Andyjr1515

[quote name='bassman2790' timestamp='1318769330' post='1405939'] I've got most of the paint off now. Still not sure which way to jump as regards the finish. It would be a shame to hide the grain [/quote] Stain (almost any colour) and clear varnish would still show the grain through like a good old trans-red / trans-blue, etc

How's this coming on, Mark?

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1318689445' post='1405258'] aah yes. That dust is a bitch. [/quote] It certainly is . Mind you, it all cleaned up and polished up nicely - the chap I did it for was (phew!) delighted with it By the way, I found another useful household item - 'Camp' liquid coffee (you know, the one in a bottle your mother used to make coffee cake with) - great to mix in with Timbermate stainable wood filler and I reckon would make a pretty good antique stain in its own right. Anyone want to offer their beloved bass as a guinea-pig?

I LOVE Teal on a guitar . Did one one on a (wash my mouth out) 6 string a couple of years ago and it's still one of my favourites - what will you use to stain it?

Hi To be honest, the ink absorbs so well and the colour is so strong that an even finish isn't a problem. I just use a piece if rag pulled round into a ball, give it a good soaking and then just smooth it on. Each coat deepens the colour and evens out any variations. Mind you, best to wear the Marigolds! The strat just needed two coats, one straight after the other.

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1317568083' post='1391815'] It might be just the photos, but it does just seem to look round the edges as if it's not quite as smooth as it could be? [/quote] You are being very diplomatic but yes - absolutely - the edges are a little rougher than they should be Nothing to do with the photo, I'm afraid, but happily hardly noticeable on the real thing unless you hold to the light in a slightly odd way. The reason is simple - in our slightly dusty house (cat, kids, etc, etc) getting the final coat on the top without any dust bugs is a pain and I have to make a decision every time of 'leave it now Rogers, the top isn't going to get any better', regardless of small flaws elsewhere. Before this is handed over, I will be using some flour-paper to take the tops off and polish with Auto Glym car polish... (General please note - I find Auto Glym is great for polishing areas of poly or nitro, but never use it more generally with a Tru Oil finish - it's OK to hide very small blemishes but on larger areas takes the shine right off ) Andy

Hi I've been asked for a few more details and the answers might be of general interest so...here goes. Ref the veneering, I added a thread earlier in the year of some of the tips and tricks [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/142149-veneering-an-ibanez-gsr200-tips-tricks/"]http://basschat.co.u...00-tips-tricks/[/url] Ref staining and finishing the back and sides - which were a plain Ash - this is how it came out (again, the colour is a bit squiffy on the photo - it is a real deep blood red in real life) [attachment=90549:IMG_1874s.jpg The grain on the Ash shows through great. With a grainy wood like this and stained, there are two options: Have grain showing or Have grain completely filled This example has the grain showing (it is just a hint, as much of the grain is filled in any case with the varnish). The process there is: stain with ink or dye; apply enough coats of tru oil to allow very fine sanding (1000 grit) without breaking through into the dye. Apply more coats of Tru-Oil until the desired gloss is reached, sanding very gently between coats with 2000 grit. Grain not showing is easy with plain wood - just use either the Tru-oil sealer /filler, sand down then Tru-Oil as normal. Stained wood is a little more involved as the grain filled parts need to be coloured. Here, the simplest process is: stain; grain fill with Tru-oil sealer / filler (which dries see-thru); sand down to bare wood; restain; finish as above. Larger fills need a proper paste grain filler - use Timbermate (sold in UK as Metolux 'Premium Joiners Grade 1 part wood filler' Stainable (either light or med/dark) and mix a little of your stain with it. Apply, sand, stain, varnish. Hope this helps Andy

Hi Apologies for those who are rightly offended by 6 strings, but the attached might be useful for basses too! I was recently asked if I could make a strat based on some's Hank Marvin signature neck - they wanted it red, but a little bit different top the normal Fiesta Red we all know and . I got an Ash body, veneered it (as described in earlier threads) in Myrtle veneer, then looked for a suitable red stain. After dismissing Dylon fabric dye (wrong shade), I firmed up on calligraphy red ink! No other stain needed, just needed finishing in the usual way with Tru-oil. The photos don't do it justice - it's less yellow in real life and absolutely STUNNING. [attachment=90534:IMG_1868s.jpg] [attachment=90535:IMG_1852s.jpg] [attachment=90536:IMG_1851s.jpg] I'm going to try something similar on an Ibanez bass, but maybe try turquoise Quink!!! Maybe I'll call it my Parker Range I've put some of the shots and some of the other basses and 6 strings I've done on my website (see signature) - and no...I'm not a commercial builder. I just get a kick out of how these things sometimes turn out and have a master plan to eventually try to simply fund what I like dong best - playing them!! Found a damn good grain filler too - shout if you want some more details

This looks the business - lovely job!

