• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Czech - Jolana DiscoBass & Kolorbass -

#41
Retro said:
There seem to have been several different versions, but the pg on mine is made of a thick but somewhat brittle material that reminds me of old 78 records. (The area around the neck pu volume control was "shattered" and had to be repaired) The white edge (on mine) is just painted on.
Click to expand...

Interesting - pick-guards come in such a variety of materials and approaches. My UK basses ('63 Burns of London Vista Sonic and '67 WEM Watkins Rapier both have thick blk/wht/blk 'scratch-plates' made if engraving material. Very thin blk backing, thick white middle and thin shiny black top layer. It's normally used to make plaques and the logo's are etched through the top layer to expose white lettering.

upload_2021-9-3_8-38-41.jpeg


upload_2021-9-3_8-39-52.jpeg

My '68 Custom Kraft has a clear acrylic pg with the white logo and trim screened on the back-side, and black screened over it.
upload_2021-9-3_8-42-33.jpeg

My '68 Coral Deluxe Bass (Dano) has a clear acrylic pg with a thin translucent swirl textured plastic layer with silver (sprayed?/screened?) on the back. The black outline is screened on the underside of the clear acrylic.
upload_2021-9-3_8-49-28.jpeg


upload_2021-9-3_8-58-14.jpeg

I did a clear acrylic pg on my Supersonic with sprayed white on the underside. Gives it depth.
upload_2021-9-3_9-13-48.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bleecker, _Obra_, dukeorock and 6 others
#45
Jon Clegg said:
View attachment 4393421
Click to expand...

Interesting, if convoluted, history. Going by this: Echolette – Wikipedia it looks like Klemt started in the 30's in the Olching/Munich and then grew to Bremen and Hamburg as well and in the 50's the Echolettes were made there by hand. In '69 Echolette was bought by Dynacord (I thought these companies were related, even if they were in competition earlier). So, I'm wondering if they contracted out the construction to the DDR (and through what eras)... Yours is certainly clear!
This - https://www.cliff-shadowsmeeting.eu says that in '69 "a new factory was built with both brands - as well as Winston - being built side by side" - so was this in the DDR while the company was headquartered in West Germany (?)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MCF, God's Favorite Bass and Retro
#50
  • Like
Reactions: Dynacord, Iristone and JIO
#51
Bloomfield said:
That fingerboard is beech I'd say; it's quite common on central European instruments. Looks to be stained dark brown, or possibly even roasted. Neat project, hope it turns out well.
Click to expand...

:) Thanks - I flat-bladed the clear-coat off the side and skimmed the surface of first fret area and as you can see it stayed the same colour so it's not stained. (once oiled it will get a bit darker-as dark as the rest now) Very much doubt it was roasted as that is a recent thing. It's a medium brown leaning more red than yellow - a colour that compliments the flamed maple neck nicely. In a search on beech there was a variety of light/dark examples.
upload_2021-9-4_9-28-20.jpeg

This beech example is lighter in colour but has the same dark grain chattering which is similar to oak.
upload_2021-9-4_9-35-51.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Iristone, Reedt2000, Matt Liebenau and 1 other person
#54
Fun (not) ... thick acrylic DIY finish. Using a heat-gun and flat-blade and it''s slow going. A fringe benefit is that by the time I'm through I will have "roasted" the body wood. ;) I've been a professional finisher most of my life and use various acrylics for various applications. I also know that there are a lot of modern acrylic products that guitar finishers use with good results. However.., call me old-school but I don't use them on guitars. Acrylics in general are thick and as this example shows - a PIA to remove. I much prefer enamels, poly's and lacquers to acrylics, which is how I will finish this bass.

upload_2021-9-4_12-36-17.jpeg

big gaps in the sections - will need to do a bit of filling and sanding.
upload_2021-9-4_12-36-33.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bleecker, LP Custom, Retro and 6 others
#55
Hours later... gloppy DIY acrylic purple tinted clear-coat gone - body roasted, and on to the (correct) finishing process. The only other time removing a finish was such a nightmare was when I stripped my '06 CIJ Fender '51 P RI of its toxic mustard poly-epoxy finish. CA environmental standards (which I support) were partially to blame because paint-stripper sold here is so neutered that you could dip your finger in it a barely feel any effect. If a tiny spec of stripper sold most everywhere else in the country landed on your arm - it would feel like someone put a lit match there. So the only way to strip a coating here in CA is with a heat-gun - the things I do to resurrect a vintage bass. Anyway, it's done - and it will only get better from here.

upload_2021-9-4_21-11-16.jpeg


upload_2021-9-4_21-11-35.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Haroldo, Retro, God's Favorite Bass and 3 others
#56
Next step is filling the separate sections gaps. They were there and heating the wood enhanced them. I use multiple layers of thin super-glue so it works it's way into the seams and when it sets I flat-blade the excess off. There's no worry that the pieces will separate, but using s-glue at the surface gap can't hurt. I don't use Bondo in this type of application because it's too soft and can cause issues down the road. Superglue cures very hard and stays put. You can see a small gap on the lower section gap - more s-glue until it is filled in. There is some more substantial filling needed at the neck platform and I will use Bondo there as it is more suited for shaping/leveling. and that area won't be moving around. Once everything is filled, I'll prime the body with a light coat and assess for further need to fill any dings and gaps that appear post priming. Usually takes a few passes with filling/sanding between before it's ready for the finish colour.

upload_2021-9-5_10-7-23.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Beej, Retro, funkifiedsoul and 4 others
#57
First primer coating - more for exposing what needs more repairing.

upload_2021-9-5_17-12-9.jpeg
upload_2021-9-5_17-12-55.jpeg

...like this - not worried about its structural integrity as I plan on further addressing it. Not my first rodeo dealing with such, or another way of phrasing it - I've dealt with worse. (macro pics always make something look bad!)
upload_2021-9-5_17-13-23.jpeg

...anything can be fixed if you do it correctly
upload_2021-9-5_17-13-44.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: LP Custom, God's Favorite Bass, Retro and 4 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back