Jimothey

I've decided to go down a different route regarding the finish as the white and orange was a bit bland for my liking and I wasn't happy with the finish! I've always wanted a Steve Harris style p bass (but not the West Ham one!?) I'm going to strip it right back to bare wood and start again from scratch so I'll update once I've got it going 😀

Thanks mate I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't balls it up!! Thankfully it is starting to look how I had envisaged it! 😀

I mean tarnish the chrome a smidge, dull a few areas maybe a bit of paint off on the arm rest just try and make it a bit used Using your example maybe a supermarket door ding would be the level I'm hoping for?? 😁

Started veneering the top today using @Andyjr1515 very helpful instructions, the headstock is done and the body is drying But now for the last big decision Maple or Ebony fretboard Looking at it I'm thinking everyone is right definitely Ebony! Also I've been trying a gloss poly finish on a offcut of the veneer here's a comparison of gloss and raw I think that when is done it will look nice and lustrous 😀

Yeah that is a pic of the actual nut, It's just a shame that it was going to sit too high, in hindsight I probably should have pared a bit more out of the fretboard so it could be fitted with bottom plate Here's the updated pic after the paint debacle!! Its now a bit more conservative than the blue but this was my original plan of how this project will look, I'm still going to use the bridge cover to add a bit of a retro/vintage vibe I'm thinking to maybe to try and relicing it a little bit nothing heavy just nice a subtle?? 😀

No its Just-a-copy £3.50 off ebay I only got this one because it was the smallest (width) pre-slotted 5 string nut I could find 😀

That's a bit annoying! Luckily the neck I'm using is 42.5mm so it fits fine

The outer nut slots sit about 5mm in from the edge of the fretboard but I'm still waiting for the the bridge so I can really see how the strings are going to sit 😀

Have you got a Jazz neck on it then?

That's looking great!! 😀

Even tho the blue paint on the body has been dry for almost a week now, I picked it up to fit the new nut and the paint virtually peeled off in my hands so I ain't gonna use that crappy stuff again!! 😠 So I went back to my trusted ultra tough gloss enamel paint unfortunately I had to spray it white again (which was my original colour scheme) so I'll post some pics tomorrow when I get to work as I didn't take my phone with me today @kodiakblair the new nut which is a 43mm adjustable nut off ebay would have been far to tall if I had fitted the plate on the bottom so that's been glued in place without the plate and looks like it's going to work fine 😀

Looks like a really interesting build, definitely going to see how it develops 😀

I don't think I'm going to stain it I like the white-ish and black, I've been looking at ebony boards and I'm still completely undecided to go light or dark but luckily I can't afford to buy the fretboard till the end of the month so I've got a few weeks to decide 🤔

Thanks I like to push myself to try different things some work some don't but hey ho it's all part of life Yeah my daughter Ashden has already tried to get me to make her a 3/4 sized electric guitar, she tried to hold my P Bass but bless her she couldn't reach past the 7th fret (she is only 9 tho) 😀

I like the really striking Basses like this one or my Blue and Orange 5 string conversion I know it's not to everyone's tastes but that's kinda my style (bold and brash) Its one of the reason why I brand my Basses under 'Brash' the other is its a mashup of my kids names BRadley and ASHden 😀

I thought the grain was straight when I marked it out but I've got enough to re-cut it, So I take it the look isn't to your taste?? Cross eyed!?! Hey I know I could call it 'Tropia' 😁

I've cut the veneer to slightly oversize and just temporarily double sided taped it in place 😁 Its going to have black hardware but I'm really liking the look of a light wood fretboard! I think with ebony it might look a bit too monochrome

+1

I think I remember reading somewhere that they put the bridge covers on originally to cover the foam they used to dampen/mute the strings but I don't know what the purpose of the pickup cover is apart from as you say for astheatics, I'll have to investigate the and let you know 😀

I sometimes use the pickups as a thumb rest but I spose I could put a thumb rest on and just get used to playing like that instead?? 🤔

Ive decided to go a bit more vintage looking so I've got a bridge cover hot footing it's way over from China, I was going to go for the metal pickup cover as well but Ive got the feeling that it would get in the way (not that I've ever played one with the pickup covers on?) 😀

I get bored on my lunch breaks and when I haven't got a lot of work on I get time to crack on with the various projects No I'm an Essex boy but all my family come from East London but I grew up in North Essex so think Towie but not as common!! 😁

Thats what I thought! Nice and understated!! 😁

Ooohhhh my veneer turned up today very excited but I won't get chance to start it till Friday 🙁

Some of the closed pickups are actually rail magnet so that's an option