Andyjr1515

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1412676338' post='2570889'] With the strings at normal (standard tuning) tension are you sure the neck is completely flat? If you hold a string down at the first and last frets (or use a straight edge) is there no gap whatsoever between the string and all frets? I'd expect with normal relief you'd see a gap of a bit less than 0.5mm at around the 8th/9th frets. The reason I ask is that you usually get fret buzz at the dusty end of the neck (as you're experiencing) when there's slightly too much relief in the neck rather than too little. [/quote] I agree with Howiebass on this one. Hold down the first fret, hold down the 16 th fret (you may need a friend!) and tap the E or G string at the 8th fret. There should be small but perceptible movement. If it's more than a credit card thickness, tighten the truss rod accordingly. If it is hard down against the 8th fret, you may need to 'induce' a bit of relief if the rod is fully slackened off. As Howiebass says though, the symptoms indicate too much relief rather than too little.

Love it ! I just LOVE it!!!

I agree - I would use thin cyano (superglue) for this kind of thing. As the guy on the video says, you have to be quite careful and it does dry VERY hard so not overfilling too much is important because, while trying to scrape or sand off the excess, it is easy to add another gouge in the untreated poly.

Hi, Weststarx I'm flattered by Paul S and Manton Customs' endorsements (thanks, guys - really, really appreciated!) but original-colour-matched spray jobs are not really my forte. Paul's Precision Lyte was black - giving me the freedom to use paints, lacquers and techniques I knew would be compatible - and he bravely accepted all of my list of things that might not be quite the same as a quality spray job. It is very much on my 'to-do' list to experiment on one of my own guitars (part of my ethos is not to experiment or learn on someone else's pride and joy - I would always try it one of my own first), but haven't got round to it. The reason it needs checking is that most true fender original-colour-matched sprays are nitro-methane, which are notoriously incompatible with some other products and I wouldn't like to find I had some incompatibility on someone else's bass Now, talking about professional spray jobs, Manton Customs produce some fantastic results so, apart from the distance, they would be a good call. Ref the distance - is that such a problem? Are you confident taking a neck off and the scratchplate off? If so, there's not much that even a poor courier firm could break if you sent the body only to Manton or another re-finisher... Hope this helps Andy

Looks stupendous, Wil. Great job!

[quote name='thefyst' timestamp='1410886539' post='2554350'] Not that I know much about these things ...but.... Wouldn't the lacquer scuff and deteriorate pretty quickly with the strings rubbing on it all the time? [/quote] I'm assuming it's a fretted bass, Colonel36? If so, the strings shouldn't touch the fretboard itself much at all. Andy

I'm sure it wouldn't affect the sound at all. Depending how well it's done, it might affect the feel.

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1410728449' post='2552538'] Thanks, cachao. Both of the recent Westones I've done have come out great...they were really top notch basses. Andy [/quote] Except - as I've only just realised - the other Westone isn't yet on my website ! The basschat thread [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/243975-westone-pantera-x790-headstock-refurb/"]can be found here[/url]

[quote name='cachao' timestamp='1410727956' post='2552528'] Thanks for that, Andy. Just had a look at your site. That Westone is gorgeous. [/quote] Thanks, cachao. Both of the recent Westones I've done have come out great...they were really top notch basses. Andy

They are, in my view, very good pickups indeed. I installed a pair in the Warwick Thumb 4 NT Fretless Tribute I built for our band's bassist. I fitted it with a Seymour Duncan 3 way EQ (the MEC EQ's are, I have no doubt, as good as the pickups but they are VERY expensive). I was playing it at practice today (sometimes he lets me)...fabulous. You've probably seen it before, but here it is: Andy

Great tip, BigRedX! Never, ever thought of that. Andy

Great - can't wait to see it...it's been a long time coming!

[quote name='thefyst' timestamp='1410343615' post='2548277'] Would an ink stain like that work okay on one of those cheap mahogany bodies you get in kits? ...I fancy having a go myself [/quote] Hi thfyst I've PM'd you ref the Veneering question. For staining either veneers or solid wood, it really needs to be light woods to show the colour. Maple, ash, alder, poplar, myrtle etc are all good candidates. Mahogany usually just needs varnishing, as does walnut. With something like oak, you could darken it with wood stain but ink really only comes into it's own against a nice bright background. Hope this helps Andy

