Duarte

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.

Congratulations! In the past month I've acquired 2 P basses, having never owned one before. It's true, they just work. Everything feels and sounds good on em!

update from the anodising shop...

Oiling has begun. There have been some very informative threads on BC about how best to do this - I must thank Honza992 for an incredibly detailed account of his telecaster build here: I am in the grain-fill stage, 3 coats of tru-oil applied. I am going to take it slow, and just keep going until it shines. It won't be perfect, it's an old bit of wood, but I am very happy with how it's going so far. I have a feeling the body will match the neck nicely in terms of colour and general 'vibe'. It's got some of the maddest grain I've ever seen on a body.

I think you're right. I think I will do this kind of stain on a future project, but this isn't the right bass for it.

It was a little wet still - here's experiment number 2. I did this between the neck and pickup, an area that'd be covered up. Slightly sanded, then again but dampened (I'm trying to imagine what it'll look like with tru-oil).

This idea really stuck in my head. I've tested a spot inside the neck pocket.

Hi everyone! Apologies for the slow updates. Work became crazy for a couple of weeks as we prepare for reopening as the end of lockdown is in sight, so I haven't had the time to dedicate to this project until now. I've ordered a custom made black anodized from a local luthier. I wanted to get a few coats of oil done before the next update, and I am almost ready to start applying the finish, but I need some advice before I do. The wood has a couple of spots, only on the sides of the body, that are discoloured. This is the kind of thing that would become significantly more obvious once oil is applied. After a considerable amount of sanding, and an attempt at cleaning, I can't seem to get rid of them. I'm not too bothered if I can't remove them, as I will embrace the finished bass regardless of imperfections. After all, it's been around a fair bit! However, I'm putting this out there to see if anyone here has encountered such a thing. Here is the worst affected area - otherwise the wood is beautiful. The bass is hanging out to dry after cleaning!

Aria pro II CSB-450. It's wonderful. The neck is the same thickness from the first fret to the 22nd fret, and it has this super aggressive sound and responds very well to a pick. I play this more than any of my other basses!

I'm all about the black pick guards. Single ply, of course!

Absolutely right, this is screaming for cream covers!

Great tips! I drilled pilot holes but I think they weren't deep enough on the ones I rounded out. That's what I get for being too cautious I guess. More updates soon...