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The Squier Mini Precision Bass Club

Well I wasn't happy with this staining of the neck.

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I wanted it to be more like the Black Eagle up the top... this was just way too much.

So I started sanding it all back again. The lacquer I got was a "vintage tint" anyway...
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So I did a test on a piece of wood. This was with one quick coat of sanding sealer, one coat of tinted lacquer, seemed like a much better look.

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So after sanding, and a couple of coats of sanding sealer, I put on the decal.
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Then on with the first coats of tinted lacquer.
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That's where it's at for now, gotta let it sit for a day or so and then a few more coats, then let it sit for a couple of weeks...

I love watching paint dry...
 
I forgot to post photos of mine completed. I take crappy photos. Owell. This thing sounds and plays great! Used the American Precision pickups and all electronics. I did have to move the entire bridge about 1/4" because the strings were not centered over the neck. Pretty unacceptable. All Genuine Fender hardware, Hipshot Tuners.
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I forgot to post photos of mine completed. I take crappy photos. Owell. This thing sounds and plays great! Used the American Precision pickups and all electronics. I did have to move the entire bridge about 1/4" because the strings were not centered over the neck. Pretty unacceptable. All Genuine Fender hardware, Hipshot Tuners.
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Do find much difference in tone between the 2?
 
This thing sounds and plays great! Used the American Precision pickups and all electronics... All Genuine Fender hardware, Hipshot Tuners.
Looks nice!
I did have to move the entire bridge about 1/4" because the strings were not centered over the neck. Pretty unacceptable.
Stock bridge or did you upgrade that to Fender as well?
 
I forgot to post photos of mine completed. I take crappy photos. Owell. This thing sounds and plays great! Used the American Precision pickups and all electronics. I did have to move the entire bridge about 1/4" because the strings were not centered over the neck. Pretty unacceptable. All Genuine Fender hardware, Hipshot Tuners.
View attachment 5023433 View attachment 5023432 View attachment 5023433 View attachment 5023436
Where did you find the anodized guard?
 
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So things did not go to plan at all on Thursday...

I went to put one last coat of tint on the neck, and the can spat out big blobs of dark tint, made a complete mess of the headstock. I freaked out and tried to put on another even coat that I could eventually sand back but it just got worse and worse. Runs, blobs, dark patches, a total failure. Didn't get a pic of it like that.

So I waited for it to dry enough, then hit the whole thing with wet 1500 grit paper, to flatten it out before going on to heavier grades, to get rid of all the nitro. And this is what I ended up with.

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So I'm looking at it, and it occurs to me... I don't hate this, it looks kinda cool...

With everything flat from 1500 grit the back of the neck felt awesome, and compared to the colour of the Black Eagle neck, hey not bad!

At this point I should have just left it all alone for a week or two to chill out. So I decided to get on with the pick guard, and putting in the pickup/electronics.

I had to drill the holes for the pots and jack, and oh man the drill slipped on the last hole, dragged a deep gouge into my brand new pick guard. The one I had made to reverse the P pickups, and I'd already routed out the pickup space for that underneath.

But i had another pick guard too, with the P in the normal orientation, so that would have to do for now...

So I get it all wired up, pots & everything done, pick guard screwed on, go to do the tap test on the pickups with it plugged in and get a huge hum when I touch the EA pickup. ***... new EMG-P no less...

Now I had another EMG-P here for my Jaguar project, so I swapped that over, it was fine. So a bad pickup straight out of the box... :rage:

That was three fails; the nitro mess, ruining a pick guard, and a bad pickup.

At this point I should have gone off and found something else to do with the long weekend, but I couldn't leave it alone now. So I put it all together, screw waiting for the nitro to cure now.

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GHS Balanced Nickel short scale strings, with the Badass Bridge strung-through, they are just about a perfect length.
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And the neck, well that's close enough for what I wanted.

I'm gonna live with this rough, relic, road-worn, crap finish on the headstock, it's interesting if nothing else.

Let's see how bad it gets over the next few weeks, I'm leaving it out to breathe as much as possible.

Honestly I'm just about over the whole thing right now, I want to play it, not work on it.
 
So things did not go to plan at all on Thursday...

I went to put one last coat of tint on the neck, and the can spat out big blobs of dark tint, made a complete mess of the headstock. I freaked out and tried to put on another even coat that I could eventually sand back but it just got worse and worse. Runs, blobs, dark patches, a total failure. Didn't get a pic of it like that.

So I waited for it to dry enough, then hit the whole thing with wet 1500 grit paper, to flatten it out before going on to heavier grades, to get rid of all the nitro. And this is what I ended up with.

View attachment 5024792 View attachment 5024793 View attachment 5024794
So I'm looking at it, and it occurs to me... I don't hate this, it looks kinda cool...

With everything flat from 1500 grit the back of the neck felt awesome, and compared to the colour of the Black Eagle neck, hey not bad!

At this point I should have just left it all alone for a week or two to chill out. So I decided to get on with the pick guard, and putting in the pickup/electronics.

I had to drill the holes for the pots and jack, and oh man the drill slipped on the last hole, dragged a deep gouge into my brand new pick guard. The one I had made to reverse the P pickups, and I'd already routed out the pickup space for that underneath.

But i had another pick guard too, with the P in the normal orientation, so that would have to do for now...

