Pete1967

Just bought a bag of screws off Den.. last of the big spenders eh. Anyways, great friendly comms over PM and they turned up in two shakes of a tail.Bob on.

Bought some straplocks of Dan a while backs (and apologies Dan for the time it's taken me to leave this feedback). A complete gent and the merchandise turned up in record time.

Yes.. A light coat of wax every six months or so will keep the wood looking silky, and provide a little protection from general grot....

Ditto the advice about seeing before buying. I can recommend Kirk at Exotic Hardwoods UK Ltd (www.exotichardwoodsukltd.co.uk). He's based in Chapel En Le Frith, which might not be unreachable from where you are.

The truss rods that Jon uses are double action so they have threaded sections at each end, welded to an 'action' bar. They have a huge amount of movement in them so they only usually need adjusting about a 16th of a turn. If you can turn it 1cm it's definitely broken, either a stripped thread on one end or snapped. I've made about half a dozen necks using Jon's technique and conventional truss rod repair techniques don't apply I'm afraid. I can think how you might remove and replace a rod in one of Jon's necks (in fact I might make a dummy neck and have a go to see if I'm right) but it wouldn't be for the first timer, so it's really a return to base job I think if you do need it to be repaired. If it's not currently an issue, then I'd probably leave it since it plays no part in the structural strength of the neck, but at some point it'll annoy you I suspect.....

I have the Hosco ones. They're the real deal and cut a straight sided slot and won't wander. It probably due to my lack of skill that i didn't really get good results with needle files, but these just work.

Jon Shuker springs immediately to my mind....

As above, I'd aim to match the outputs for balance purposes and split/dual coil to keep it noiseless. I have a Nordstrand PJ set in mine and they're great.

Another vote for Rothko and Frost... Good kit and good service.

Sounds like you're heading in to JJ Burnel territory in which case you'll be wanting a 3 ply Black/White/Black pickguard. Personally I'd go for a decent one that's got a reasonable chance of fitting, which some of the cheap ones don't. Expect to pay about 30 quid.

I suppose there's a consideration around aesthetics too as in clover key or Y key.... modern v traditional looks etc, but if you're OK with a modern look without doubt the best value tuners are the Schaller BMLights. They're lightweight and about the best engineered you can get. Schaller make an OEM version for Fender which is fitted to some American Deluxe models (I think, I'm not a Fender expert!). They're not the most straightforward to fit since you need to drill some holes for the locating studs in exacly the right place, but there's a nifty trick to it that makes it easy once you know what it is! They will also cure any head heavy tendencies. Availble in the UK from Stentor [url="http://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/products/bass-115/schaller-bm-electric-bass-guitar-machine-head-lightweight-849.aspx"]http://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/products/bass-115/schaller-bm-electric-bass-guitar-machine-head-lightweight-849.aspx[/url] and a steal at £47 a set. The other option would be Hipshot Ultralites 1/2", available from Bass Direct, but IMO they're not as well made at the Schallers and outrageously expensive (£120) for what they are.

For me, the only reason to swap tuners out is to cure neck dive. IME even cheap tuners hold intonation fine for all practical purposes and I've never detected a change in tone. If you have neck dive, go for Hipshot ultralites ot Schaller BM Lites and live with the holes that are left (or plug them). Otherwise put the money towards those boots, or beer.....

I think Grangur has made the key point here. Is it lacquered or is it a natural finish? the principle of working through the grades is spot on, but it will be very different grades for each scenario.

There's one obvious choice IMO... Jon Shuker. Have a look here. [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/pbassgallery.html"]http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/pbassgallery.html[/url]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1391164491' post='2353914'] Wire wool swarf is an absolute pain if it does get on to your pickups but a job like this is far more manageable with the neck removed (if at all possible)... this being the case, swarf is no longer an issue. [/quote] Totally agree - neck off is the way to go if you can, but obviously not on option for neckthroughs or set necks. Tape pups off and vac up carefully with a brush tool before removing the tape.. then do the dining room table and carpet too if you're married.....

Tape off the fretboard between the frets with masking tape, cutting it in carefully with a scalpel when the fret spacing gets too small for a single strip, then use 0000 grade wire wool. Wear gloves or you'll be picking bits of steel out of your fingers for days. Use metal polish for a final shine - I used Duraglit wadding. Alternatively, use a two stage metal buffing wheel kit from Halfords fitted to an electric drill, but if you do that double mask the fretboard and mask the sides of the fretboard too (and the body if you don't remove the neck) because the wheel will get pulled over the edges.

Hmmm... it'll be an Alder body. I suspect that what you're seeing in your mind is Ash. Alder is distinctly bland looking wood when it's left all natural, and as others have said there's a high chance it'll be three pieces (or more) with no grain match at all... that's why it's a solid colour. They use the best wood on the trans colours. I think you'd be disappointed with the result. Certainly there are people that could strip and refinish for you professionally but that's not cheap (£200 ish), and a bad DIY job will really devalue a bass that would hold it's value otherwise, so unless you're really confident about your woodwork and finishing skills, it's not a bass to learn on! My take would be to pass on it, and buy a natural finish bass... if that's what you really want. P

Of all the bridges I've tried, the Schaller 2000 remains my favourite. It's endlessly adjustable, rock solid once properly set up and is a direct replacement for Fender 5 hole bridges. OK it's a little more avantgarde in it's looks but might be worth a look if you fancy something a little less obvious.... [url="http://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/products/schaller-2000-series-198/schaller-2000-series-bass-guitar-bridge-tailpiece-1051.aspx"]http://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/products/schaller-2000-series-198/schaller-2000-series-bass-guitar-bridge-tailpiece-1051.aspx[/url]

I use my PJ quite a lot but, shocker, I'm not a huge fan of a pure P tone. I find the addition of the bridge pickup adds a bit of middle bite that I like, and gives a more rounded tone overall, but as with others I never use the J on it's own - plus it suits my playing style because I'm a thumb on the back pickup kinda guy. Personally I'd say you'd get a more versatile instrument, but perhaps go to a shop and try a few and see if you likey... If you do go for it I'd suggest selecting a pretty hot noiseless/split coil J to balance the output of the P and avoid single coil hum...

For me there's only one serious choice for a single pickup bass... a Musicman. Have a look at the Delano MC 5 HE or Nordstrand MM5.4. Both are quad coil that you could definitely get a myriad of switching options with per your original thoughts which in my opinion is a fine way to go if you want. Both are in budget for you and available at Bass Direct. On my Fretless 5 build I put a piezo bridge and a Bart dark tone pickup. It's a great combination, I particularly like the 'compressed' kind of sound from the piezo and it gives the bass a smoothness you can't get from magnetics alone IMO, well suited to a fretless, but you definitley need some electronics for that.

Ditto...

cyano = cyanoacrylate = Superglue if it's a poly finish I would colour the base of the ding with nail varnish and fill with superglue then flat and polish - you'll get a finish more consistent with the poly by using superglue as your top coat. Basically what the Stewmac vid says. Practice strip sanding first if you use that technique, because you can put a dint in really quickly without knowing it and have to start again on a bigger hole!