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

[Teebs]

9 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

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Fixed

[Si600]

Excellent diary El Generalissimo Teebles.

Which model Aria Pro II ist that? I think I've got one in blue.

[Teebs]

1 hour ago, Si600 said:

Excellent diary El Generalissimo Teebles.

Which model Aria Pro II ist that? I think I've got one in blue.

Thanks Si 👍

It's an Aria Pro II Magna - I bought second hand as a project, so I don't know much more.

[Si600]

I thought so, here's mine. Feel free to find the sparkling it up thread, it's about six years old or something by now though

Found it, six years? Ha, and the rest. Posted in 2012. 😳🙄

Edited May 4, 2020 by Si600

[Stub Mandrel]

Well I've found the legendary 'Teebscaster build thread'.

Curiously I have some cans of Plasti-Kote that are exactly the same shade. Curiously I only used one of the the cans I bought... can't think what I bought them for?

Butt congratulations master Teebs, a remarkable achievement for one still moist au vers the pinnae*.

Got me wondering if I could get one. Thing is the dominatrix will claim its worth >£500 even if I have the receipt 😞

 

 

*Impressed myself with that one.

[Osiris]

6 hours ago, Teebs said:

And then the Woolworths Bass was finished!  

 

~ THE END ~

That colour looks more Asda than Woolworths to me. 

[Ricky 4000]

6 hours ago, Bridgehouse said:

tru oil

 

6 hours ago, Teebs said:

Tru oil might be for another project...

 

They say Tru Oil is basically danish oil with a bit of tinted varnish in it...

6 hours ago, Bridgehouse said:

Tinted danish oil also works very well

 

5 hours ago, Teebs said:

Does it polish up well?

 

There are rules. First coat needs to be heavy, because you only get one coat that can soak into the wood, and that's the first one. So put on as much as you can and remove the sticky excess the next day with a lint-free rag. Further coats get lighter and lighter until you only need about 6 drops to do the whole thing. Palming it in with the heel of your hand until your hand is red hot and sore - if you can. And don't go using wire wool on it ever (or at least not before you've built up so much depth of finish that you definitely can't snag the wood with the wire wool). For flatting it back between the early coats, use wet/dry (dry), and no finer than 400 grit... this is wood, not car bodywork.

If you're wanting to fill the grain, then right at the beginning you'd be making a mulsh with the Danish (or Tru) oil and 400 grit wet/dry. Work it in by hand getting it hot, and finish across the grain with your finger. It'll look a mess, but the excess will rub off the next morning with a rag. Then you might have to do it all again, depending on the grain and how hard you worked before.

6 hours ago, Bridgehouse said:

If you leave plenty of drying time between coats and let it build then it does a good satin finish. You could go gloss, but it would take a helluva time!

Aye, you can get a finish like glass (gloss or satin glass), if you work hard enough on it.

Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, then once a year.

Possibly overkill for an indoor instrument, but that what 'ye olde walnut gunstock makers' say.

[skankdelvar]

1 minute ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Palming it in with the heel of your hand until your hand is red hot and sore

Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, then once a year.

[Jabba_the_gut]

Nice build. Love the colour.

[Maude]

Excellent stuff, I love that colour @Teebs. It reminds me of a Yamaha Attitude Special that I had years ago. Always loved that colour.

🙂👍

[BigRedX]

18 hours ago, Teebs said:

Thanks BRX

I had thought of painting the back of the neck and headstock, but I quite like the contrast of the green/blue with the maple.

If I build another (a Jazz maybe) - I'll do the back of then neck.

I always find it weird that the neck is left natural when the body is a solid colour. I suspect it stems from another of Fender's cost-cutting exercises, so that any neck could be fitted to any body. Personally I find the juxtaposition of natural wood with blue and green rather jarring, but I suspect that must just be me because plenty of manufacturers and luthiers produce guitars and basses with these colour combinations and people seem to buy them!

[Stub Mandrel]

13 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I always find it weird that the neck is left natural when the body is a solid colour. I suspect it stems from another of Fender's cost-cutting exercises, so that any neck could be fitted to any body. Personally I find the juxtaposition of natural wood with blue and green rather jarring, but I suspect that must just be me because plenty of manufacturers and luthiers produce guitars and basses with these colour combinations and people seem to buy them!

I'm not a fan of painted necks at all, to me they look cheap, I'm afraid, even if they aren't. My B2 has one and I had to sand it to stop it feeling sticky.

I suspect painted bodies originated to cover up cheap wood or block construction, then the potential for different solid finishes evolved.

The need was never really there to disguise neck woods so most neck finishes are clear or the occasional deep stain or sunburst.