So I get it all wired up, pots & everything done, pick guard screwed on, go to do the tap test on the pickups with it plugged in and get a huge hum when I touch the EA pickup. ***... new EMG-P no less...

Now I had another EMG-P here for my Jaguar project, so I swapped that over, it was fine. So a bad pickup straight out of the box... :rage:

That was three fails; the nitro mess, ruining a pick guard, and a bad pickup.

At this point I should have gone off and found something else to do with the long weekend, but I couldn't leave it alone now. So I put it all together, screw waiting for the nitro to cure now.

View attachment 5024796
View attachment 5024797
View attachment 5024798
View attachment 5024799
View attachment 5024800
View attachment 5024802 View attachment 5024801 View attachment 5024804

GHS Balanced Nickel short scale strings, with the Badass Bridge strung-through, they are just about a perfect length.
View attachment 5024805
And the neck, well that's close enough for what I wanted.

I'm gonna live with this rough, relic, road-worn, crap finish on the headstock, it's interesting if nothing else.

Let's see how bad it gets over the next few weeks, I'm leaving it out to breathe as much as possible.

Honestly I'm just about over the whole thing right now, I want to play it, not work on it.
That headstock is what watercolour artists call a 'happy accident'.
I like it!
 
So things did not go to plan at all on Thursday...

I went to put one last coat of tint on the neck, and the can spat out big blobs of dark tint, made a complete mess of the headstock. I freaked out and tried to put on another even coat that I could eventually sand back but it just got worse and worse. Runs, blobs, dark patches, a total failure. Didn't get a pic of it like that.

So I waited for it to dry enough, then hit the whole thing with wet 1500 grit paper, to flatten it out before going on to heavier grades, to get rid of all the nitro. And this is what I ended up with.

View attachment 5024792 View attachment 5024793 View attachment 5024794
So I'm looking at it, and it occurs to me... I don't hate this, it looks kinda cool...

With everything flat from 1500 grit the back of the neck felt awesome, and compared to the colour of the Black Eagle neck, hey not bad!

At this point I should have just left it all alone for a week or two to chill out. So I decided to get on with the pick guard, and putting in the pickup/electronics.

I had to drill the holes for the pots and jack, and oh man the drill slipped on the last hole, dragged a deep gouge into my brand new pick guard. The one I had made to reverse the P pickups, and I'd already routed out the pickup space for that underneath.

But i had another pick guard too, with the P in the normal orientation, so that would have to do for now...

So I get it all wired up, pots & everything done, pick guard screwed on, go to do the tap test on the pickups with it plugged in and get a huge hum when I touch the EA pickup. ***... new EMG-P no less...

Now I had another EMG-P here for my Jaguar project, so I swapped that over, it was fine. So a bad pickup straight out of the box... :rage:

That was three fails; the nitro mess, ruining a pick guard, and a bad pickup.

At this point I should have gone off and found something else to do with the long weekend, but I couldn't leave it alone now. So I put it all together, screw waiting for the nitro to cure now.

View attachment 5024796
View attachment 5024797
View attachment 5024798
View attachment 5024799
View attachment 5024800
View attachment 5024802 View attachment 5024801 View attachment 5024804

GHS Balanced Nickel short scale strings, with the Badass Bridge strung-through, they are just about a perfect length.
View attachment 5024805
And the neck, well that's close enough for what I wanted.

I'm gonna live with this rough, relic, road-worn, crap finish on the headstock, it's interesting if nothing else.

Let's see how bad it gets over the next few weeks, I'm leaving it out to breathe as much as possible.

Honestly I'm just about over the whole thing right now, I want to play it, not work on it.
I think the headstock looks great!
 
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well @pistonrod8 and @Rocket Queen, all I have to say is thank you for selling this bass after doing the lovely things to it! Played it last night, band mate held it for like 30 seconds and said "I'll buy this from you right now, how much" and "aaaaah come on man, sell it to me". Lol

You guys really did may it lovely and unique, also it plays Great! Truly. It will be well loved and well played!

what a blast!

Haven't been back here in a while, but I'm so glad its getting some love. My wife had chemotherapy treatments over several months and as of March is cancer-free now! Maybe I can buy it back from you one day... :)
 
I forgot to post photos of mine completed. I take crappy photos. Owell. This thing sounds and plays great! Used the American Precision pickups and all electronics. I did have to move the entire bridge about 1/4" because the strings were not centered over the neck. Pretty unacceptable. All Genuine Fender hardware, Hipshot Tuners.
View attachment 5023433

Wow, that turned out great!
 
I have been wanting to try out the DiMarzio Billy Sheehan Relentless P Pickup for the last couple of years since I saw them and I finally ordered the Black set for my Mini P. I really like the Nordstrand Power Blade P that is in it right now but I'm so curious to try the Relentless pickup. I'll post my thoughts about it when I get it next week and install it. :D

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I have been wanting to try out the DiMarzio Billy Sheehan Relentless P Pickup for the last couple of years since I saw them and I finally ordered the Black set for my Mini P. I really like the Nordstrand Power Blade P that is in it right now but I'm so curious to try the Relentless pickup. I'll post my thoughts about it when I get it next week and install it. :D
TK, you are inching your way toward "none more black" territory!
Have you recorded something with the blades that you can duplicate with the Relentless pups?
:D