BassTool

On 29/06/2019 at 17:06, Deedee said:

Wasn’t sure whether this should be in here or in Repairs & Technical but here goes….

The restoration of the electrics on my '83 SB-R150 is finally complete and I'm very pleased with the result. Huge thanks go to @Prostheta for his wizardry and patience and also to Rautia Pickups for the pair of MB-1E replacement pickups.

This bass was originally listed for sale on here several years ago although I subsequently found it through an ad elsewhere (EDIT - I was actualy given the heads up by @Fionn of the ad on FB). Turned out that the BC ad was indeed still live. I purchased it because it was in such beautiful condition, including the original case. The big (very big) and obvious issue was that the original pickups and electronics had long since been removed and disposed of. After conversations with Prostheta as to what was or wasn't possible I decided to push on with trying to get it restored to as close to stock as possible.

The first pictures show the bass as I bought it, then with everything stripped out. Note the packers that had been fitted inside the pickup cavities to take the screws for the previously installed Armstrong pickups. Fortunately after some careful chipping away I managed to clear the old glue off to reveal the original pickup screw bushings.

As you can see the loom (including 6-position Varitone and preamp) that Prostheta provided is a work of art and it seemed a shame to have to try and cram it into the seemingly tiny electronics cavity in the back of the bass. It was a squeeze but it went in and it is beautifully quiet running. No humming, no buzzing, even sat directly in front of the amp with the volume up to gigging levels it is uber quiet.

Finally there are a couple of pics with this now complete bass taking its place alongside my R60 and R80. I may look out for a set of black or bronze pickup screws as the silver ones do stand out a little but all in all I'm thrilled with it. It sounds great with a powerful preamp and a huge range of tones and I know it’ll be good for years.

I'm a happy chappy and I hope you enjoy the pics showing the seemingly simple but oh not so simple transformation.  😀

 

WOW! That is a lot of love for Aria's right there! Impressive, they are lovely basses

He's done it once again 😎 Awesome work from the maestro 😍

Beautiful work 😍👌

Great work so far 👍

+1 for a natural finish, plenty 'how to' info available on here including 'Honza's Tru oil technique'.

That wood looks like it could come out beautifully, shame to cover it with paint IMO..

Utterly brilliant as usual, that joint is amazing, and I'm looking forward to revisiting how the veneering is done.

I veneered my BlazerRay headstock and only found Andy's 'how to' after I'd messed it up slightly 😣

Great job so far 👍

Looks like an interesting project, good luck 👍 you'll certainly not be short of decent help/advice on here   

On 01/05/2019 at 21:12, TheGreek said:

Considered a career as a Poet?? 😉😉

You've got me sussed Mick 👍 My rhyming's quite slick 😧 

But Andy's so quick.......at making wood stick 😎

I thang yowwww.... 😝

Nice transformation   

He's done it again! 😎 Great fix and pics 👍

6 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

@fleabag wanted some specific designs of decals for the headstock.

I followed up a link that @BassTool put on his recent thread for Rob at GuitarDecals.co.uk.

Superb! 

Best decals I've ever used - super, super, super thin and including whites!

Still have to do the overcoating of finish on them, but this is how they look at the moment:

+1 for Rob's work, sorted the BlazerRay headstock decal out for me 

On 22/03/2019 at 09:40, Andyjr1515 said:

+1 on this!  Great find and link, @BassTool !

Best decals I've ever used, including white ones, and ridiculously good value for 3 of each of two designs at £15 total.  Wow - they are super, super, super thin.  Never come across anything like it.

Good comms with Rob and fast turnaround too.

 

Oh my!!! I've actually shown @Andyjr1515 something he didn't know on this forum!!! 🤣 Haha glad you like his work Andy, I had to hunt around eleswhere after the shock I got from the frankly ridiculous R&F quote..

Rob was brilliant, I sent him pics of what I wanted and he delivered big style IMO. Great service, and for me, not one but two decals in case I messed up, both for under a tenner. I told him I'd recommend him on here and he was chuffed to bits.

Glad you're impressed Andy 

19 hours ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

Fitted a pair of black metal knobs to this to finish it off. Got a comment about this bass at the SE Bash last year that the EMG knobs looked cheap and I completely agree - they're not even what I would call quality mouldings especially the stacked knob. Shame really as the rest of their kit is first class in my opinion. The stacked knob looked a little too tall on this small bodied bass so I filed a couple of mm off the top knob and I think it looks quite a bit better. 

I think that is all the little jobs complete on this one and need to wait a little before I can do any work on the finish of the other shortie so on with the semi hollow basses to get them progressed as far as I can for the SW Bass Bash.

