uk_lefty Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Slow progress indeed... I've shielded all cavities with copper tape. I think I need a strip down where the bridge earth wire pops through the body? Will wait u til I've stained the body. My patience with the neck has brought me to an unexpected result. I didn't get the black painted neck I'd actually ordered and I've been thinking that the neck just isn't interesting enough. So I've been looking for second hand right handed fender bass necks when something popped up on ebay last night. It's a left handed Squier P bass neck reshaped to a tele headstock. So the finish is sanded away from the front and back of the headstock. Bargain price so I've snapped it up and I can stain the face of the headstock to match the body. I think that's a result! I love the matching headstock and body look and I do like a tele style headstock too. Will check for fit before putting my brand new Chinese neck up for sale. In the meantime I really do need to stain the body...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 4 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: I've shielded all cavities with copper tape. I think I need a strip down where the bridge earth wire pops through the body? Will wait u til I've stained the body. When you say strip down? All you need to do for electrical contact is sand some of the paint off the bottom of the bridge to make sure the earth is touching bare metal. For the wire itself, you can just splay it out (making sure there is no wire insulation above the hole. You separate and splay out the wire to make sure there is not a big lump of wire that would stop the bridge fully seating) and let the bridge clamp it down into the wood surface. The alternative I use is I pop a small square of copper foil near the hole, including a piece the presses into the hole and then solder the earth wire to the copper in the cavity. That way, the solder joint is out of the way but there is good electrical contact with minimal thickness: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: When you say strip down? Sorry, I meant strip as in a small strip of tape. Not as in strip anything off the body. Great photo and explanation too, thank you! Edited February 25, 2021 by uk_lefty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throwoff Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Really enjoying this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 New neck arrived today. Its not snug I. The neck pocket, there's just under a mm gap at each side. What do you think...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 (edited) Pics? Does the pickguard help reduce the appearance and cover some of the gap? Edit: Looking back... It's Rear Routed.... 'Thin Strip of Vaneer' or 'Smear of Silicon Sealant' size gap? Edited February 27, 2021 by PaulThePlug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said: Pics? Does the pickguard help reduce the appearance and cover some of the gap? Edit: Looking back... It's Rear Routed.... 'Thin Strip of Vaneer' or 'Smear of Silicon Sealant' size gap? Well... I don't think this is going to work, sadly. The pics don't capture how bad the fit is. Also I don't think the strings will line up correctly on the neck. Shame, I wanted this to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 1 hour ago, uk_lefty said: New neck arrived today. Its not snug I. The neck pocket, there's just under a mm gap at each side. What do you think...? Yes - as @PaulThePlug suggests, a strip of veneer either side. Veneer is generally 0.6mm thick so should get pretty close. If you don't have any, PM me your address and I'll send you a couple of pieces from my bits stash. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 I was posting at the same time you were. I probably have some thicker veneer around too. That is 2.5mm. But yes - there's a bit of work to do at the back of the heel to get that to fit better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 47 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: I was posting at the same time you were. I probably have some thicker veneer around too. That is 2.5mm. But yes - there's a bit of work to do at the back of the heel to get that to fit better. Thanks Andy, it would need new holes drilling in to the neck just a tad away from where the current ones are. Not sure I want to risk it. Am now pondering selling both necks I have off and going back to Jinwan for what I originally wanted (painted black neck for the 80s Japanese Fender look) , or getting a fifty quid unfinished neck from a UK seller and doing the headstock in the same stain as the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Just now, uk_lefty said: Thanks Andy, it would need new holes drilling in to the neck just a tad away from where the current ones are. Not sure I want to risk it. Am now pondering selling both necks I have off and going back to Jinwan for what I originally wanted (painted black neck for the 80s Japanese Fender look) , or getting a fifty quid unfinished neck from a UK seller and doing the headstock in the same stain as the body. Makes sense... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) This all went quiet again because my 18 month old is rebelling against the concept of sleep and real work has ramped up. Also, I've been agonising over the neck. I kept an eye out for any Fender spec necks since the telebass misadventure and ended up buying a used 2018exican P bass neck. It's not quite the visual excitement I wanted, dots, plain maple headstock, and I can't have the logo made that I wanted but I guess that's saved me a tenner. Tried to screw it in and... The screws are too big! They're making the neck creak a bit. Otherwise the fit seems good. I might need new neck screws or to persevere when I can be bothered to fetch the better screw driver. At least this way I have a good quality neck, with a nut the correct way up, and I can just screw it in... Oh but wait... Those lovely folks at Fender decided to put weird tuners on the Mexican necks that rake ever so slightly different screw holes. Need to get the drill out to fit my Wilkinson tuners. The drill needs to be out anyways to get the pickup screws in and to make a hole for my series/ parallel switch. Fair do's, maybe a Thursday or Friday job. Also, still need to stain and/ or finish the body. But then we are good to go. Once all fitted and up and