Zenitram

Ask John at Orchid Electronics to make you one. Very, very reasonably priced (I'd go as far as "inexpensive" bordering on "cheap"), and use top-quality parts and cable and all that. They'll do any length, various colours. I very strongly doubt you'll find cheaper for such top-notch quality. http://www.orchid-electronics.co.uk/

That looks really nice. I used to work in Otley. Strange, strange place.

Well, actually, he admits to being incapable of recommending the chap to any sufficient extent. Damned by faint praise, really.

A year and a half seems like quite a long time to make a bass guitar.

That's too confusing for me I'm afraid.

Is she any good for metal?

And what are you doing that's so fiddly at the moment? How would you like to be doing it?

What do you do on the iPad that you can't do on the actual computer?

Right, so spraying is probably not the best option, given the whole death thing. Stripping back to the wood it is, then. Probably. When I get round to it. Thanks people.

Thanks for that thorough reply Grangur. So I need to sand until smooth, but not sand until all paint removed, right? The reason I'm thinking of respraying is that I though it would be easier than going down to bare wood (which I would prefer, to be honest, even on the ply bass). I live in a flat with no workshop or garage, and no sanding tool or heat gun or anything. And I'm a cheapskate. Maybe it's not such a great idea. Hmm. Or buy a heat gun and go at the bodies with that and a load of sandpaper, then finish with Danish oil. I will think on.

As in this stuff: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/White-Appliance-Gloss-Spray-Paint-250ml-No-CFCs-Interior-Exterior-Quick-567459-/150850865647?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item231f6989ef I have a couple of cheap basses that I am going to sort out, one is ply and has a nasty cheap sunburst finish, and the other is solid wood but has a fairly crappily applied purple coat of paint (you can see brush strokes). The poundland shop down the road sells this spray paint for a quid a can, and I was wondering if it might work on these bodies. I imagine it'd need lacquer or something on top to finish it. What do you think? Is there any reason it won't work? Or any reason it will work? Stupid idea? Will my basses look like shiny new washing machines afterwards?

Great post chris_b; short, concise and neatly expressed.

The Salsoul Orchestra? Plenty disco.

Good good.

You should probably listen to something else then.

Ah. Okay. Yes. Right.

What does ERBassist mean?

If anyone wants me to go and pick it up for them, I'd be happy to.

I'm waiting to hear from someone else who enquired before you, so you're second on the list and I'll let you know. Thanks.

You could have a rule whereby it's the other band members who get to say if you're too loud, not you. So if anyone says "guitarist, you're too loud, turn it down", they have to. Or something.