Lockdown P-Bass Kit Build (or 'The Woolworths Bass' according to Ricky 4000)

[Teebs]

I've wanted to build a bass for quite some time - I had a go about 20 years ago, but it did not go well.

Mrs Teebs had decided that under lockdown, what I needed was 'structure', so she resolved to keep me busy with DIY tasks around the house and garden.

I realised that what was required was a distraction; something that would keep me busy doing something that I would enjoy, whilst keeping me free from Mrs Teebs' evil and onerous chores.

I stumbled across an old email from Thomann, and followed a link to their website, where I noticed their DIY kits - thinking that this might be a good introduction to building a bass, I bought their Harley Benton P-Bass kit (was a tricky choice between the P or the J). Despite the lockdown issues, it was delivered from Germany within a week - excellent service!

Thank you Thomann.

I had already found a headstock template, and slimmed it down to save a bit of weight - I'd read that these kits have a bit of neck dive. THe first thing that I did when the kit arrived was to shape the headstock using a fret saw and sanded 'til I was happy with the shape.

The kit:

Headstock shaped:

     

 

I rough sanded the body and masked body & neck:

Despite having a Fender headstock, I wasn't intending to make a replica, so I designed a logo that looks stylistically like the Fender logo, but wasn't.

(Il Pavone is Italian for 'peacock' )

The name comes from the colour that I was going to paint the body and matching headstock - a darker version of Fender's surf green, but more bluish.

@Ricky 4000 said it was Woolworth's green - but he's just a lout!

 

 

Even @Bridgehouse stuck his oar in!

 

*sotto voice* I hope his dinghy sinks!

I think that it's a lovely colour!

(Used a yellow primer x 3 coats under the blue/green)

More to follow...

Edited May 4, 2020 by Teebs

[Bridgehouse]

Knock the frets out, fill with green paint and you'll have a winner on your hands there!

 

Having done a few builds myself, I'd say you've done a good job if that's your first spray job. One thing I would advise tho... investing a few quid in replacement tuners, bridge and pickup will make it a much much better instrument...

[foxyFuze]

5 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

investing a few quid in replacement tuners, bridge and pickup will make it a much much better instrument...

I'll be listing a modded J bass later today, and may well sell the bridge, tuners and pups separately depending on what interest it gets.

[Teebs]

18 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

Having done a few builds myself, I'd say you've done a good job if that's your first spray job.

It is my first spray, but I'd read up on how to do itt for ages. That photo is the first coat of the blue/green - I ended up doing 3 coats, flatting back and respraying, before 3 coats of clear PU, flatting back, then polishing & buffing.

It took bloody ages!!! 

20 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

 One thing I would advise tho... investing a few quid in replacement tuners, bridge and pickup will make it a much much better instrument...

 

13 minutes ago, foxyFuze said:

I'll be listing a modded J bass later today, and may well sell the bridge, tuners and pups separately depending on what interest it gets.

Thanks both, butI've only just finished it (literally today) - but I had thought of swapping the pickups for some of the ones mentioned on the p-bass pickups cheap thread. And maybe a Wilkinson bridge - a beefed-up BBOT.

The tuners are solid enough - but weigh a ton!

I may end up swapping those in due course

[Bridgehouse]

See how you get on with the setup and change as required

[Ricky 4000]

26 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

Having done a few builds myself, I'd say you've done a good job if that's your first spray job. One thing I would advise tho... investing a few quid in replacement tuners, bridge and pickup will make it a much much better instrument...

Plus strings, neck, body, pots, wires... might turn out OK!? 😃

[Bridgehouse]

1 minute ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Plus strings, neck, body, pots, wires... might turn out OK!? 😃

I’m sure it will be fine for his standard of playing without any of that excess stuff 😂

[Teebs]

Pair of Gonks!

[Bridgehouse]

Just now, Teebs said:

Pair of Gonks!

If it doesn't work out I'll have it and de fret it as a project.

 

I'll be getting the turps on that headstock tho

[Teebs]

6 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

If it doesn't work out I'll have it and de fret it as a project.

It DID work out

7 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

I'll be getting the turps on that headstock tho

If you do, I'll drill a hole in the bottom of your dinghy!

