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black & blond P makeover (etc)

#261
IvanMunoz said:
That's a really nice bridge, I don't blame you for keeping it! Are gold saddles a possibility?
Click to expand...

Thought of that and looked into securing saddles (independently) but zip/nadda - and I'm not buying a gold bridge just for the saddles. I dig this specific design with the 4 large threads/grooves/slots as they give side-to-side options and hold the string securely.

rolandm said:
You can take this to a metal shop and they can plate it. Then get some brass barrel saddles, and voila!

FWIW, looks similar to a Squier CV high mass bridge with grooved saddles.
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The SCV does have the same grooved saddles, but I don't know if I could count on the plate being the exact same size, and I don't think I've seen it in gold anyway. Having mine gold-plated isn't an option as it involves time, effort and $ I'd rather spend elsewhere and adding material could affect the tone, which is in the "if it ain't broke…" dept. However, as it is chrome plated brass, a (PITA) option would be to steel-wool (?) it until the brass comes through. Even if I couldn't get it 100% off and buffed to look acceptable, it may give it a 'distressed' look that could work. I'd leave the saddles chrome as I think they are stainless steel, not brass. But again… it does its job well and looks good so most likely it's a consideration for another sparkle bass down the line.

Double E said:
I think the chrome and gold flake combo is bitchin'!
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I'm with you there! As you saw from Marty's gold choices, the other options were green-gold, copper-gold and gold-gold. This one (silver-gold) hit the spot!
 
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#263
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#265
Found Fender gold 'vintage' tuner bushings which I ordered. Will be a nice subtle silver/gold mix at the hs w/the gold string-tree. (chrome tuners stay otherwise) Also got gold neck attachment ferrules and will keep my stainless screws. If the store selling the individual gold saddles stocks more soon - I'll get some when they do. It would be cool to get gold gears for the tuners, but it doesn't seem likely I could be lucky enough to find individual 'vintage' gears in gold that are exactly like ones on the 70's GL machines. Gold plate attachment screws I can do… (it's a sickness) :help:

So the gold bits now include;

1) control plate
2) string tree
3) tuner bushings
4) neck ferrules
5) strap buttons

update: the individual gold saddles are old stock w/no more to come. rats. Anyone have a three string bass bridge? :rolleyes:
 
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#267
It would, but personally I'd rather no pg at all in that case. Something about a clear pg reminds me not to fetishize basses so much - after all, they are for playing right? ;) And trust me, I'm in with both feet as both a geek and player, so it's a constant tug-of-war! A clear pg is like a coaster on a table - it's saying "you can look, but don't touch". Most pick-guards on basses are less about protecting the area it covers than as a style element, (even clear becomes a design element in this case) or to cover control cavities. On guitars it makes more sense as aggressive strumming w/a pick can do some damage to a finish. But judging by my '66 'road-worn' P-bass, some bass players get pretty physical with their axe. Since I'm a big fan of distressed basses, a little honest wear is a good thing! :thumbsup:
 
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#269
The gold looks much bolder in this light - not as subtle as it looked under low, interior light. Still looks good and works both with and w/o the pg. I'll shoot the hs once the tuner collars are here and fitted.

IMG_7623_zps9d58f80f.jpg


IMG_7626_zps9cb6b361.jpg
 
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#270
First this bass is stunning!

I'm not a Pick Guard kinda guy, but I have to say without the pick guard the Standard Jazz control plate looks 'Unfinished" if that makes sense. With the pick guard, to me provides visual continuity, and this smoke PG really looks good with this finish.

+1 on the gold hardware, I'm a big fan of all Gold Hardware on my black bass builds.
 
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#271
Skarsoul said:
First this bass is stunning!

I'm not a Pick Guard kinda guy, but I have to say without the pick guard the Standard Jazz control plate looks 'Unfinished" if that makes sense. With the pick guard, to me provides visual continuity, and this smoke PG really looks good with this finish.

+1 on the gold hardware, I'm a big fan of all Gold Hardware on my black bass builds.
Click to expand...

