Shell Pink Precision

[SaintMez]

My local Guitar Center had two of them on clearance for $52 each. I bought both of them, thinking I could sell one of them and nearly recoup all of my money, but after looking at how well it is made I decided to keep it for a future project.

Nice! That's a smokin deal then considering they run $115 each on bestbassgear's site.
I think I need to go to Guitar Center...

 

[Hopkins]

Nice! That's a smokin deal then considering they run $115 each on bestbassgear's site.
I think I need to go to Guitar Center...

Of the 4 GC's in the Houston area only one store had any. I guess they aren't keeping them in stores anymore so they just clearanced them out. It was to good of a deal to not buy them both. If they had more I would have bought every one they had.

 

[mike phillips]

babicz bridges if i recall right are lighter than a badass bridge. intonation is a breeze with the babicz. everything locks down so nothing backs off. the sustain is better than a badass but im sure that varies bass to bass. you wont be sorry with a babicz, you will probably end up keepin both of them.

 

[Hopkins]

babicz bridges if i recall right are lighter than a badass bridge. intonation is a breeze with the babicz. everything locks down so nothing backs off. the sustain is better than a badass but im sure that varies bass to bass. you wont be sorry with a babicz, you will probably end up keepin both of them.

Yeah, I can tell its an awesome bridge just because of how light weight and solid it is, and how well thought out the adjustments are. I have no plans on not keeping the second one.

 

[Joey3313]

Nice! That's a smokin deal then considering they run $115 each on bestbassgear's site.
I think I need to go to Guitar Center...

Or even eBay. I bought mine quite some time ago, and IIRC, it was less than $70.

 

[Hopkins]

I sanded through the color coat in a few usual places, which did not surprise me, so it will get another shot of pink this afternoon.

 

[JIO]

I sanded through the color coat in a few usual places, which did not surprise me, so it will get another shot of pink this afternoon.

I wonder about the best approach to coating a body. I've done as you have, which is to attach a post to the neck cavity and hang it free, spraying all around it. Some drips/sagging/pooling is inevitable, even in the best of conditions. (like at the plate holes on your bass) If you have seen this Fender vid from the late 50's it shows the sprayer spraying a horizontal/flat body on a "lazy susan" (rotating platform), then placing it in a rack to dry and once many front/side bodies are dry to touch (fast drying lacquer) the back/side is painted the same way. The sides would be the point of contention here, but a level body would allow the paint to level evenly (gravity). Have you ever tried this?

 

[Hopkins]

I wonder about the best approach to coating a body. I've done as you have, which is to attach a post to the neck cavity and hang it free, spraying all around it. Some drips/sagging/pooling is inevitable, even in the best of conditions. (like at the plate holes on your bass) If you have seen this Fender vid from the late 50's it shows the sprayer spraying a horizontal/flat body on a "lazy susan" (rotating platform), then placing it in a rack to dry and once many front/side bodies are dry to touch (fast drying lacquer) the back/side is painted the same way. The sides would be the point of contention here, but a level body would allow the paint to level evenly (gravity). Have you ever tried this?

It seems for some reason the wood rises a hair around holes. The only places I ever have any sand through is around the neck ferrule holes, or on pick guard or bridge holes. I only had one coat of color on the body, and it leveled out without getting past the sealer coat so it should be ok on the next coat.

I guess I could drill the holes after finishing, but that seems rather risky.

 

[JIO]

I was only using your small first-coat sand-thru's as a reference - I was just wondering if you had ever tried spraying a body or neck flat. I have yet to have an opportunity, but want to try it (compared to hanging) someday.

 

[Hopkins]

I was only using your small first-coat sand-thru's as a reference - I was just wondering if you had ever tried spraying a body or neck flat. I have yet to have an opportunity, but want to try it (compared to hanging) someday.

I have tried spraying a body horizontally, for me its easier to spray by hanging the body. I tend to put to much finish on the boy when spraying a horizontal surface. I guess I am just used to doing it one way.

 

[SamanthaCay]

Here's how I like to hold bolt on's for painting.

I use a cut down piece of 2x4 (or what ever works and is handy) bolted in the pocket and the two outer bridge screws in at the same height as the block.
I don't use a lazy Susan I just hold the other end of the block and spray.
When I'm done it gets set on its face resting on the screws and bock

Nice build Btw, I love build threads and especially p bass builds.

 

[Hopkins]

Have you ever had any problems with the body rocking and the edges of the body hitting the table?

Hanging works fin for me. I rarely have any runs. Spraying a lot of heavy flake finishes has taught me good technique. If you get a run in a sparkle finish you are pretty much starting over. In clear or solid finish its not a big deal.

 

[SamanthaCay]

Never had a body hit the table but it is something I have to be careful of for sure.

I use rattle cans and have sprayed with a hanging method and found that I'm less likely to get a run this way.
Although I think it's probably more because the body is in constant motion as I'm spraying rather then it being stationary and not so much the position it gets laid to dry.

That being said it's all tomato's tamato's with a bit of know how and experience you can get good results either way, I say stick with what works best.
I think the saying if it ain't broke don't fix it applies well in this case.

 

[Hopkins]

Never had a body hit the table but it is something I have to be careful of for sure.

I use rattle cans and have sprayed with a hanging method and found that I'm less likely to get a run this way.
Although I think it's probably more because the body is in constant motion as I'm spraying rather then it being stationary and not so much the position it gets laid to dry.

That being said it's all tomato's tamato's with a bit of know how and experience you can get good results either way, I say stick with what works best.
I think the saying if it ain't broke don't fix it applies well in this case.

If I were doing rattle cans I would probably have to lay it flat. I have never sprayed a rattle can without getting a run.

 

[Beej]

You've probably said it before and I'm just too lazy to search, but what's your spray setup like?

 

[Hopkins]

You've probably said it before and I'm just too lazy to search, but what's your spray setup like?

I have a compressor that flows 5.5 cfm @ 90 psi, this is the minimum volume I would recommend for HVLP. a gravity feed HVLP gun, with a 1.5mm tip, and a gravity feed conventional gun with a 2.0mm tip for shooting primer and flake.

I'm going to be upgrading to a larger stationary compressor in the next few months, as soon as I get my shop built. The new compressor should flow about double why my current compressor flows. It isn't necessary, but there is no such thing as to much air when spraying paint.

 

[Hopkins]

I got the body wet sanded and polished, using my poor mans buffing station. Its a wool pad in a small drill press set at 1100 rpm.

Body all polished up

Headstock polished

I realized I forgot to drill the hole for the bridge ground to the cavity. This was a rather unnerving process on a finished body, but everything turned out fine.

Here is a progress shot of assembly. I'm not really happy with how the pick guard fits the neck. There is a slight gap at the neck heel. I'm probably gonna get a new pick guard and try again.

Here it is all assembled.

I will get some better final pictures tomorrow in the sunlight, and do the final setup. There a pretty bad buzz when plugged in, but I'm pretty sure I know what it is. One of the wires broke on one of the coils, so I rewired the pickup, to get rid of the cloth wire that it came with. I think I got two wires crossed so its not humbucking at the moment. It should be a quick easy fix.

 

[SaintMez]

Looks good! The color turned out great too!

 

[two fingers]

That is one good looking bass.

 

[Hopkins]

Here are some better pictures. I may get this bass (and a few others) professionally photographed for my future website. When I do I will be sure to post the pics.