Some of you might've already seen my earlier thread about my father-in-law's 1977 Precision getting dunked in the drink during Hurricane Harvey. Here's the thread-https://www.talkbass.com/threads/hurricane-harvey-victim.1301869/
As you can see, there was extensive damage to pretty much every component of the bass. Everything was rusted out, the finish had lifted almost completely off, and the electronics were junk. I took it all apart down to the very last tiniest screw, and started the rehab.
First, I didn't touch anything for a few weeks. The results of the finish settling can be seen in the later pages of the above linked thread. I soaked all the metal components in vinegar and salt for a day, and then scrubbed all the rust off with an old toothbrush. Then I sprayed a light coat of WD-40 on them and wiped them gently with a soft cloth. The bridge, tuners, and screws all came out just fine. The knobs were a wash, since the chrome plating bubbled up and flaked off. I ordered some standard flat-top chrome knobs from ebay.
Then, after almost a month, I chipped and sanded and scraped all the old finish off the fretboard and some off the headstock. I taped the frets and nut and gave it a few coats of clear-coat auto lacquer. I tried to leave the headstock looking rough and to not sand the decal off. Whatever of the old coat that I left on it melded pretty well with the new clear coat. I let that sit for 3-4 days.
I had already assumed that the pots and jack were junked, but I realized that the coil plates were also warped beyond being able to sit properly in the pickup covers. I was pretty bummed about that, since the essential voice of the bass couldn't be restored. I got a 60's style fender licensed set of pots, with cloth wiring, and a set of mid-2000's MIM pups, and wired them all up.
Finally, I put everything together and threw some spare strings on it. Plugged in, and lo and behold, it sounds like a Pbass. The MIM pups are a bit thinner than what I'm used to, since my bass has super hot and growly Rio Grande vintage pickups, but it has the thump for sure. The neck is very comfy and round in my hand, and since I decided not to spray the back, it's also very fast and smooth. All in all, while the bass definitely misses its original electronics, it's still quite a player. The most important thing to me is that the neck didn't twist (not a single buzz spot or raised fret) and the body returned to it's original size and shape. Everything fits perfectly and it's very easy to play. Still super heavy though, so I for sure like mine better, hahaha.
Alright, hope you enjoyed the journey of this old guy, now for what you all came here for-the coolest MF'in mojo I've ever seen.
Before-
Aaaaaaaand...AFTER-
As you can see, there was extensive damage to pretty much every component of the bass. Everything was rusted out, the finish had lifted almost completely off, and the electronics were junk. I took it all apart down to the very last tiniest screw, and started the rehab.
First, I didn't touch anything for a few weeks. The results of the finish settling can be seen in the later pages of the above linked thread. I soaked all the metal components in vinegar and salt for a day, and then scrubbed all the rust off with an old toothbrush. Then I sprayed a light coat of WD-40 on them and wiped them gently with a soft cloth. The bridge, tuners, and screws all came out just fine. The knobs were a wash, since the chrome plating bubbled up and flaked off. I ordered some standard flat-top chrome knobs from ebay.
Then, after almost a month, I chipped and sanded and scraped all the old finish off the fretboard and some off the headstock. I taped the frets and nut and gave it a few coats of clear-coat auto lacquer. I tried to leave the headstock looking rough and to not sand the decal off. Whatever of the old coat that I left on it melded pretty well with the new clear coat. I let that sit for 3-4 days.
I had already assumed that the pots and jack were junked, but I realized that the coil plates were also warped beyond being able to sit properly in the pickup covers. I was pretty bummed about that, since the essential voice of the bass couldn't be restored. I got a 60's style fender licensed set of pots, with cloth wiring, and a set of mid-2000's MIM pups, and wired them all up.
Finally, I put everything together and threw some spare strings on it. Plugged in, and lo and behold, it sounds like a Pbass. The MIM pups are a bit thinner than what I'm used to, since my bass has super hot and growly Rio Grande vintage pickups, but it has the thump for sure. The neck is very comfy and round in my hand, and since I decided not to spray the back, it's also very fast and smooth. All in all, while the bass definitely misses its original electronics, it's still quite a player. The most important thing to me is that the neck didn't twist (not a single buzz spot or raised fret) and the body returned to it's original size and shape. Everything fits perfectly and it's very easy to play. Still super heavy though, so I for sure like mine better, hahaha.
Alright, hope you enjoyed the journey of this old guy, now for what you all came here for-the coolest MF'in mojo I've ever seen.
Before-
Aaaaaaaand...AFTER-
