Link Removed
Okay, I realize most of you feel that any relicing on a bass is pretty cheezy. But since a lot of you think the Sting signature inlay is pretty cheezy too, I decided I didn't really have that much to lose. Yes, I know I've ruined the re-sale value of this bass. I wouldn't have done it in the first place if I was going to sell it. I absolutely love this bass and I plan to keep it forever, I just couldn't wait for it to look and feel a bit more broken in. I also never cared for the thick, plastic-feeling, poly finish. In my mind, a mid-50s P-bass should look like a beat-up workhorse. No, I'm not trying to copy Sting's actual bass. If you notice, I've actuall moded the bass quite a bit with a thumb rest I made from a solid ebony, baby grand piano key, cut in half so that it's the same height as the single-coil pickup. I originally had a Fender thumbrest installed, but found it to be WAY to high and made of cheap plastic (it made a plastic "click" sound when you touched it). I much prefer the thumbrest that I made because it's ebony, it's just the right height, it's spaced evenly from the strings, and it's long enough to allow different hand positions. I should also add that I'm a wood nut. I like to see the natural color and grain of the wood and I especially like Ash. Using various methods (Dremel tool, sandpaper, scraper, chemicals), once I got down to the actual wood, I spent a lot of time sanding and then carefully applying several coats of Tru-oil to the exposed wood. I'm very happy with the results. The bass feels more broken in like a nice pair of worn jeans. Also, the process of taking the bass apart and the finish off led me to feel much more comfortable with the instrument. It must be my imagination, but I swear it even feels lighter and sounds more resonant. It has always sounded loud unplugged, but it's even better now. My other bass is a natural/ash Stingray and they look great next to each other.
Okay, I realize most of you feel that any relicing on a bass is pretty cheezy. But since a lot of you think the Sting signature inlay is pretty cheezy too, I decided I didn't really have that much to lose. Yes, I know I've ruined the re-sale value of this bass. I wouldn't have done it in the first place if I was going to sell it. I absolutely love this bass and I plan to keep it forever, I just couldn't wait for it to look and feel a bit more broken in. I also never cared for the thick, plastic-feeling, poly finish. In my mind, a mid-50s P-bass should look like a beat-up workhorse. No, I'm not trying to copy Sting's actual bass. If you notice, I've actuall moded the bass quite a bit with a thumb rest I made from a solid ebony, baby grand piano key, cut in half so that it's the same height as the single-coil pickup. I originally had a Fender thumbrest installed, but found it to be WAY to high and made of cheap plastic (it made a plastic "click" sound when you touched it). I much prefer the thumbrest that I made because it's ebony, it's just the right height, it's spaced evenly from the strings, and it's long enough to allow different hand positions. I should also add that I'm a wood nut. I like to see the natural color and grain of the wood and I especially like Ash. Using various methods (Dremel tool, sandpaper, scraper, chemicals), once I got down to the actual wood, I spent a lot of time sanding and then carefully applying several coats of Tru-oil to the exposed wood. I'm very happy with the results. The bass feels more broken in like a nice pair of worn jeans. Also, the process of taking the bass apart and the finish off led me to feel much more comfortable with the instrument. It must be my imagination, but I swear it even feels lighter and sounds more resonant. It has always sounded loud unplugged, but it's even better now. My other bass is a natural/ash Stingray and they look great next to each other.