[quote name='thefyst' timestamp='1410260591' post='2547533'] This is the first time ive come across using brown paper for polishing, the stuff ive got has a rough and a smooth side? i take it you use the smooth side? very interested in your ink staining method aswell. [/quote] Hi, thefyst Thanks for the feedback! Actually it's the rough side The varnish or lacquer has to be properly hardened, otherwise bits of dust can get caught underneath the paper and leave micro-scratches, but it acts like the old-fashioned 'flour paper' that decorators used to use. Clearly you can also use very very fine polishing pads (the kind of stuff wifes / girlfriends/daughters use for polishing their nails) but brown paper works fine - it has the fibrous surface but it is only that - soft wood fibre - so is inherently softer than a hardened varnish. Ref ink, it has its own unique set of tips and tricks but I find it much easier to use than many stains and there is a HUGE rand of colours (and its dirt cheap!) I used Diamine inks last time - a british company, no less. This home built SG tribute used red calligraphy ink and Ronseal varnish - nothing else: It's become our main bassist's favourite gigging guitar. Yes I know - he's a bassist, but it gives me a chance to play the bass I built for him too, a tribute to Warwick's wonderful Thumb 4 NT Fretless... I was really pleased (and relieved - it was expensive wood if I'd cocked it!) with how both of them came out... Thanks again for your interest. Andy

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1410007282' post='2545336'] Here's a thought - should I ask Andy to do the headstock to match? It should have a matching headstock, really, but I changed it to natural when I made my clumsy attempt at a re-fin. [/quote] I would play it a bit first...I kept it away from you a fair while last time So is that a home applied decal? Nothing clumsy about that if it's a re-fin! It looks original. Andy

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1410006905' post='2545334'] Just finished putting it back together. It really looks the mutts! And, with a bit of judicious soldering, I managed to cure the slight grounding problem it had always had before - this is fitted with a U Retro preamp and I have found the East preamps need the extra mile with grounding. 7lbs of Fender's finest now looking as it should. Sounds amazing, too! Thanks for a brilliant job, Andy. Literally! [attachment=171050:lyte1.jpg][attachment=171051:lyte2.jpg][attachment=171052:lyte3.jpg][attachment=171053:lyte4.jpg][attachment=171054:lyte5.jpg][attachment=171055:lyte6.jpg][attachment=171056:lyte7.jpg] Edit - I also managed to put my first dink in the paint, carrying it back upstairs after taking the pics! Nothing serious, but nice to get that out the way now [/quote] That looks STUPENDOUS, Paul Really, really pleased Andy

Yup Mighty mite's are usually good to go...

It was new to me too but one of the nicest basses I've held in my sticky mitts. Sounds absolutely fabulous too. Great temptation to grow a beard, sell the house and sneak off to a distant land with it...but I reckoned that Paul would probably (and understandably) track me down

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1409406668' post='2539414'] Nice I've always been a fan of your stuff Andy! [/quote] Hi again, Evil Undead I don't know if you've also seen the recent Westone thread I also did for Paul. Thought about you when I was working on it - just your kind of bass...top class. Andy

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1409411840' post='2539487'] Well, Andy, as with the headstock, I couldn't be more pleased with the job. I am almost ashamed to stick the old hardware back on as it will make the bass look a bit shabby compared to the paint finish, which is a deep piano black gloss. When I do, I'll stick some pics on the thread just to complete the circle. Thanks again, Andy - I really can't praise your work highly enough. [/quote] Thanks Paul (double phew!!) Andy

