Norris

As you've already got a pearl white pickguard I'd probably go for a mid to dark tone that isn't in the usual Fender palette

I've still got the fretboard to go :s It chips if you so much as look at it in a funny way too!

Ebony is not the nicest wood to work with/against. Having just done a head cap on a guitar build I feel your pain. I ended up using a cabinet scraper - and a lot of time, to get it to the correct thickness and flat

I got a roqsolid cover when I bought my Rumble 500 combo. Lovely snug fit and it's kept the amp looking pristine. I went for the optional front pocket and cut a piece of hardboard to fit - for some added protection for the cloth grille. They are not cheap but worth every penny in the long term

Rautia Guitars do the most accurate reproduction. Got one in my SB-1000 Edit: Kent don't do a reproduction. They fit either a standard soapbar or humbucker (can't remember which now) into a MB1 style cover Edit 2: If you need a replacement "black box" pre-amp then Prostheta makes excellent reproductions - either with original 80s chips or modern equivalents that are a bit less power hungry. He doesn't visit BC often but I can give him a shout if you need one (and will probably give you a discount on his ebay price for BC members)

Certainly leave the undercoat on if you're refinishing it anyway. I've seen someone recently finish a guitar using magic marble paint on another forum - however it did take him several attempts to get it right, and levelling it out afterwards wasn't easy. (Magic marble is a paint that you float on water and then dip the guitar body into - you'll need a big plastic bin, enough to submerge the whole body if you're going that route) I'm not sure if I'd use gorilla glue anywhere. Afaik it expands in contact with water, including natural humidity. As far as removing the existing finish, you shouldn't need to. Just sand it all to provide a decent key

Lovely!

How have you secured the pickups in place? Or do they just float in their respective holes? Well done by the way! Definitely on the home straight now

45-105 We usually play a semitone down to reduce strain on the vocals. Add in the drop D (flat) tuner and lighter strings would be impractical. Plus I like a bit of punch and to be able to dig in a bit

[quote name='cytania' timestamp='1499872746' post='3334230'] Wind players don't have this, the covered holes and valves are learnt patterns for each note. I can see why they need musical notation as they aren't looking down at any kind of thinkspace. [/quote] There are plenty of saxophonists and flutists that can be more free form and jam along to something. I think it's just what they are used to. Classical music is a different discipline and it takes some adjustment to make a move into either camp. Good luck with the big band. I played my trombone in one for several years. It's great when it starts swinging. If you're playing bass you'll have a lot more freedom than the dots players - but then a knowledge of your scales and arpeggios will help with your walking bass lines, even if you're not reading rigid dots

[quote name='martthebass' timestamp='1499858380' post='3334084'] Fortunately up here in the North it's still all cash in hand for the gigs I play (c. 50 gigs/year). I think a lot of 'weekend warriors' would have to look at things seriously if it wasn't this way..... [/quote] Amen

Coat the board in black epoxy?

It's so long ago since I switcjed from playing classical music (trombone) to bass that it's not easy to remember the learning curve involved in throwing away the dots. It does take time, certainly to be able to improvise. It is possible - it just takes practice, the same as if a rock muso was trying to play classical. I'd start off with a couple of songs and get your classical musicians to learn them off by heart. Then try repeating a verse or chorus to mix up the structure a little. Maybe try it in a different key. Just gradual changes to introduce a bit of flexibility

If we hadn't been paid in cash back in the 90s we'd never have been able to put petrol in the van to get back home after the gig! ) always used to hate cheque gigs. We stopped playing one venue recently because the hassle and delays in passing invoices around just wasn't worth the money they were paying us. Cash in hand ftw imho!

If it's a new bass to your collection it wouldn't hurt to play with the pickup height adjustment. You might want to stick a new set of strings on too if you haven't already - it could be a duff one

You might need to screw the pickup down a bit further. I had to in order to balance the output on my P/J. It also sounds like your action might be a little low - especially if you like to dig in a bit like I do. As long as the neck relief is set correctly the other adjustments are easy to do, even for the most inexperienced among us

Beautiful!

If you want to enhance the grain with black on a future build, have a look for black thixotropic grain filler. It's awful to work with, gets absolutely everywhere, but really brings the grain out - especially on ash. Also do two or three applications and sand back each time - it will save you a fortune in lacquer (ask me how I know! )

It is a lovely finish. Looks almost like walnut

That all looks very neat work. Nicely done sir!

In addition, ebony can chip quite easily

Nice test results!

Some of it is also to get through a whole night of singing. They may be able to a single song in the original key, but when you've got twenty odd songs to do, sometimes for several nights on the trot, a slight key change here and there can make all the difference in being able to belt out the encore or having nothing left in the tank

I just wipe them down with a microfibre cloth - the same one I use to wipe the marks off my bass before it goes back in the case