Great! Well done

That looks really, really nice

[quote name='JimBobTTD' post='1339359' date='Aug 14 2011, 09:52 AM']I'm no expert, but surely the Stew Mac will be 110V?[/quote] Hi, I think the router charic refers to is the router attachment for a Dremel 4000 (the latter which, as you rightly say, needs to be sourced in the EU). charic - have you forgotten the cost of the Dremmel in your calcs or do you already have one?

That is just BEAUUUUUUUUUUUTIFUL Andy

Hi charic I will watch your progress with great interest - it is on my list of next things to try. The stuff I saw that looked right was the Dremel 4000, the mini router attachment (Stewmac sell it in US but I think you can get it direct in UK too) a scalpel, a piece of wood with a slot in it and a jeweller's saw (with plenty of spare blades!). Mind you looking is as far as I've got so far Keep posting! Andy

Hi Hope the attached help. This is the back of the control plate of my Squier VM Jaguar. [attachment=86803:P1030182.jpg] [attachment=86800:P1030179.jpg] [attachment=86801:P1030180.jpg] [attachment=86802:P1030181.jpg] The configuration has two stacked knobs giving independent tone and volume to each pickup. Note that the upper (viewed from the back) pot is volume-wired and the lower one is tone-wired with a capacitor on each. It's just the same as a Les Paul guitar except that each tone and vol pot are stacked on top of each other rather than separate and side by side. Hope this helps Andy

The compromise is putting heavier strings on as above and set the saddles for your lower tunings and put up with the higher action heights at your 'normal' tuning. It is a comprise, though...

Looks wicked! Assuming you don't have a multimeter or continuity checker...if you are not getting any sound from either pickup, the problem is likely to be the other side of the two volume pots. Start with checking at the jack-end - is it a sealed one or can you see the contacts? If its the latter, take the plate off, push in the jack, make sure the jack is pressing against the spring steel hot contact and make sure the tip of the jack isn't touching the earth wire (especially when the wire is scrunched up back in its place). If all is OK, check the wires fron the Jack to earth and the hot connection in the pot chamber. Check there are no hot wires touching any ground wires (again, particularly when they are scrunched up in place). It's usually something simple and its usually the jack socket!

Looks great, Ross I've been caught by the knob trap too in the past

[quote name='Batfastard' post='1334284' date='Aug 9 2011, 10:07 PM']Cheers mate. I think I'll leave the join as is for the mo. I can always fill it in at a later date. cheers for the advice. I can't wait to hear the Wizard Thumper and 84.[/quote] Yes - sounds great to me. Once you get the neck, hardware and strings back on, you will be stunned how good this looks Really pleased how this is turning out for you. Andy

Hi V pleased you've finally got the miscreant to stick down It looks very good to me - and it DOES look a bit like leather! Ref the join - if you want to fill it, there are two ways I've found that works OK: Do a coating of tru-oil and while it is still wet, give it a good sanding - won't do the sandpaper any good, but the mush will fill the gaps fairly well. Then, when dry, sand it down again back to the veneer. Do that whole thing again if needed. OR - sand some scrap veneer to create a little pile of veneer dust. Add a little tru-oil to create a paste and use that, like decorators filler, to fill the gaps. Again, once dry, sand it down to smooth. OR - leave it. I actually think the dips and drops in a wood finish sometimes adds to the fact it is a natural product. Whatever you do about the filling, a number of thin coats of tru oil, sanded each time with v fine (1000 grit or higher) wet and dry used wet, will build to a high gloss finish that will bring all of the fabulous grain of the veneer and make it look FABULOUS!! Really looking forward to seeing the finished product Andy

[quote name='JimBobTTD' post='1332508' date='Aug 8 2011, 05:22 PM']Files are here and the nut is now filed and ready. G string off and flatwound G on; the rest will follow when I get a moment - I am back at work now. All strings are going through the bridge and not the body. It is all so nearly finished...all that is left to do is intonation, string height, relief. Expect pics of finished product in 48 hours or so![/quote] Can't wait!

Hi I'm also not quite sure what you are trying to do (not familiar with the '62) but is it like my VM Squier Jag - do you want a volume and tone for each of the two pickups? If so, when I get back at the weekend, I can easily take off my control plate and photgraph it for you... The VM Jag has two concentric control knobs - each with volume at the top and tone at the bottom to be able to blend either pup by volume and tone (bit like a Les Paul in middle postion but using just two knobs intead of four). Let me know and if I'm right, I'll get a shot Fri/ Sat Andy

[quote name='jimbobothy' post='1331522' date='Aug 7 2011, 10:22 PM']Changed the battery? However I'm a simpleton when it comes to elasticery![/quote] I regard myself a bit of a techo geek and yet it was ages before I thought about the battery on one of mine Everything was sorted in 15 secs...after the 24 hours trying to work out what could be wrong!