BassTool

Then clear out the thick with a Forstener bit.... Before a sharp chisel went in, then I freehanded the router with a small straight bit in to level the base as best I could. Yup, I could do with lots of practise, opportunity to try stuff, and preferably a carpenter standing over my shoulder to keep me right, but this attempt was getting hidden under a scratchplate, and it didn't really matter that it had plenty of wiggle room, as long as that pup sits in that scratchplate directly under those strings that'll do 😝Following some fettling with a small chisel, files, and sandpaper to make sure all was ok including pup height etc (I'd measured the gap between the strings and body before dismantling everything) I decided to neaten the cavity with a thin layer of Titebond, not sure why, but it gave a nice clean finish once it had dried overnight.

While the neck is progressing, time to see what's required to get the pickup in place. I had to put the neck, tuners, bridge and strings back on to get the position of the scratchplate and pickup marked out.Then time to get busy with the drill, chisel and if necessary the router. Now I've got to hold my hands up and say my routing experience is seriously lacking - I bought one to make a radiator cabinet which involved shaping of mainly straight edges, and again used it to do some straight stuff on the shed. I have never used a template before, so purists of the router, skilled luthiers and first class DIYers may want to look away at the following section.Started with some tape around the bit using the P pup hole as a depth guide, then used the drill in the corners and screwhole lugs.

Of course 😄

And the first coat, with 800 grit paper, is on..

Forgot to show this pic of the block built body from the bottom view.

😲 Oh dear Mick! That's a scary looking split...

Rubbed down, the neck feels amazing already, but I'm hoping to make it even better with the little bottle of magic and the prescribed wet and dry papers. I've never done anything like this before, but it seems straightforward enough. and I suppose if it gets messed up you just go back through the stages again. I got some nitrile gloves as it probably gets everywhere, and after watching some vids on YouTube set about the oiling process.

Nice piece of maple complete with skunk stripe on this neck, back to the wood through the grits starting at 150 then start the Truoil technique above.

While I plucked up the courage to get my router out, I decided to refurbish the back of the neck with a Truoil finish after studying @honza992 's @Andyjr1515 's inspired technique here. The fingerboard I think I am going to leave as it seems it'll be a bit of a challenge to strip the lacquer off, but if anyone has any suggestions how to do it please chip in

And the scratchplate arrived the following day..

Ahhh, I wondered about that, wasn't sure how to do it, any suggestions welcome It's not too much bother tuning, but it would be nice to have it the right way round 👍

Then onto the Bay to get a chrome control plate. I'm now thinking that control chamber is looking on the small side 😎

A Seymour Duncan MM pup and a John East MMSR preamp.

It was time to spend some money on the bass that so far had only cost me very little money, and this little box of trickery came courtesy of @Sharkfinger Really well packaged, it was just what I was after to take this project up a level.

I did a bit more work on the headstock shaping, and these are the tuners close up, amazing condition for 39 years old.

That bass is one of the best looking basses I have ever clapped eyes on. I hadn't seen those pictures before. Absolutely stunning. 😍

Good suggestions those Mick thanks for the ideas 👍

I like the sound of that microplane rasp Andy, maybe a tool to look out for if I decide to do anything like this again. I've got to say it's become quite addictive. The temperature thing was mainly for the top splits, there was so much glue and pressure in the main split I was reasonably happy it wouldn't come open again, and considering I've been sanding etc outside in some bitter temperatures then bringing the bass back indoors, I think it's passed the test as there's been no change in any of the splits whatsoever.

Forgot to say, it played and sounded great acoustically when I first strung it up.....

Now whilst I'm hoping that the body is properly glued up solid, I remembered @Andyjr1515 's next step after he'd glued up @TheGreek 's beauty. String it up and wait and see what - if anything - happens to the wood under tension. So that's what I did - and left it, for a week - between the living room, conservatory, and even the shed for a night. Moving from each area in this current winter, I was hoping to replicate the many thermal changes a bass would usually encounter, particularly if it was being gigged and travelling in a van and then onto a hot stage etc - though unfortunately those days are probably long gone 🤔 I still thought it should be subjected to different temperatures and humidity just to make sure it was ok. It's going to live in the living room once finished, but I had to be sure it was solid.

Forgot to mention the plugging of the previous scratchplate holes. Which I did with BBQ skewers, and finished them off by filling with 2 pack woodfiller and more sanding.

Not sure what you mean Mick, but I'm interested! Can you give me a bit more of an idea what your thinking?

I say finished, but there is more sanding to do to get it as close to perfect as I can. This then, was time to see how it looked with the tuners fitted. These bad boys turned out to be in remarkably excellent condition after a buff up with a simple polishing cloth. They are a bit of a strange design, that odd butterfly shape and the smaller than normal barrel, but they work well, and the one I used upside down fits too! I was going to paint the headstock white to match the body and hide the plugged hole. But as this was going to be a long term project during dry January and beyond (painting will hold the job up until warmer weather arrives) I've decided I'm going to have a go at veneering the headstock in maple...

Needed a bit of a lie down after using my sanding skills to sort that out, and then actually realising I probably could have used my router 😖 Finished result looks like this...

Right then, back to that headstock reshape. I blacked off the areas to trim with a felt tip pen (well, blued off), and then put them above a black background to give me an idea of where to tweak. I was tight on the bottom curve and sweep up to the top, but by messing around with the template I got an almost Rayish headshape. Then to cutting..