Maude

Yeah looking at it more it's not ply. I looked at all the lines on the front and thought ply, but the grain on the back is obvious it's not. D'oh! 🙄 Bridge looks a bit new and generic, and I agree the knobs are replacement.

This is a thread I started a few months ago as a NBD, but as usual it's turned into something more suited to the Build Diaries section. So here it is 😁. I bought an Epiphone acoustic guitar today for a workmates daughter, and while I was chatting to the seller he said he had an old 80s bass that needed some sorting. We'd spoke about fixing up cheap old gear and he thought it would be right up my street, and I was welcome to it if I wanted it, as it was just in the way. We met at his workplace (a really cool place that makes vintage pressed number plates, full of really old machinery BTW 😎) so he didn't have it with him but he said he send some pictures. Well he just has and it's an old Kay version of the 80s Aria SB/Westone Thunder type of bass. Natural wood, neck through PJ, active electrics by the look of the switching. I've been after a bass in this style for a while and am over the moon with his offer. I'll pick it up in the week hopefully, and give him something for it anyway. Bored yet? Yes? OK, pictures then. Any info about these basses gratefully received. Plywood wings and presumably heavy as hell. I'll update when I've got it. 🙂👍

I picked up the Epiphone acoustic today and have just finished setting it up for my mate's daughter. Tidied the fret ends and rounded the binding edge slightly, polished all the frets and burnished the binding so it's all silky smooth. Took the saddle and nut down a touch and took some relief out of the neck so it's a bit easier on little fingers. It now plays so easily and feels really comfy. Sin of all sins I oiled the fretboard 😉, polished the body and fitted the new strings that came with it. For £80 it's a magnificent guitar and really looks like new, well it was only 12 months old anyway. Hopefully she'll be over the moon with it. And just to prove karma is out there, after chatting with the seller and saying I was a bassist (after displaying my embarrassing guitar playing) he said he had an old 80s bass that needs some fixing, but I was welcome to it if I wanted it. He's just sent me some pictures of it and it's an old Kay (here we go again 😆). It's a natural wood, neck through PJ in the Aria SB, Westone Thunder style. Another fun project awaits.

I'm picking up a Epiphone AJ 210ce for a work mate today. His daughter started playing guitar about a year ago but only has a £10 charity shop spanish guitar. She's stuck at it and wants something she won't be embarrassed taking to school, but with a young family etc, my mate hasn't got a lot of spare cash. He asked me to keep my eyes open for anything suitable. The guitar looks great and comes with an Epiphone hard case, appears to be like new just not getting played, you know the score, only £80. I reckon it'll be a great guitar to progress on.

Skin O' My Teeth - Megadeth

Lovely looking bass 😎👍

Always sad when a kindred spirit passes, and too young. Condolences to his family. Rest in peace MB1 😎

Then when Ticketmaster has sold out, their sister company, 'Get me in', has them for four times what Ticketmaster were selling for. Legalised ticket touting.

Spanish Flea - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Let's cheer this thread up a bit 😁

Naked in the Rain - RHCP

I don't know know why, if just assumed it would dry rubbery. 👍

Woodpecker From Mars - Faith No More

Working In A Coal Mine - Lee Dorsey

Mutton 😁

Does that Gorilla glue set hard like a resin then, I always assumed it was like PVA wood glue? All this talk of speed clips and a Snap On rachet screwdriver, in the motor trade?

I'd like to put a strap button on the upper horn of my Jack Casady, but I'm not convinced there's enough strength there not to split the side away from the top and bottom. If I did I'd try and glue a block inside to screw the button into. How long has yours been there and do you gig with it?

@Telebass, I'm sure you've gone down every avenue to find a way of continuing, but is sitting with something like a Hofner Club or Danelectro, DI'd to the desk completely out of the question? I'm only asking because, although you don't know me, I've seen you play several times when you were with the Rock'n'Roll Outlaws, in Tavi and Callington (yes every venue in Callington is shite 😉) and can see how much it means to you. If there really is no way to continue then you have my sincere sympathies.

If we're talking bass driven Cure tracks then this has to be the winner, Shirley? The Cure have been a massive part of my life since first hearing Charlotte Sometimes, and they still are to this day.

The Same Deep Water As You - The Cure

Remove the B string and install a series of pressure sensors to trigger sound effects with your thumb. You too can then make music like Ross in Friends.

D'oh, of course they're string spreaders. Senior moment. 😆 The blue tool being a fret clamp makes if, like you say, there's different size attachments. Sadly I don't have the attachments. 🙄 Although the mole grip type one looks to be a must better tool to use than the blue one.

Thanks the help folks. Annoyingly I've just bought a block of white 'Tusq' of identical size to the large piece with the tools. That was a tenner wasted 😁. Can't grumble, he only wanted £40 for the lot, the nut slotting files are Hosco, as are the fret erasers and one of the fret files, other fret file is StewMac. Oh yeah, another question, what are the pair of red curved 'bicycle clip' things for? I know I've seen them but for the life of me can't think what they are now.

Yes, they're a fret press clamp, there are four different nylon blocks that go in them for different radius necks. The blue, similar tool is the puzzle, as the slot that a fret would sit in seems to large and deep to press a fret in.

The two files in the red bags are fret files of differing sizes.

Yes the black block makes perfect sense now, the flat file thing has corresponding circular marks on the other side from being clamped in the block. The block holds it at 45 degrees so you're right, it's for bevelling fret ends. The yellow, red, blue and green blocks are 'fret erasers', kind of like a rubber impregnated with sanding grit. They're different grades for dressing frets.