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Fouled up a brand new Warmoth Body

CDweller

CDweller

Oct 24, 2009
1,212
166
Clearwater, FL
#1
Just received a Dinky P body from Warmoth, which I promptly fouled up by cracking the finish. I cracked the finish where the neck attachs to the body. I did this by trying to slide the neck into the pocket horizontally instead of vertically from above, where there is a slight bevel to accomodate this. Of course, Warmoth enclosed instructions which specifically warned of this. I read them after I fouled (I really would like to use the stronger f-word) it up. When all else fails, read the instructions...

"How can I even try? I can never win" J. Lennon.

I wish I didn't do that to the lovely finish, but that's the way it is. Either I'll send it back to Warmoth, or maybe my friend Joseph Jesselli would be willing to repair my mistake. Also, although I thought I clearly specified a Jazz Bass pickup configuration, which I thought implies both a bridge and neck pick-up, apparently it didn't translate. The body was configured with just a bridge pickup route. Grrrrr.

$500+ not well spent. Gonna cost a bunch more money and or time to make it right. Dag- nabit.

"Experienced people don't make as many mistakes as inexperienced people. They become experienced by making mistakes." John Grillo (a former employer).
 
#5
Lesson: Since nobody is a mind reader, explain everything like your talking to a 5 year old...not insulting mind you, but VERY clear on what you want.

THe cracked finish..well..this translates from putting in the damned cartridge and going for the controller and not even bothering to read the metroid manual...or super metroid, or halo..so thats on you kid..sorry. Now , for installing a neck pickup with a finished body...

An experienced person can do this without chipping the finish. PLEASE DONT DO THIS YOURSELF...my feeling is something else will go wrong. And um..this last bit of advise is just a guess, but I bet it might come in handy...

Take a breather before you dive into something, and take an objective view..you know..a 3rd person perspective. remember to breathe..so many f'ups are caused by peeps not remembering to breathe... trust me.
 
#8
chicago_mike said:
Lesson: Since nobody is a mind reader, explain everything like your talking to a 5 year old...not insulting mind you, but VERY clear on what you want.

THe cracked finish..well..this translates from putting in the damned cartridge and going for the controller and not even bothering to read the metroid manual...or super metroid, or halo..so thats on you kid..sorry. Now , for installing a neck pickup with a finished body...

An experienced person can do this without chipping the finish. PLEASE DONT DO THIS YOURSELF...my feeling is something else will go wrong. And um..this last bit of advise is just a guess, but I bet it might come in handy...

Take a breather before you dive into something, and take an objective view..you know..a 3rd person perspective. remember to breathe..so many f'ups are caused by peeps not remembering to breathe... trust me.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all of this, Mike. It's so clear how a little bit of patience, forethought, or any number of positive qualities would have prevented these two challenges. Yet for whatever reason, these had to be taught to me in this fashion- me messing up my build order, and my rush to see how it would look with the lovely fretless ebony neck I already have for it attached.

Breathe, yes.

"Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you, my friend.
Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again."
 
#9
probably still sounds great!! frig it, build it anyway, and with pride!! hell, we're ALL chipped in some way or another!!
 

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#10
do you still got the chip? maybe you can glue it back on and minimize the visible damage.

I wouldn't attempt to add another pickup now. I would finish the project with just the one pickup in it, then put it up for trade /sale if you don't like it.

You should be able to recoup some of the money invested.
 
#11
billy ayers said:
probably still sounds great!! frig it, build it anyway, and with pride!! hell, we're ALL chipped in some way or another!!
Click to expand...

Yes we are! I'm going to build it, but first see if the finish can be fixed so it's perfect- at least for the bass's birth. And it's good news that the pickup can be routed.

I don't mind chips and such- just like I have scars on my body, a musical instrument will get dinged if you take it out and play it. Nature of the beast.
 
#12
nortonrider said:
do you still got the chip? maybe you can glue it back on and minimize the visible damage.

I wouldn't attempt to add another pickup now. I would finish the project with just the one pickup in it, then put it up for trade /sale if you don't like it.

You should be able to recoup some of the money invested.
Click to expand...

I don't know...the body was $529 all up, and then you figure the pickups (Nordy's), the Gotoh Res O Lites ($195), the ebony neck (more $$$)...

I put a lot of effort into the neck already, having re-radiussed it and polymerized the fingerboard...

If the pick-up routing is possible, I'll do it. I mentioned Joe Jesselli- if it can be done, he can do it. At least I know guys who are good.
 
#13
If it can't be routed without screwing up the finish, you might consider a bridge with a piezo pickup built in.

I would think one could be installed pretty easy without messing up the looks. It would be different, that's for sure.



.....just thinking out loud, don't mind me.
 
#16
It's still a great looking body, and you will probably be the only one that ever knows about the screw up. I have been extremely pissed about my own mistakes cosmetic-wise, but I have realized that no one else notices. Well, I hope that'll let you sleep better!

Like nortonrider said, if you have the chips, it looks like a simple glue-on fix.
 
#17
The body is hardly fouled up. This is all part of learning. Here’s how I’d fix it:

Carefully wick a little bit of CA glue in the cracked area (mask off the surrounding finish first!) And then fix the chips. The upper one where the stain is still showing just needs some more top coat clear, the other one can be touched up with dye and then cleared, you can also build up that low area with clear epoxy after you dye it. I would just smooth it with fine sand paper. Finally buff and polish the area (by hand). Worst-case scenario is it may still be noticeable to you, but probably only to you. Contact Warmoth and see what they would charge to fix it, and then if it's too much ask them what kind of finish material they use so you can fix it yourself.
 
#18
Well CD, it's half a day later now. Does the devastation seem quite so bad?

I agree with finding out from W what they used for the finish. Almost everything can be fixed.

And you can do a rout for another pup.

Try this on a piece of wood that you have already finished...tape over the area you want to rout out. Mark precisely where you need the hole, and then use an excruciatingly sharp knife - exacto blade or whatever - to cut through the tape AND the finished surface. Once you have the finish cut through, the chances of further surface damage are seriously reduced.

Then you need to make up the guide for the routing process, so that the router stops a few thousands of an inch shy of where you want to cut.

This is where practice comes in very handy.

And that's definitely a gorgeous body, I hope you will be successful fixing it.

We all want to know how you manage.
 
#19
Not devastation, no. And for sure, repairs can be made. Thanks for the advice on techniques, Scotty and CocoB. The body will be brought back to perfection, and then assembled. It'll be done when it's done, and not until then, no matter how much I want it done now.

This is my first effort, and the lessons have come hard and fast. Assembling a musical instrument as a metaphor for life itself, anyone? A lens to further understand life?
 
#20
It's a fairly common area for a crack or chip. I have several basses with that identical chip. I have chosen to either color it in, attempt a glue in repair, or do nothing. That body is so beautiful, the chip is hardly noticeable to the rest of us.

There are ways to route without chipping the finish, and since you didn't have the body drilled for control knobs, you must have anticipated this. It involves a careful scoring of the finish around the area you want to drill or route. If you don't trust yourself, I hope you have an experienced pro to help you out.

I absolutley agree you should finish the build as planned, and route for a neck pickup.

Good luck!
 

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