1964 Jazz Bass restoration

[Basshappi]

Looks great as always John.
I really like the idea of screwing down the pickguard while doing the refin. I would have never thought of it. Will you do any work on it too, like buffing or any type of restoritive work?

 

[johnk_10]

Excellent work, John!

Was the neck pocket cut too wide when it was made? I may just be seeing a shadow in the picture.

If the pocket was cut too wide, please include pictures on how you made the neck fit tightly into the pocket.

If all's well, and it doesn't require fixing, please excuse my OCD about neck pockets! .

it's neck pocket isn't very tight, but it wasn't sloppy enough to require adding any wood on the sides to make it tighter. you're mostly just seeing a shadow in the pics. Leo told me long ago that the neck to body bond & resonance transfer is from the four neck mounting screws picking up the end grain in the neck, so as long as a neck isn't able to laterally shift out of alignment with the bridge, it doesn't have to be all that snug.

 

[johnk_10]

Looks great as always John.
I really like the idea of screwing down the pickguard while doing the refin. I would have never thought of it. Will you do any work on it too, like buffing or any type of restoritive work?

i'll clean it, but I don't intend to buff it.

 

[johnk_10]

BTW, thanks for all of the kind comments guys!

 

[Arizona Jones]

Beautiful work.

 

[millsbass5]

I gotta question, John. Does the value of a vintage bass decrease even more if it's painted a different color than it originally was? A prime example would be a period-correct custom color w/matching h/stock for that year.

Thanks, Steve

 

[johnk_10]

IMO, a refinned bass is a refinned bass and changing the color (to a period correct one) isn't what effects its value. the refin does. I prefer to shoot them back to their original color so the serial number corresponds to the color that is was when it was new.

for example, on this one, the neck's headstock is natural, and the neck is 100% original, so if it were shot in lake placid blue instead of 3TSB, and you refinned the headstock to match it, it would decrease it's value.

30 years from now, once it has some age on it, this bass will probably appear that it was never refinished since I used all of the same materials and process to restore it (even the paint stick mark), but I always recommend that the ownesr fully disclose that it has been restored should they ever sell it, and all of my customers are fully aware of that.

 

[AltGrendel]

Two things I found interesting:

1) The remaining finish under the bridge.
2) The frog.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

it's neck pocket isn't very tight, but it wasn't sloppy enough to require adding any wood on the sides to make it tighter. you're mostly just seeing a shadow in the pics. Leo told me long ago that the neck to body bond & resonance transfer is from the four neck mounting screws picking up the end grain in the neck, so as long as a neck isn't able to laterally shift out of alignment with the bridge, it doesn't have to be all that snug.

Thanks for info, please keep the progress photos coming!

 

[The Bass Clef]

Great work as usual!

 

[OnederTone]

O

 

[Pocket4]

Very nice. I'm an acquaintance of K. Okawa, so it was a surprise to see his name on this project. I wonder if he sold his Sadowskys to go with this direction? I'm a huge fan of correct 'bursts, but it will be a long time before I can settle on the right one or fund it.

 

[kobass]

Great work as always. Thanks for sharing!

 

[johnson79]

So the originals didn't have red shot under the PG? I never noticed that before.

 

[flatfender]

Two things I found interesting:

1) The remaining finish under the bridge.
2) The frog.

The frog?

I must not be awake enough this morning.

 

[godofthunder59]

That's beautiful!

 

[kobass]

The frog?

I must not be awake enough this morning.

I think he's talking about the fourth pic down. Check out the reflection on the mounting plate for the bolt-on neck.

 

[flatfender]

I think he's talking about the fourth pic down. Check out the reflection on the mounting plate for the bolt-on neck.

I can kinda see it.

French or German?

 

[kohntarkosz]

I think any Jazz bass looks good from this angle;

As for the frog, check out the first pic of the body with yellow Fullerplast applied. There is a stylized outline of a frog to the left of the body, complete with trailing tongue.

 

[kobass]

As for the frog, check out the first pic of the body with yellow Fullerplast applied. There is a stylized outline of a frog to the left of the body, complete with trailing tongue.

LOL! I stand corrected!

Time for more coffee!