Thanks! (it's sparklelicious!) I do like it both ways but want not to drill holes and don't mind the floating plate. It could be viewed as an implied reference to it's original intent as an extension of the pick-guard… but I see your point - it could also be looked at as being more like Florida w/o the rest of the US. :D
 
#272
JIO said:
The gold looks much bolder in this light - not as subtle as it looked under low, interior light. Still looks good and works both with and w/o the pg. I'll shoot the hs once the tuner collars are here and fitted.

IMG_7623_zps9d58f80f.jpg


IMG_7626_zps9cb6b361.jpg
Click to expand...

WOW! Truth be told... not usually my cup of tea... but, this turned out really, REALLY well! Hats off to you sir on a job VERY WELL DONE!

It's a beauty!!!!!
 
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#273
Gbass75 said:
WOW! Truth be told... not usually my cup of tea... but, this turned out really, REALLY well! Hats off to you sir on a job VERY WELL DONE!

It's a beauty!!!!!
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Thanks! It's 'music' to my ears! ;) I think a lot of what's out there is just falling short of what it could be, as I've never been especially drawn to sparkle finishes myself until this one. Proper presentation of a format can make all the difference. I feel the same way with my biz - with gilding as a starting point, the possibilities are endless!
 
#276
2saddleslab said:
The 2 tone metal applications look great! Also think the smokey PG adds the right balance w/ the control plate. Very nice!
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It's funny, in person I say no pg, but in pictures - you are correct. In person, the silver gold mix is less apparent, more subtle. The pg looks ok/good in person, but better in pics. Part of it is how visually 'active' the sparkle finish is in person, which can never be captured w/a still photo. It takes more visual attention to take it in as it's constantly shifting/changing in the light, thus distracting your focus away from other details. In a photo, each tiny square of silver & gold is frozen - so looking at is is viewing a static textured surface and at best imagining it in person moving/shifting. Everyone's seen a glitter or sparkled something and we all have it in our visual comprehension reference files. So we see a static pic of a sparkle finish and can imagine it 'active'. But only seeing it in a photo - it definitely is not the same as being in the same space with it because each metal flake being so tiny and floating under the clear-coat, the tinniest shift of movement creates 'action' due to light refraction. Pret-ty cool… :cool:
 
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#277
BINGO! Just ordered these from a seller on ebay. Will have to see about getting brass/gold machine screws for the bridge plate. I found 70's style gold tuners like mine - made by Gotoh. On the fence popping for a set… at least for now.

And I received the gold neck-screw joint ferrules today and will post pics in the morning light.

$_57.jpg
 
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#278
Skarsoul said:
First this bass is stunning!

I'm not a Pick Guard kinda guy, but I have to say without the pick guard the Standard Jazz control plate looks 'Unfinished" if that makes sense. With the pick guard, to me provides visual continuity, and this smoke PG really looks good with this finish.

+1 on the gold hardware, I'm a big fan of all Gold Hardware on my black bass builds.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's always a tough call Skarsoul. That is why I prefer rear routs if at all possible - if you are doing it yourself. I love the no pick guard look - but with the control plate on their it always feels a little strange to me....

I saw an article way back on a guy who used that special acoustic guitar pick guard double stick tape and he did a rear rout but had the option of using the control plate too. It wasn't instant gratification, you had to remove the knobs and pot nuts - but I thought that was cool. Kind of a bass with a convertible look. Could be with or without control plate and with or without pick guard.

But hey - JIO as always, she is a winner and I would definitely go with the guard!

Nice job - looks fantastic! The gold parts are icing on the cake!
 
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#280
Once the silver & gold bug is in your blood-stream, there's only one cure… gold Gotoh 70's Fender tuning pegs have been ordered. The combined units will have gold plates/worm-gear-stem-paddles, silver barrels/gold ferrules (as now), silver gears, gold washers, silver bolts and silver screws. I will also have the reverse of that set for a possible future project.

$_57.jpg
 

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