Norris

It might be a bit on the edge of your travel zone, but last summer I was down in Cornwall, in "Poldark" country. There were quite a few abandoned mine buildings that were accessible to the public, although maybe slightly more ruined than you're looking for. You might need to choose your time to avoid tourists though.

My guitarist regularly plays a Vintage in preference to the many more expensive guitars he owns. I prefer my Squire to the other more expensive basses I own. Don't get hung up on the name on the headstock. Play the one that feels and sounds great

If needs be you might be able to get hold of a new metal strip. It looks very similar to the edging strips used in some VW camper vans e.g. edging the table. Certainly you can still get hold of most things like that for restoring campers, as there are still loads of them around. Edit: Ah-ha... https://camperinteriors.co.uk/products/plastic-insert-for-table-edging-black-other-colours-available-per-metre

Have you tried prising the rubber/plastic centre out of the metal strip? You might find some nails under there. I think that's how they are normally fixed on. Edit: warming it with a hairdryer might soften it slightly

I use my J a lot more since I fitted it with a series/parallel switch. The old electronics were pretty shot so I got @KiOgon to make me a new loom including a switch on the tone pot

I think that deserves an award for going above and beyond the call of duty @Andyjr1515 !

I'd set the saddles at the end of travel. The string will never need to be shorter than the nominal full scale when setting intonation. They always adjust longer

Ridiculous. That is all

We haven't had a list of who's bringing what yet. I think most people have seen my stuff already, but I might bring my lad's gear down. Ampeg BA-108 - which is a great little practice/small gig amp and his Yamaha TRBX305 5-stringer

That's one thing I love about Basschat. You can never tell which thread is going to descend into handbags at 10 paces!

The Ampeg BA-108 you were looking at is a pretty decent sound for the size/weight/price. I bought my son one as a practice amp. It's never been tried in a gig situation, but certainly should be loud and hefty enough for smaller gigs. My normal gigging amp is a Fender Rumble V3 500 combo - and I think there's been enough recommendations on the thread already for that

Now you've got three ink shades you could do a burst

It does help to spread the cost when your build takes time to do. However then when a bit looks tidy and you've done a good job of it, the budget starts creeping up too . Sub-300 is still pretty "budget" for a self build. Well done

Been doing it for years. It's amazing how much a semitone helps the aging vocal chords

Pedant

Check out the Makita RT0700C. It's a compact, lightweight trimmer router. It's very easy to control and probably better suited to the delicate job of guitar building. The only thing it lacks is a plunge stop - you set the depth before routing. It's around £100 ish on Amazon, but you might want to look at the X4 kit which includes a side bearing guide ideal for routing binding channels

Sounds good. Nitrocellulouse will sink into the grain over time. If you apply just enough to do the job, it may help it sink more for an aged look if that's what you're after. i.e. keep the coats as thin as possible. I assume you are taking all necessary precautions when spraying?

Beautiful work

I'd probably lend them the gear but suggest that if they are going to start gigging regularly they ought to think about investing in their own gear. It depends how you feel about it (and obviously you have some issues or you wouldn't have posted about it) and how a refusal might affect the dynamic of your band. Maybe ask for a deposit in case anything gets damaged? Edit: Maybe offer to help find them some suitable gear to purchase from the for sale section

I avoid wet sanding completely I use micromesh pads dry, and wipe the dust off regularly with a monofibre cloth every few strokes

Have you got any 600 grit sterated aluminium oxide paper? It's ideal for final preparation of wood before applying finish and flatting off between coats. I got mine from eBay. If you apply paint too heavy you can always knock it back with a bit of flat sanding. I'd also consider drilling the holes before grain filling. You don't want to knock any filler out round the holes.

Any fan of the correct dimensions, voltage and air flow should do the job. They are usually pretty standard parts, but to source a replacement you are going to need to know the specifications of the existing fan. If you find those out, I'm sure someone will be able to direct you to a suitable replacement

Height, width and depth? Or even a photo?

You've got a real proud dad look going on there! Lovely photo