Absolutely stunning 😎

2 hours ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

 

What I plan to do is to mill out the box with the logo in and replace it with an inlay with my logo as there is nowhere else on the bass for one. It won't be done before the upcoming bass bashes but I think that will be the most practical and classy.

Absolutely genius  

20 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

OK - hauling it all back...

Two or three jobs ticked off the 'to do' list.

Because the final finish coats will go on shortly, it's time to fix anything that needs sanding or fettling on the body.  One of these was to tidy up the fit of the pickup chamber that was still a bit uneven.  That's now pretty even all the way round:

 

I then bolted the neck on to check the neck angle and also mark the fixing position of the bridge.

Neck angle is pretty much spot on so I could then position the bridge.

Pretty normal stuff.  First was winding the G saddle to its forward position and popping a bit of masking tape, 90 degrees to the body join line at the position corresponding to the scale length at the G saddle.

Then popping a couple of strings through either side of the bridge and clamping them loosely at the nut.  I used a guitar capo for this:

Then it was a case of moving the bridge left or right along the scale length masking tape line to ensure the E and G were equidistant from the edges of the neck:

 

Then popping a couple of pieces of masking tape to record that position in case the bridge got knocked, and then centre-holing the positions of the screws ready to drill the pilot holes:

 

And that leaves 12 to-do's to do!

That's a great 'how to' 👍

It'll be well seasoned - by appt to The King 😮

I never knew Elvis had hand made beds...🙄

I'd love to see someone make something of this, think it would make a great top when bookmatched potentially?

8 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

They went bust. Now owned by Dawsons...who are closing shops.

just saying...only buy it if it’s in stock.

Good shout AT  

3 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said:

I thought that, but it’s the fluffy stuff lining the case!

Should have gone to Specsavers.....🙄

😄

On 04/03/2019 at 22:19, Jabba_the_gut said:

I've decide to take the suggestion made by @TheGreek, @Andyjr1515, @wrinkleygit to use magnets to hold the control cover on. I've used neodymium magnets in the body and in the cover.

I have to say, I do like the way this leaves the back of the bass very clean with only the bolt holes for the neck visible. I haven't put a notch in the body to allow this to be removed as it shouldn't need to be taken off but if necessary, a cocktail stick through the jack socket will do the job. Just trying to leave the back as clean as possible.

So thanks chaps, a good idea that I will implement on other basses!

You got a link for those magnets @Jabba_the_gut please? 👌

50 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Virtually all of @Andyjr1515's builds?

 

Bit off topic - but is that damage on the bottom RHS?! 😫

1 hour ago, Jabba_the_gut said:

+1!!

Interesting little project - look forward to seeing what you do with this.

+2 👍

Used them ages ago, can't remember what for but deffo used them with no probs  

2 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Could be worse... it might have chaffinched its woodpecker or got pigeon-holed by a great big bustard.  It's not a garden out there it's a jungle and we all know... Jungle is massive!

 

Makes a change from giant snails I suppose, but, as @SpondonBassed said earlier in another thread, March is waaaay too early to be calling him for best thread deviation of 2019 😆

Come back @Andyjr1515 -  now it's your thread that needs putting back on track  😄 SB's too good at this malarkey 🤣

1 minute ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

There's still a lot to do, but I've got to the 'still to do' list stage (presently 14 items and falling) which is always a good sign

Andy

 

Hmmmm, the still to do list.

I've got one of them on the BlazerRay with one item outstanding - that battery box cover is still not done yet, sellotape holding the battery in place whilst I play it...

It's not a good look..

😆

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Back to knobs, two done (haven't put the MoP dot on yet) and one to go. 

Same method as last time:

I use the 6mm i.d. grub-screw inserts sourced from Thonk:

 

Then, having cut the walnut and purpleheart to thickness, first drill the clearance recess in the walnut:

 

Then, without moving the wood or the press-drill, drill a 9.5mm hole:

Then use a 25mm plug cutter to cut the knob bottom out:

 

Same plug cutter to cut out a top disc of purpleheart:

 

Glue the top disc to the back.  Drill the side hole for access to the grubscrew.  Carefully drive in the splined insert and we have a coordinating knob:

 

What do you reckon?

 

I reckon you make that look like a piece of cake, lovely job that  

7 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Without wanting to stereotype anyone... how is she for shoes?  Not that I'd dare use it as a counter argument of course, just curious.

🤣

6 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Careful...that could just open the floodgates - sell "old shoes" so SWMBO can buy new ones??? Not somewhere I'd like to go TBH.

😂 nicely put....👍👍