Restoration: Roadstar (II) to hell

[johnson79]

Amazing. That bass looks so good!

 

[abstractart06]

Very nice! Well done.

 

[Feral Feline]

LOve this bass.

So, time for another bump for any further progress, ie soundclips!

Hope all is well in your world OP.



PS:

I wish that colour was an option on an RB850, it looks so nice.

That colour IS an option on the RB850, ie you have the option of taking an RB850 to a painter and having it refinished.

 

[KF2B]

Subbed

 

[Philonius]

Finally a good use for the fab new TB like button. Cool project; these are great basses.

 

[vates]

Yes, fabulous thread

 

[cleary]

I was going to write a "Twins'" post, but then a whole lot of stuff went down that wasn't twinsy at all, and then this amazing looking bass was born -

So here's a "brothers" post instead
I got a donation of a flood damaged Roadstar II guitar from the same era. It was in much worse shape than yours, but a lucky find on ebay saved it from the bin.
Befores:

Afters:

I haven't gone to anywhere near the level of detail you have, but the budget is tight so it's been more of a "restore to playability" project than complete rebuild. I've just invested in a decent soldering station and will be putting my 1st year electrical engineering subject to full use shortly to get it all rewired

If we weren't on opposite sides of the country, we could've started a Gary Moore tribute band

 

[ICM]

Looks great @cleary!

 

[Cellwelder]

Reading this makes me want to take on a restoration of my own!

 

[cleary]

fwiw I finally finished the guitar - and got it in the "studio":
rest of the gallery is here: http://cleary.smugmug.com/Public/Ibanez-Roadstar-II/i-pwLWPNL

 

[Metalbasspro]

Hah. This bass is looking a lot like a Hondo Explorer I saved and cleaned up from a store:

And also looking like a refinished Musician I won on eBay once:

WOW I had a Hondo Explorer in color black but I hated the thing. My first lesson in fancy looking basses play like well basses that were made to look good with playability as an after thought.

 

[Mr Abercrombie]

Hey Dave!

I've just signed up on TalkBass after reading the whole restoration thread. I'm also hoping to find out what happened to you mate and that amazing Ibanez you were working on.

I live in Perth too; I also own an Ibby RB 850 and I'm currently shopping for a new address after a bust up. I know that was several years ago for you and I hope it all worked out ok.

Cheers.

 

[TinIndian]

I dont think the OP has been on the forums in quite some time now. He did a great job on his, enough to inspire me to grab a basket case one and do the same, which btw is almost done. Should complete it this weekend, just waiting for the clear lacquer to dry so I can wet sand and polish. Took me awhile but I'd work on it some and it would sit for months. Will be well worth it in the end.

 

[mc900ftj]

I dont think the OP has been on the forums in quite some time now. He did a great job on his, enough to inspire me to grab a basket case one and do the same, which btw is almost done. Should complete it this weekend, just waiting for the clear lacquer to dry so I can wet sand and polish. Took me awhile but I'd work on it some and it would sit for months. Will be well worth it in the end.

Please share your experiences and photos if you would be so kind!!!

Thank you!

 

[TinIndian]

Sure. I posted some pics a few pages back of it when I got it in. I took a few while I was working on it and I'll have to find those to put up. I used this thread as a bit of a guide and did a few things from his build that I liked. Mine is an RV (Royal Violet), I replayed it with Reranch Royal Purple. A bit brighter than original but I like it a lot.

Should have it done this weekend for the most part, just a couple of detail items will be left but it will be back together and playable then.

 

[Obese Chess]

Looks like OP hasn't logged on in nearly three years. Hope all's well with him, this is one of my favorite resto projects I've ever seen and now I'm more inspired to finish the 80's Yamaha that's been sitting in various storage units for eight years.

 

[dcalde78]

It's a shame we'll probably never get to see the conclusion to this build. But I get the feeling that OP's life overwhelmed anything else going on. Hopefully he kept the bass and did finish it. Having an instrument from a rough time in life is an odd thing. Sometimes you don't want to look at it and sometimes you can't imagine not having it - I have a bass like that myself.

All the best to the OP should he ever make a visit back again, this thread was fantastic to read start to finish, and the fact he managed to inspire other users to pick up instruments to restore is a great thing.

 

[mc900ftj]

It's a shame we'll probably never get to see the conclusion to this build. But I get the feeling that OP's life overwhelmed anything else going on. Hopefully he kept the bass and did finish it. Having an instrument from a rough time in life is an odd thing. Sometimes you don't want to look at it and sometimes you can't imagine not having it - I have a bass like that myself.

All the best to the OP should he ever make a visit back again, this thread was fantastic to read start to finish, and the fact he managed to inspire other users to pick up instruments to restore is a great thing.

I second all of this! This thread has even tempted me to consider refinish/refurb of an '85 RB850 that I own. When I have time.

 

[jorg7]

please allow me to post some inspiration sir daverys...

 

[UnderCruft]

Some 12 years later I'm tickled to stumble across this inspirational thread as I eye my trusty old '85 RS850. Beautiful work! Thanks Dave Rhys, wherever you are!