvette copy. I've seen a westfield loosely based on a warwick thumb... ugly f***ing thing! Yours looks alright though, looks like it has some potential.

[steve-soar]

An EMG's Jazz set won't fit in there, the rear route is the same as the neck one, you would have to get two neck pups.
You're gonna have to remove a lot of wood to shift the stain, why not spray an undercoat then solid colour.

[Minimolizard]

[size=3]Okdoke, thanks for your input guys. The Back pick up hole is bigger than the neck, just right for the jazz emg's. (they arrived yesterday! - Phew!) I really like some of the natural finishes so I'm gonna persevere and see how we go.
So here's the latest
[attachment=15499:SNC10816.JPG][attachment=15500:SNC10817.JPG]

Still got the curves to do and the grain is still pretty radioactive!!
[attachment=15501:SNC10823.JPG]

I started by hand but soon realised that a palm sander was needed, oh now naive I can be!!

So far I think I must've been sanding for 12hrs or something. My arm is not happy!
I'll keep goin............[/size]

[steve-soar]

I'm glad to here that the pups will fit and a great sanding job done, by hand!!!
Palm sanders are great and if you can make a sanding drum on a piece of thick dowl (double sided cellotape on some 240 garnite paper) you can get the curves done on an electric drill in no time

[Minimolizard]

[size=3]So I think by reading around that it's an ash body. I have no idea by eye. Anyone?
The neck's come up realy nice very quickly so that's pretty much done. Still going with the body. Will keep chipping away through the week. Ordered a warwick nut & truss rod cover but decided against anything else. just wanted to get rid of the shiny one I had! This bass will not shine!![/size]

[Minimolizard]

[size=3]
Okdoke, I got carried away and I've gone onto paint mode. I decied to dye the grain first. Two reasons - I really wanted a good contrast of colour on the bass and secondly... It still had this weird ghostly green glow!!!
Whatever works eh?!
[attachment=15593:SNC10928.JPG]
[attachment=15594:SNC10931.JPG]

So I've sanded it down a wee bit again, to get the contrast from the grain and smooth off the finish. I'll be sanding by hand a fair bit more I reckon. (Boo hoo!)

[attachment=15596:SNC10933.JPG]

Coming up nice. Next I'm gonna stain it next to try and get some warmth into the color!

More tommorrow!


[/size]

Edited November 5, 2008 by Minimolizard

[kdphysio]

Man, that is coming along NICELY!!

Looking forward to seeing this baby progress.......keep us updated.

[Minimolizard]

[size=3]It's really dificult to get these build diaries up in different stages as I just get on one and truck through it all! Before you know it you've done most of the work. Patience was never my virtue!! Nice to take a break at least!
So I decided to stain the wood to get some warmth in there, here's the first try
[attachment=15677:SNC10934.JPG]

[attachment=15678:SNC10935.JPG]

As you can see it's looking Grrrrrrrreeeeaaaaaat! Ha ha. Looks like tony the tiger's bass!

It's all ok though. I knew i'd be doing alot of sanding today anyway!

So after a handsand with fine paper we have this...........

[attachment=15679:SNC10958.JPG]
[attachment=15682:SNC10960.JPG]
Looking much more like the bass I had in mind now.

Gonna leave it here til the weekend and look in daylight, if all's good then I've decided to finish it with Tung Oil. Coat and light sand and repeat, and repeat, and repeat....................!


[/size]

Edited November 7, 2008 by Minimolizard

[budget bassist]

Oops, forgot to keep up with this one! I have to say that's looking very nice indeed! Can't wait to see the end result.

Also FWIW that does look like ash to me

[Minimolizard]

[size=3]Now then chaps........ Anyone ever worked with Tung Oil? It smells lovely! Which is a good thing really, cause everything smells of it right now! So I've done about 5 coats of tung oil, light sand inbtween every two. Seems to be soaking in nicely.
Here's the latest
[attachment=15833:SNC10971.JPG][attachment=15834:SNC10972.JPG]
I'm really pleased. I don't hate shiney basses, I just wanted something more natural looking for a change.
Think I might even put the new pups in tonight, not really sure on how many coats I should do? (Anyone?!?)
The neck is done too, gave that a light coat to protect it. Wanted to put my own decal on the headstock too, something similar to this..........
[attachment=15842:SNC10841.JPG]

I read an article on it using a print onto a transparency and then glueing down and laquer over the top. I'll give it a go unless anyone has any better ideas? Even if it screws up, it's only a case of sanding and starting again. Should be a good experiment either way.