[Skinnyman]

Pay no attention to them, Young Teebs. You’ve done a grand job there and I’m looking forward to seeing the pictures of the finished article. 

Out of interest, how long has the build taken? And would you do another one - or has this scratched the itch?

Whats your next plan to avoid Mrs T during lockdown? Build a glider in the loft? Or a 1:1 scale icebreaker?

Seriously though, that looks like a nice job and I’m looking forward to your impressions on playability and tone....

[Teebs]

 

13 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

Pay no attention to them, Young Teebs. You’ve done a grand job there and I’m looking forward to seeing the pictures of the finished article. 

Out of interest, how long has the build taken? And would you do another one - or has this scratched the itch?

The build took 3 weeks, but that is because of the painting - spray; leave for 24hrs; light sand with 800 grade; spray, repeat.

There were some pink torpedo-ups along the way, which added time...

13 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

Whats your next plan to avoid Mrs T during lockdown? Build a glider in the loft? Or a 1:1 scale icebreaker?

I have already built the glider in the loft, but the 'wehrmacht' caught me, resulting in 2 weeks in the cooler

[Teebs]

I am not a patient man

Trying to rush the paintwork meant that I had to sand back some of the spray coats, as I'd been too heavy-handed.

[Teebs]

But the neck & headstock came up a treat

You can't really tell from the photos, but the colour-match headstock face has a sparkle spray under the clear coat:

[Reggaebass]

Top job teebs, I love a build 👍 , my only advice would be to let the paint harden off for good few days before you put it together, because although it appears dry it will mark easily 🙂

[Teebs]

4 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Top job teebs, I love a build 👍 , my only advice would be to let the paint harden off for good few days before you put it together, because although it appears dry it will mark easily 🙂

 

Yes!

That was one of the pink torpedo-ups!

I found that out the hard way - I put the bass together to test the electronics & dented the finish all over!

Back to sanding...

(It's finished now - safely un-dinged! ) 

[Teebs]

@Reggaebass  predicted (above) what happened when I rushed into assembling the bass to test the fit & the electronics...

... dented & marked the body finish all over  

So sanding back; respraying etc. was the order of the day.

 

I took the opportunity while the bass was disassembled to shiled the control cavity and back of the scratchplate:

Not my neatest work, but functional  

 

And then print the headstock transfers:

 

Some random test-build pics:

 

 

The good thing about doing a test-assembly was that the sound was okay through the amp, and that it showed that the neck needed a shim.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Teebs

[Ricky 4000]

It's looking really good to be fair mate.

Is it finished yet?

If so, where's the 'money shot'? 😗

[Teebs]

I sanded back the body (again! ), and resprayed (again), let the paint dry for a few days.

Added the headstock transfers and clear sprayed:

Edited May 4, 2020 by Teebs

[Teebs]

4 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

It's looking really good to be fair mate.

Is it finished yet?

If so, where's the 'money shot'? 😗

Patience, patience...

[Teebs]

After a few days, I sanded back the body with 1500 grade, then polished with my newly-acquired buffing kit and Farécla G10 finishing compound, then polished with carnuba wax polish:

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Teebs

[Bridgehouse]

I hate to admit it but that does look really good mate. 
 

You’ve learned some valuable lessons on spraying and next time you do a build you’ll use tru oil 😂

[Teebs]

And then the Woolworths Bass was finished!  

 

~ THE END ~

[Teebs]

7 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said:

I hate to admit it but that does look really good mate. 
 

You’ve learned some valuable lessons on spraying and next time you do a build you’ll use tru oil 😂

Thanks BH

I have learned valuable lessons about spray-painting!

Regarding Tru oil, I finished an Aria Pro II bass a while back, but decided on a beeswax finish, thinned out with carnuba, rather than tru oil, which worked a treat.

Tru oil might be for another project...

 

[Bridgehouse]

Just now, Teebs said:

Thanks BH

I have learned valuable lessons about spray-painting!

Regarding Tru oil, I finished an Aria Pro II bass a while back, but decided on a beeswax finish, thinned out with carnuba, rather than tru oil, which worked a treat.

Tru oil might be for another project...

 

Tinted danish oil also works very well