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Resurrecting a '60's short-scale bass

#82
Phase II - used up the can of Chestnut Brown left over from the Calabrone. I'll start there and see what develops - at least I trust this paint. I may just end up with a similar finish as the Calabrone which would work fine on this bass. Black & brown are always a good combo. Also, got the pu's today - so once the finish is done, I'll be able to do the pg routing and get it up and running.
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#83
Much, much better. 2nd coat after sanding and possibly one more thin coat after sanding this coat. That other product sucked - I feel like writing to Rust-Oleum and complaining about how bad it is. The brown is a richer color than this pic depicts - it looks a little washed-out. It will get more manipulation before it's done to further richen it up.

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#91
Jon Clegg said:
Looking forward to seeing the back. The hand-rubbed bronze metallic might work well on my Strat.
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This is the HRBM w/GGGB - the HRBM on it's own is very dark, nearly black and has super-fine bronze particles that are difficult to photograph and can really only be seen in bright sunlight. The GGGB dusting, as in this light, moves it away from looking black but in subdued light it still looks blackish.

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You can see the darker cast of the HRBM in the upper shaded area (with the GGGB) ... no indication of the super-fine bronze particles can be seen in this pic.
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#92
So, shot it with many coats of the HRBM with sanding between and then dusted it with the GGGB. I went heavy this time to see what it would do. I then fine sanded that and shot another thin coat of HRBM, and on top of that shot Orange Glitter Blast (heavy). I strategically sanded until I blended the gold and orange into a mottled blend.

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After multiple glitter-blast coats and sanding, it has a textured but smooth feel. Once I shoot a few coats of clear nitro and sand that it should get even more satiny smooth.
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Over that I wiped on Golden Oak stain. I think I'll do a couple more passes of it to get it warmer/woodier. This was shot this under subdued light and shade (washer/dryer nook) to show low light contrast. The particles catch light and move it from being dark, but in the shade it reads darker.
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#93
Used thin perforated brass stock (from Ace) to make pu connectors. It's easily cut with scissors and firm enough to create a stable 'base'. A brief rant on MIC (crap) My goal was not to spend a lot of money on this project so I got what I paid for, but a couple things about this 'product'. They sent thin wood screws when thicker bolts (for the provided threaded base holes) would be optimal. One of the 4 pu's 2 mini-nuts (that attach the pu to the base) were frozen on the threaded post so once turned, the post turned and I needed to remove them to attach my unified base. After much fiddling, I got one off. Getting the second one off was not an option and in fussing with it - it created a gap. So being an insatiable problem-solver - I took advantage of that and cut a side slot in the thin brass which moved it into position and also acted as a spacer, leaving the pu/base tight. (the upper left one in the pu on the left) So much fussing over such a small detail, but it worked and it's ready to install - one I get those bolts...

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Cut the pu holes in the pg and they're ready to mount.
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#96
Jon Clegg said:
I'm going to have to look for that perforated brass at my local Ace. What section was it in?
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Umm, in the back (of mine) with raw-stock metal/aluminum sheets and rods. It came in an 8"x10" size sheet for about $8, but I bought it years ago so it's probably more now.

ICM said:
This is some too knotch work. And a shortscale as well. Good stuff.
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Thanks Ivan :) - it's a sweet little bass!
 
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#97
So, here's a final mock-up before wiring it and installing (flats) strings. (that I have to order from our friends at bassstringsonline) It weighs in at 7lbs/6oz and balances well. I needed to carve out the pu cavities on the sides to fit the long base-plates. I'll take outside pics once it's strung-up which will show it in sharper focus. Can't wait to hear how it sounds!

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Used some 60's Teisco knobs I had in my knob box. They match the same vintage rocker-switches nicely.
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#100
lloganbracee said:
Wow.

What a beautiful bass. I’ll be interested to see whether or not it has a lot of neck dive with a body like that. Neck dive isn’t a huge issue for me, but some people can’t stand it.
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:) Thank you! Absolutely no neck-dive. :thumbsup: The weight is mostly in the body (5lb/11oz) and even if the upper horn doesn't reach the 12th fret, the short scale neck seals the deal. On my own designs I do all I can to prevent neck-dive. Neck-dive is a design flaw - any bass that neck-dives is a bad design.
 
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