[/size]

[mathewsanchez]

I love what you did to the body, a real improvement. Not sure the decal is my sort of thing but then again it's not my bass.

[sgt-pluck]

[quote]I read an article on it using a print onto a transparency and then glueing down and laquer over the top. I'll give it a go unless anyone has any better ideas? Even if it screws up, it's only a case of sanding and starting again. Should be a good experiment either way[/quote]

You can buy the special [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Inkjet-water-slide-decal-paper-clear-models-transfers_W0QQitemZ310099691034QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item310099691034&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]water-slide paper [/url]on eBay which goes through a printer. There's a technique for doing right, some basic instructions are on the listing and google should help with the details.

Good luck, and don't forget to post finished pics

Pluck

Edited November 11, 2008 by sgt-pluck

[Dubs]

It’s looking great man – such an improvement on the green!

[Minimolizard]

[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='327071' date='Nov 11 2008, 08:23 PM']You can buy the special [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Inkjet-water-slide-decal-paper-clear-models-transfers_W0QQitemZ310099691034QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item310099691034&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]water-slide paper [/url]on eBay which goes through a printer. There's a technique for doing right, some basic instructions are on the listing and google should help with the details.

Good luck, and don't forget to post finished pics

Pluck[/quote]
[size=3]
Thanks for that mate, appreciated. I'll try some out when they arrive. I'll let you all know! The transparency was starting to sound a bit hit and miss!
[/size]

[Minimolizard]

[size=3]
So I couldn't resist sticking the pups in! It's a nice idea EMG have with the quick release but I cant see many people changing to a different set of EMG's in a hurry??! Anyway......

[attachment=15916:SNC10978.JPG][attachment=15910:SNC10980.JPG][attachment=15911:SNC10990.JPG]

So that's where we're at. I couldn't resist sticking some strings on and checking out the pups though. Gotta say I love em! Just got a lovely growl about them. Really responsive. Can't wait to get the thing through my Trace and cranked up!

I've left the headstock plain at the mo, figured I'd have to wait for the paper so I put on an old set of strings, i'll re-string when the headstock is finished. Plus, I've got a gig this weekend so It's gotta be at least resembling ready!
[attachment=15917:SNC11001.JPG]Notice the warwick truss cover and JUN III, little things but it all helps. I had to cut the end of the cover to make room for the decal, now I see the piccy I realise it's not quite straight, OOOooops! I'll sort it when the strings come off.......


I love the colour of this bass so much now. Get ready for the arty shot!..............[attachment=15918:SNC11025.JPG]

[/size]

Edited November 12, 2008 by Minimolizard

[budget bassist]

That's looking pretty sweet, glad it worked for you

Now you just need some new hardware I'm just not a fan of that satin nickel or whatever it is, black would go nicely i think

[Aussiephoenix]

I love the way the body turned out... Natural finishes are the way for me. wood grain is too beautiful to hide behind paint.
I probably would have had a go at changing the shape of the headstock, but as long as you like it!

Have you noticed any tonal diference from the initial bass?

[Minimolizard]

[quote name='Aussiephoenix' post='328220' date='Nov 13 2008, 10:42 AM']Have you noticed any tonal diference from the initial bass?[/quote]

[size=3]Well I certainly noticed alot of difference, the quality pups are so much of an improvement. I wish I'd done this years ago. The neck is much faster now it's just oiled rather than finished too. I've ended up wirth a more Zender sounding bass (Emergency On Planet Earth) which is a very welcome unplanned side effect! It's got a punchy growl to it now and really picks up everything. I've never really played around with an active bass properly but it's very responsive for a passive. As for the body, I took off a fair bit in sanding, what the difference there is, I'll never know. It's a million miles from where it was and definately in the right direction![/size]

[cheddatom]

It looks realy cool - i've been following this one. I really agree that you could do with some new hardware - black or gold or anything that's not that cheap looking crap.