Evil Undead!!! Great to hear from you Thanks Andy

So, the additional challenges. To set the scene - this is the bit that takes the time (on pretty much all types of finish). Basically, you have to wait until the coating is completely dry and hard before applying the final burnishing / de dust bugging / polishing. For the varnish I use, that is at least 2 weeks. For my usual finishes, I would simply use brown paper after this period to take any minor nibs off, then use autoglym car polish for the final shine. However, as this was gloss black, I thought I would be a smart-a**e and do it as the sprayers would (spraying leaves the little bobbles that, therefore, as a necessity need the following extra steps):[list] [*]flatten with 2000 grit wet 'n dry used wet [*]polish with auto cutting polish applied with a powered sponge [*]final polish with, eg, Carnuba wax [/list] As soon as I did step 1, I suspected there might a problem - although the surface was completely flat and smooth, visually there were very slight shadings (remember - this is just the clear varnish I was burnishing) I hoped it would just polish out with the sponge and cutting polish...it didn't...it got worse. While it was OK-ish, it wasn't as good as I'd started with after just varnishing. So now I had a problem. I knew that I was going to have to given it another 'final coat' of varnish but I also knew that I now had a body that had auto polish all over it! (and no - they really, really, don't go together). First try was to wipe repeatedly with meths, scrape out any polish that may have accumulated in screw-holes, etc, then sand all over with 1000 and 2000 grit and varnish. The polish still reacted! In some areas, the varnish 'parted', leaving what look like brush marks. In other areas, there were 'fisheyes', where the varnish was repelled round a tiny dot of contamination leaving a small pock-mark. At this stage, I knew I was going to have to take the varnish right down past any polish layer and do the finishing coats again Hence the delay, because that meant waiting a further 2 weeks for it all to harden before attempting to re-polish. So, after this additional wait, it was then:[list] [*]600 grit, then 1000, then 2000. [*]Re-varnish 2-3 coats with 30% white spirits [*]2000 grit, used wet [*]Final 2 coats with 50% white spirits [*]Wait 2 weeks [*]Avoid trying to be a smart-a**e a second time [*]Gentle final run over with brown wrapping paper [*]Polish with Meguire's Carnuba Wax polish [/list] It came out how I'd hoped it would. I'm sure Paul S will give his own feedback (hit us with it, Paul...I can take the punishment!). My own view is that I still say that this method will never match a professional spray job, but it gets extremely close...and for most applications, given the ease and convenience, is quite good enough. I will experiment whether the aborted burnishing was characteristic of the method or just a quirk. If it is the latter, then with burnishing and final polishing, it could absolutely match a decent spray job. I'll let you know the results. Spray would be nevertheless be quicker, but not if you have to wait for a dry, windless, insect-less, pollen-less weekend or light evenings day Thanks for looking Andy

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1409258768' post='2538138'] Fantastic job could you please post a link to what exact marker pens you use please? I did Google it but there's hundreds of results lol thanks in advance [/quote] Hi, Thunderbird [url="http://www.staples.co.uk/lumocolor-permanent-medium-assorted-pack-4/cbs/105528.html?price=incvat&cm_mmc=SEM_PLA-_-google-_-serp-pla&gclid=CNnH2K_wtsACFfOhtAodpzUAuQ"]It's these[/url] Andy

So, onto my slightly unconventional finishing method - and this was one of the topics as Paul and I explored to decide whether this was a good project to come my way in the first place. As I will illustrate next (using another recent project where I remembered to take photos!) I use good old Ronseal Hardglaze, thinned with white spirits and applied with a cloth...yes, I know... The reason I do it that way is:[list] [*]I don't have the room or facilities to spray other than small ad-hoc tasks in the back garden [*]It produces a better finish than you would expect [*]For the kind of things I generally do (figured wood or veneers) it is fine [/list] The reason we had the discussion is because I generally don't do solid colours & of all of them, gloss black is one of the most difficult from the varnishing point of view. Paul was happy to take the chance and I was happy enough to try it. For those who might be interested, I'll illustrate the method using the other project, then next thread go through the practical easy bits and challenges on the Precision. This is from another forum (TheFretboard) which had a summer challenge to buy an entry level 6-string kit and 'do something' with it. I plumbed for the offset (Jazzmaster-like) kit. I veneered the top, left the sides and back and stained it with fountain pen ink. Next came the varnishing. The kit is: Basically - tin of hardglaze, white spririts, jam jar to mix those two, microfibre cloths (£2-3 for 4 in Sainsbury's/Homebase), rubber gloves. I added one more thing - a 'glass cleaning' micro fibrecloth to use as a dust catching 'tack rag': If you have not used microfibre cloths yet, they are a FABULOUS invention. Provided you [u] don't cut them[/u] they are completely lint-free and dustless - much more so than even a pretty well cleaned lacquer brush. The varnish is thinned by around 30% (up to 50% towards the end) and then applied in smooth passes, just slightly overlapping: The white spirit makes it spread more easily, and dry more quickly. Generally you can get two coats in a day and by the morning, it is dry enough to 1000 grit sand (if necessary) ready for the next two coats. For one of my veneer jobs, I would do this for a week or so, then 1000 wet n dry (used wet), to flatten it, then 2000 wet 'n dry (used wet) to prepare the final surface, then go to 50% white spirits, and wipe a couple of final coats for the final varnish. This is the guitar above after the final coat and before any final polishing (which often isn't necessary): (the funny round shapes are reflections of cupboard handles) For this one, with the figuring hiding any inconsistencies, I didn't even need to polish it. By the way, this is how it came out - not bad for something that started out as a £95.00 all inclusive kit! However, gloss black was going to need a bit more final finishing - that's where the extra challenges came... The above process alone got me this far: Next post: 'the additional challenges, resolution and final result'

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1409237765' post='2537851'] Can't wait for the next installment... wait - it's my bass! Great to see the full diary. [/quote] As the thread develops, you'll probably figure why it took a few weeks longer than estimated! (Paul was VERY patient, by the way)