running I'd be tempted to have it defretted..... Edited March 23, 2021 by uk_lefty 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 (edited) I was quite nervous about the wood staining bit. I watched the videos and it looked too easy, people said it was easy... But people say fitting a bathroom is just grown ups lego, and my bathroom took a highly skilled bathroom fitter a whole week and he still managed to get water p!ssing through my kitchen ceiling. I digress. Wood staining, so far, two coats in, seems alright. It's a bit pink, not cherry red, but I've only done two coats. I haven't got all the woodgrain stained but I quite like it so far. I'm thinking it may be four coats then a few coats of the finish... Edited March 25, 2021 by uk_lefty 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stereoplayer Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 (edited) looks great! Edited March 25, 2021 by stereoplayer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, uk_lefty said: It's a bit pink, not cherry red, but I've only done two coats Don't judge the colour by how it looks when it's dry - particularly reds. The colour it will end up once the final finish is on it will be roughly the same as it looks when it is damp - so quite a bit darker than the 'dry stained' look. You should find that the pinkiness goes away too. Looks good! What stain have you used? Edited March 25, 2021 by Andyjr1515 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 11 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Don't judge the colour by how it looks when it's dry - particularly reds. The colour it will end up once the final finish is on it will be roughly the same as it looks when it is damp - so quite a bit darker than the 'dry stained' look. You should find that the pinkiness goes away too. Looks good! What stain have you used? Crimson Guitars cherry red. I've done a third quote and it does look good. I think a fourth coat will get me to Gibson SG classic type look then a quick buff with some sandpaper and apply the finish. I want a matt finish really which I'm told can be done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 12 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: Crimson Guitars cherry red. I've done a third quote and it does look good. I think a fourth coat will get me to Gibson SG classic type look then a quick buff with some sandpaper and apply the finish. I want a matt finish really which I'm told can be done I wouldn't buff it with sandpaper. The depth that stains go to is VERY low and so any sanding will quickly expose the wood again. But there are ways to get you where you want to get. I have a method I can recommend for certain finishes - what finish are you planning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said: I wouldn't buff it with sandpaper. The depth that stains go to is VERY low and so any sanding will quickly expose the wood again. But there are ways to get you where you want to get. I have a method I can recommend for certain finishes - what finish are you planning? Please keep in mind I am the rankest of amateurs... I'd love something like a Sandblasted finish. But I'm quite happy as is, maybe one more coat and some finish... This is after 3 coats. Reminds me of posh ice cream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 What I meant was what final finishing coating are you putting on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 15 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: What I meant was what final finishing coating are you putting on it? Ah. Crimson Guitars penetrating finishing oil. Aiming to get it matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 OK I've just had a quick look at Ben's videos using the same products and it is very similar to the stain/tru-oil processes that a number of us use. The thing I am certain about is that you won't want to sand it right now in its dry stained form - you will sand down to bare wood or lighter wood far too quickly. My method starts in much the same place as Ben's but might be different after the first couple of coats of oil. So I suggest that you follow Ben's method, which is now to go straight to the finishing oil. If you get to where you want to be with just that method, then that would be brilliant - and let us all know . If you get to where you are happy with the basic finish and colour but find the surface a bit rough then I can give you some suggestions of the options to retain the finish but make it smoother to the touch if that is any help 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 26, 2021 Author Share Posted March 26, 2021 This morning I applied a 4th coat of stain all over and there were some inconsistencies in the top so I did a quick once over on the top again, so it's 4.5 coats on top. The control cover only has two coats and I think there's a noticeable difference. I'm really, really pleased with the colour. It's like posh raspberry ice cream! I've got some drilling to do for a switch and the strap buttons so will do the finish after I've had chance to do that. Will probably be after Easter now. The finish looks like an easy enough job from the videos I've seen, thanks Andy for reminding me they're out there! Overall, I'll be having a week off, then I'll have the bass up and running within a week after that! Really looking forward to getting the pickups in and fired up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 Looks nice. And the darkening effect of the finishing oil will deepen it to the full cherry. Looking forward to seeing it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 26, 2021 Author Share Posted March 26, 2021 Received the new hardware ordered and couldn't resist fitting the neck and trying to get an idea of what this is going to look like... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 My garage is in such a state I can't get to the drill and drill bits easily. Nevermind, just brought forward the oil finishing. Three coats on now using the method Crimson Guitars show on their YouTube video for the oil. Pretty happy with how it looks, not sure if I need more coats of oil to properly seal it or if it's now done? Either way, the bass is nowhere near what I set out for, but I'm very happy with things so far. Staining and oiling is incredibly therapeutic. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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