Duarte

I'm sure I'll get over it soon enough - it was just a little bit of a bummer when first putting everything together, and thinking what about what detail I missed for that to happen. However, pretty decent all things considered! I'll get round to recording a demo next week I think. It's got the ideal P bass tone.

She's finished! Apologies for all the photos, but I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. I think there's just enough 'new' to give the bass a whole new personality without sacrificing any of its vibe. Not only does it look good, but after a set up it's an absolute beast. My only gripe is the new pickguard has about a 1mm gap where it should meet the neck on the upper horn side - I'm not sure how this happened but I won't dwell on it. It is apparent in the 2nd pic. New parts were: tuners, nut, output jack, pickguard and screws, knobs, strap buttons, and bridge screws.

A bit of fun I had today!

Oooof! This is going to be a cool build. I'm glad to have been a bad influence on you!

I've tried a few player series basses locally, and they've all been superb. It has been very difficult to resist them... Players get my vote!

I've just discovered youtube shorts... so that's what I'm spending the next few days doing!

This is my Yamaha Pulser 450 from around 1978-9. It really is a beautiful thing.

I feel self conscious every time I bring my old turd out!

Go for it. There's some nice wood under that finish, strip it down and oil it - you'll have a totally new bass on your hands. I'm just about to complete a similar project and couldn't be happier with the experience and the outcome. It won't lose any value at this stage - and it will gain value to you. Here's mine...

This is the only way to do it if you have a thick poly finish. Looks punk as hell, and infinitely better than sandpaper. I really don't understand those Sandberg relics. For a bass to look so modern, and to have wear and tear only achievable through heavy use over 10x the number of years that such designs have even existed, is bizarre to me.

That's my other idea! Although I'll likely leave the headstock as is - I like that gold fender logo a lot. I wonder what the body wood looks like... I'll let you know in the coming days! I might strip the neck back to natural, as it is quite sticky and damaged.

Mmm, that's what I'm talking about.

Where I live is kind of a graveyard for old junker Japanese instruments. They wash up on the shores and get stored for years.There are warehouses full of this stuff that just degrades in the tropical humidity - it's very common. I'd wager that the previous owner has long forgotten about it. It's in good hands now though!

Somebody has to stop me - this is my 3rd new bass day in a month! But when you see something you simply must have at the right price... y'know. Picked it up for roughly £100. Thailand's used bass market is a wonderful thing. Anyway, this is a project bass. It's an early Fender Japan Boxer bass, 32" scale. It feels absolutely tiny, even compared to my other 32" basses. It has been seriously abused. The electronics are shot - pickups are OK thankfully. The neck seems fine, too. The big question is... how to refinish? I'm thinking metallic British Racing Green or something along those lines. here's pics!

I recently started following Flea on social media, after re-discovering my love for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and he just seems like the most wholesome, genuine man. I need to find a copy of his autobiography, or even better, the audiobook read by him. I've heard it is marvellous. Happy 59th!

Brilliant!

Here's a bit of fun I had one lockdown day. A reggae version of I Fought The Law with original vocal track.

Just a quick one - my mini task of the day was preparing the bridge. The original plan was to go with a fender bridge I had kicking around, but after closer inspection, the original bridge plate is significantly more substantial, it feels about 50% heavier. So after a good clean to remove the rust, and some saddle/screw/spring replacements, I think we have the bridge.... It might get a shiny new one in the future, but I won't worry about that just yet. (I've corrected the E string saddle already )

Very nice indeed! You made a great purchase, you could buy a lot worse for a lot more. The grain on the body is cool too. Looks like a one piece body? I could be mistaken, but that's something you just don't find very often, especially on modern basses.

I'm slowly improving my mixing and editing skills I think. Particularly pleased with this latest video

Thanks folks! I'm really excited about this bass. I must thank you all for your input and advice on the process so far. I am a new to this kind of project so it is greatly appreciated. More updates soon - but for now it's another week of tru-oil!

This is a new one I had made by a local luthier, I'll keep the old one for something. But I am digging this look for now!

OK, proper update! I'm still working through tru-oil coats (I have been conservatively applying 1 per day for the past 10 days and it still has a little way to go) but here's an idea of how she'll look. Pickguard arrived today and I must say I'm very happy with how it's coming along.

I appear to be going through a bit of a phase, as this is the 2nd 70's Japanese P bass I've bought in the last few weeks. This is my perfect P bass. I love the punk aesthetic of the white/black combo, I love the slightly 'wrong' headstock shape. The body seems to be a little undersized, as it's very light. The neck feels somewhere between my 78 Yamaha P and my Fender Japan J. I had been eyeing it up on FB marketplace in Bangkok for a while, a really good deal. It was on sale for just a little too long so I had to go for it. It's a 78 Greco in remarkable condition. It plays superbly and sounds as good. This is a keeper, for sure.