[BigRedX]

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I'm not a fan of painted necks at all, to me they look cheap, I'm afraid, even if they aren't. My B2 has one and I had to sand it to stop it feeling sticky.

I suspect painted bodies originated to cover up cheap wood or block construction, then the potential for different solid finishes evolved.

The need was never really there to disguise neck woods so most neck finishes are clear or the occasional deep stain or sunburst.

All of my custom-made guitars and basses have solid colour necks that match the body, it's only the cheaper, factory-made ones with bolt-on necks that have a natural finish.

Also I never understand why people think that necks with solid colour feel sticky compared with those with a natural finish. Coloured necks should have the same clear top coat as the natural finish ones, so it must be psychological.

[Maude]

17 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Also I never understand why people think that necks with solid colour feel sticky compared with those with a natural finish. Coloured necks should have the same clear top coat as the natural finish ones, so it must be psychological.

I think it's more about preferring a satin finish over gloss.

If a natural neck is finished in a gloss lacquer the same as a coloured neck then, yes, it will feel the same, and lots of folks will be happy with it. But if you prefer a satin neck then it'll need rubbing down a touch to put very fine scratches in the finish, making it matt/satin and reducing friction. On a natural finish this looks fine but not so much on a painted finish, and most people aren't willing to rub down a painted neck. 

The other option with a natural wood coloured neck is that it can have sealers other than acrylic or cellulose lacquer, applied making it satin, that can't be used with a painted neck. 

Personally I'm happy with either but there's no denying there's less friction with a satin neck. 

[SpondonBassed]

20 hours ago, Teebs said:

I wish I could do fretboard inlays

I'd change the dots for TeebsEyes

Proof of concept...

[Si600]

RGB colour changing LEDs. Genius.

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, Si600 said:

RGB colour changing LEDs. Genius.

[Stub Mandrel]

4 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Also I never understand why people think that necks with solid colour feel sticky compared with those with a natural finish. Coloured necks should have the same clear top coat as the natural finish ones, so it must be psychological.

I flatted the necks of some guitars/basses with gloss varnish necks. I prefer the feel of a satin finished or low gloss neck.

My Tokai SG has a painted neck, but its well worn in so the high gloss was lost by the time I got it.

[Ricky 4000]

5 hours ago, Maude said:

Excellent stuff, I love that colour @Teebs. It reminds me of a Yamaha Attitude Special that I had years ago. Always loved that colour.

🙂👍

Yes! It does look a bit like that!

Swap the neck with the Squier -- it'll look even more like the Yamaha!:

[stewblack]

I think that looks fantastic, really really good. 

Oh and the electrics, pickups bridges  strings and tuners on every HB I've ever had have been absolutely fine. 

I'm not sure how many of the folk who recommend binning them the moment you receive (or build) one have that much experience of Harley Bentons. 

I changed the pups in one just to see what difference it made. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Geek99]

On 04/05/2020 at 20:32, Teebs said:

Thanks Si 👍

It's an Aria Pro II Magna - I bought second hand as a project, so I don't know much more.

I had one of those, the five string in trans red. Regret selling but I needed the money 

it was a 4 plus 1 headstock with jazz bass pickups. I put an emg preamp in it

Edited May 5, 2020 by Geek99

[Bobo_08]

Andertons have one for sale in their second-hand section at the moment.... I love the look of it but I'm not ready to play a 5 string and I wasn't sure whether this was a fair price or not. 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/second-hand-bass-guitars/second-hand-aria-pro-ii-magna-series-5-string-bass

16 hours ago, Geek99 said:

I had one of those, the five string in trans red. Regret selling but I needed the money 

it was a 4 plus 1 headstock with jazz bass pickups. I put an emg preamp in it

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by Bobo_08

[Geek99]

36 minutes ago, Bobo_08 said:

Andertons have one for sale in their second-hand section at the moment.... I love the look of it but I'm not ready to play a 5 string and I wasn't sure whether this was a fair price or not. 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/second-hand-bass-guitars/second-hand-aria-pro-ii-magna-series-5-string-bass

 

Mine had no scratch plate and wasn’t active 

otherwise it looks broadly similar. It’s not a bad price for a shop 

[Bobo_08]

5 hours ago, Geek99 said:

Mine had no scratch plate and wasn’t active 

otherwise it looks broadly similar. It’s not a bad price for a shop 

looks a lovely bass the Aria.. I couldnt find any info about it anywhere though.

 

Love the colour of this HB kit build, I plan to do one myself soon, just have a lot of other competing priorities at the moment.

[Stub Mandrel]

Oh great @Teebs of Knowledge...

 

My Hardly-Bent-One Teebinator 2000 pea-green-bass kit has arrived.

To my untutored eye it looks like the body is already sealed with some sort of laquer, did you have to use sanding sealer?