NBD: cheapáss Tbird-esque POC

[Rich]

My latest guffing-about-with project thing, a Westfield 'Bird-shaped thing. Bought for next to nothing on my local Farcebook marktplatz. Was cheap because it's scruffy and was missing half its knobs and had really awful strings and is a Westfield, most of which is easily sorted. The fingerboard is filthy and cleaning it is the first thing on the list... well the 4th thing, having already  1) binned the old strings, 2) chucked some temporary knobs on, and 3) fitted a black bridge. Some black tuners will be in the pipeline too I think, probably a full electrics overhaul and maybe even new/different pups depending on what it sounds like. The action was surprisingly low and the neck felt really good to play in the quick blast I gave it. Inevitably there will be massive neck dive but I will cross that bridge when it comes along. I'm not expecting it to be any great shakes really, I only got it for the look... as deep as a puddle, me   

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by Rich

[subdude]

Good looking Bird, what did you pay for it?

[Rich]

Substantially less than £100

[TheGreek]

...and those are really light strings.

[Rich]

It's looking a lot happier now after a good clean-up, an oiling of the fingerboard and a fresh set of D'Add nickels. I tried it on a strap for the first time... my god, the first fret is such a long way away!  black tuners and string tree are in the post as we speak.

[subdude]

On 26/05/2021 at 13:40, Rich said:

Substantially less than £100

Well done, enjoy your Bird!

[Muzz]

If you shift the strap button to the top forward neck plate bolt (or just put it into the body at the square end of the neck pocket) you'll find the dive/reach gets better. There's some flop-forward, but hey, that's rock'n roll... 😀

You can see mine here - it's a good way forward, because I've got the deepest/stoooopidest neck pocket (and most pointless top six frets) in Christendom, but the principle's the same:

Edited June 9, 2021 by Muzz

[Rich]

That's a cool idea and the balance looks good in that pic. Love the chrome & maple.

I wear my bass a little higher than you -- not too high, mind -- and I've found that it's very comfortable if I wear it like Entwistle's doing in this pic and rest my right forearm on the top edge of the body. It gets rid of all the dive but it still looks ok. If only I could play like him.

Tweaks are done for now... black tuners, string tree & neck plate, the jack socket's been moved to body edge (I prefer them there) and everything's rewired with an added pickup toggle to go with the original V/V/T. It's still a cheap POC and still owes me next to nothing, but I rather like it.

Edited June 9, 2021 by Rich

[Rich]

OK, so I'm thinking of using this thing with the ska band on occasion. The question is:

The pickguard. To checkerboard, or not to checkerboard?

[PaulThePlug]

On wood?

Like i usually post, i like the wood look, so would go No Plate, but as you have the screw holes and a plate sometimes completes the lines, i'd go for a Clear Plate or Single Ply Black if it needs to hide routing.

But Why Not... a bit of fun and fits the theme of the band...

Edited June 10, 2021 by PaulThePlug