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Dean Club!!!
- Thread starter tom once dead
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Ok, I’m beginning to think about refinishing my Dean bass. No...I’m not actually doing anything yet, just thinking about it.
This bass was cannibalized for parts when I broke some tuning machines and bridge screws on a kit bass I built. The condition I left the Dean in is unacceptable - I am ashamed....I played, practiced, and learned so much stuff on this bass.
Plan:
1. Disassemble
2. Neck will be cleaned up but otherwise will be left alone.
3. Sand that flat translucent brown paint off.
4. Spray with shellac, let cure, sand some more.
5. Spray with gloss black nitro.
6. Let cure for weeks, spray clear nitro, wait for weeks.
7. Buff to a shine.
8. Install upgraded chrome bridge and chrome tuners.
9. Reinstall pickup, pots, and neck.
Ok, that’s the plan....let’s see if I actually do it, lol.
Plan:
1. Disassemble
2. Neck will be cleaned up but otherwise will be left alone.
3. Sand that flat translucent brown paint off.
4. Spray with shellac, let cure, sand some more.
5. Spray with gloss black nitro.
6. Let cure for weeks, spray clear nitro, wait for weeks.
7. Buff to a shine.
8. Install upgraded chrome bridge and chrome tuners.
9. Reinstall pickup, pots, and neck.
Ok, that’s the plan....let’s see if I actually do it, lol.
I'd do only 2, 8, and 9. Get it playing sweet and enjoy the MOJO of *YOUR* playing wear and the memories that *YOU* created on the bass.
Looks like you’ll make your Dean Zone your own own Zone Custom!
Black and chrome will certainly dress it up a bit.
Go for it!
Chrome knobs too?
Thanks, 60bass! The playing wear actually consists of damage I did - coming in from a Boy Scout camping trip with my son and playing it with bug spray and sunscreen on my forearm before jumping in the shower - I melted the finish where I touched it. Bug spray is evil stuff. It’ll melt your steering wheel, BTW.
I also put sticky duct tape over parts that were scratching me and basically made a real mess.
I learned every exercise from Mel Bay’s Modern Bass Method Vol I and II on this bass! Out of respect for this fine instrument, I press onward!
Looks like you’ll make your Dean Zone your own own Zone Custom!
Black and chrome will certainly dress it up a bit.
Go for it!
Chrome knobs too?
That’s affirmative, B-Mac! I’m sort of following Gene Simmons’ idea that gloss black and chrome look cool on guitars and basses!
This will also be a chance for me to practice certain luthier type tasks such as lining the control cavity with copper tape, coating the screw threads with soap or beeswax before screwing them down, soldering, setup, etc.
Resurrecting a bass instead of throwing it away is certainly worth doing and gives you experience with making mods. The more mods you do the more comfortable you’ll be making future mods on other basses.
My biggest most important piece of advice when doing mods is patience, take your time, don’t be in a rush. If you don’t have time for a certain task at hand put it off until you do have time. Measure twice (3 times is even better) and cut once.
Looking forward to see how it turns out.
I don’t think I’ve ever thrown a guitar or bass away, come to think of it. That was never an option, no worries, there.
Now that I ponder this some more, I realize I usually either keep an instrument stock forever or I mod it to the point of messing it up. I did that with a Les Paul copy guitar - I had that thing upgraded and looking beautiful. Until I got the brilliant idea of installing a 3rd pickup. The repairman who routed out the pickup cavity got it crooked. I couldn’t get mad at him because he was a very nice older man who was just trying to help me. But - the guitar was pretty much ruined and I lost interest in it.
Back to the Dean...I have quite a shopping cart of parts on Amazon. It exceeds the original cost of the bass, lol! Bridge, bone nut, new pickup, new knobs, tuners....it’s adding up but the stuff that bass came with wasn’t good enough. The thing deserves better!
You may be able to find the same parts on eBay for less. Amazon isn’t as cheap as everyone is lead believe. Just saying this because the guys at the Glarry club Official Exquisite/Glarry/Burning Fire Bass Club? have been doing some nice mods for really cheap. Might want to visit there for ideas and then shop around some more? Just sayin’
I can’t imagine throwing away any musical instrument. There was a woman on another thread, I think she was from England, @Samantha Mason who would find basses in the trash and fix them up. She did some nice work. Haven’t seen her around TB for about 7 or 8 months now.
You’re 100% right. However - I have a problem, ha ha....I am a freaking procrastinator. Yeah, I admit it. It’s a constant battle against fatigue and laziness. So, since I’ve got a bit of momentum going (and the wife is ok with it), I should proceed.
I took some measurements today to make sure the bridge and tuners I want will fit. It looks like they will. I was also thinking about replacing the pickup because screws sticking up hurt my fingers. I pluck on top of the pickups for speed and they’ve got to be somewhat smooth. The one I have in mind isn’t a perfect fit but I believe it could be made to fit with some wood putty and a dremel.
Thanks for the money saving tips!!!
You should be able to get a pup that fits exactly.
I was able to get an exact fit for my Edge 09M from EMG
Wow, good advice! I just got on eBay and found an exact fit. Here’s the interesting part - it’s for a 5 string! (You know, the stock pickup on my bass is a little wide...)
Pole pieces may or not line up perfectly with strings but there’s no way to know as they’re not visible. The thing is smooth...I might use this eBay find:
I just spent a half an hour looking for this.
For an Edge 09 but same size pup
Dean Edge 09 Bass Upgrade by @Rolo
my project
Project Zone Bass 2020 has begun! This is going to be similar to assembling a Fender type bass from a kit. The upgraded hardware made this project cost the same as a P Bass kit, however with a kit, you usually get that really cheap hardware. I’ll have the Dean headstock! I think the end result will be superior to a typical kit - we shall see.
Might want to double check the diameter on your tuner posts. The ones you pictured appear to have a larger diameter. Unless you're okay with some drilling or reaming.
Can't wait to see the end result!
I wondered about that, did some measuring, and I think it’s pretty close. If the holes are too small, no problem. If they’re too big - I screwed up.
I’ve never cracked open one of the closed tuning machines that comes stock on a lot of basses. I’ve had them strip a few times. I wonder if the gear inside isn’t plastic or some really soft, cheap pot metal. I like the open back version where I can see what’s going on. I think a string would have to be caught in the nut slot or a string retainer to strip one of those big boys.
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