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Post Your '51-55 Precision or Tele-inspired bass

#721
I put the 54 (left) together from parts. John K built the 53 on the right.

20211116_093619.jpg
 
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#730
I had my 1969 Telecaster put on a '55 diet with a belly cut and forearm relief but it only lost 6 ounces or so. If I wanted to trim more weight off I'd think about sanding the back down before chambering under the pickguard. Either way you'd flirt with new neck dive.
 
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#731
marchone said:
I had my 1969 Telecaster put on a '55 diet with a belly cut and forearm relief but it only lost 6 ounces or so. If I wanted to trim more weight off I'd think about sanding the back down before chambering under the pickguard. Either way you'd flirt with new neck dive.
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True, neck dive is a possibility. Lighter tuners remedied the neck dive on mine, improved balance and lightened the bass even further.
 
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#732
JEDI BASS said:
How'd you trim weight off of that beauty?
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With the big Makita router and a 7/16" roundover bit, then the forearm and belly cut with a long linisher belt. Finessed of course with a long bout of elbow grease and sanding block. I took the whole body back to bare wood as well, so had to grain fill, seal coat, white under coat etc before the final black topcoat. After six months I got tired of the black so I went over it with the Daphne.
 
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#733
marchone said:
I had my 1969 Telecaster put on a '55 diet with a belly cut and forearm relief but it only lost 6 ounces or so. If I wanted to trim more weight off I'd think about sanding the back down before chambering under the pickguard. Either way you'd flirt with new neck dive.
Click to expand...
You got one of the heavy Ash bodies? You could always do the "smuggler's cavities" that Fender did on a few heavy Telecasters and Tele Basses for a short time, but you gotta set up templates for the router etc and I no longer have access to do all that - but it's really cool if you are set up to do such things. I left Australia in 2019 and sold an 8 lb all original 68 Ash body T Bass to help with airfares etc - absolutely no issues with neck dive - you'd have to have a 3 lb body before the neck started wanting to hit the floor.
 
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