BassTool

Looks dead good 👍🏼

...I'll get me coat...😖

I've just put up a renovation thread for my headless

This is my 1985 Westone Superheadless that's been modified by me. I got Wizard to make me some custom pups and married them up to a Nordstrand preamp with Vol/pull passive, pan pot, B/M/T, twin midrange pullpot selector. The three way switch is unused, from the original electronics.

It's battle scarred, but was my go to bass for a long time. Bought brand new as a surprise Christmas present from my wife back in '85, it'll never be sold by me, certainly not for £30 @Bassassin   😆

Decided to refurbish the black hardware on one of my basses as it was looking decidedly neglected after spending life in the cupboard under the stairs for way too long. In fact, the whole bass looked in need of some TLC.

I stripped everything off, including washers and nuts from the controls, and sanded down to bare metal, doing a final clean with brake cleaner then primed the parts before applying several coats of Plastikote black spray paint.

I put the various screws from the bridge and the tuner cover into the top of a cardboard box, pushed through small holes so that just the head was painted.

I also removed all the grub screws, saddle screws, springs and adjusting bolts and put them in a container of penetrating oil.

Cleaned all the knobs with an old toothbrush and soapy water.

And eventually ended up with everything looking a lot better.

Whilst waiting for paint drying/hardening I took the opportunity to thoroughly clean the neck, it was desperately in need of 'moisturising'.

I see there's another thread gone up about this. I use small round cleansing pad wipes and nail varnish remover (alcohol based) followed by my own lemon oil mix - two parts extra virgin olive oil, two parts white vinegar and one part freshly squeezed lemon juice. Initially the wood is really clean and looks dried out by the alcohol - it is, but it's ok. The lemon oil, which I apply with the same type of cleansing pads needs to soak into the wood for at least 24 hours, but it works brilliantly and rejuvenates the rosewood really well - do NOT use on maple necks, and if you do try the 'recipe' make a sparing amount of it up, it does not keep!

This was the rosewood before the lemon oil:

And the type of grime to come out of the rosewood:

And during soaking:

Once everything has dried, paint has hardened, and neck given a final dry buff, time to put it all back together.

A new set of strings on, full set up, and hopefully this will be getting used this year 🤞

Really, really great that - production, vid, arrangement, playing, well - everything 😁 I liked that a lot 👌🏼

You sing and play too? 😳

Hats off 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

8 hours ago, benh said:

 

A combination of a Workmate in the garden and my dining table (don't tell the Mrs). 

That's classed as a standard workshop on here 😁 you are in good company 👍🏼 and will never be short of brilliant advice or opinion 👌🏼

Amazing work 😲😲😲👍🏼

Well done Andy 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼well deserved 👌🏼 can't say I didn't tell you so...😆

😉

I've just noticed that at almost 17400 views, @Andyjr1515 has already entered the top twenty most viewed build threads on here with this masterpiece! 👌🏼

19 hours ago, ezbass said:

I’ve run out of hyperbole when it comes to these builds. Therefore, 👏👏👏👏👏

^This^

Awesome.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

8 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Can you be more specific about the time and place for the handover - I need to arrange an ambush...

So, so jealous...

Mick man!!

I told you not to say anything about our cunning plan 🙄

On 18/02/2021 at 17:30, sunneyboy said:

Pm sent

Good luck, I got no reply ages ago 😳🙄

Do you sign it in the cavity?

You'll need a fine pen...🤭

Utterly superb, and for me - out of all of your creations Andy - this is now my No1 favourite👍🏼

I love a headless anyway, but the skill and design that went into this just edge it for me as your best. That control cavity is amazing too 😳

I just hope we get some sound clips because the variation from those pups is gonna be incredible😎

As usual, an awesome, and brilliantly catalogued build diary from one of Basschats favourite gurus 🤩

Fantastic, loved it all the way from the start - thanks for taking the time to share it on here 😉

Well done indeed Sir.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

👌🏼

4 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

@Fishman That is looking very, very nice...👌🏼

And he uses Lord Sheratons finest!!!

Great stuff! 👌🏼

3 hours ago, ezbass said:

This build already looks fantastic. I want it!

Oy!

Get in line you 😖

There's now two basses Andy's working on that I want 😆

😉

It'll win 😉👌🏼

4 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

The SimS switches are the SimS switches...they have the printed circuits on for the pickup options and the clever volume compensation so they are what they are.

These are the printed circuits attached to the chrome switches (you can see why, at least for the stalks, that they will have to be what they have to be @BassTool     )   :

 

 

 

 

Aha! That explains that then 😖 thanks @Andyjr1515 👍🏼

That looks absolutely perfect, great job 👍🏼👌🏼

21 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 @Jus Lukinnnn

The twenty six more times measuring got me here:

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason I was expecting all black hardware including switches and knobs to match the Sims and bridge parts 😳

Gumph 😳

This is just another level 🤩

Incredible stuff, all of it, truly amazing work👌🏼

 😲😲

Have you tried a heat gun and scraper?

My BlazerRay original finish came straight off pretty quickly with a standard wallpaper scraper and a Dewalt heatgun, and not a gouge anywhere. I may have got lucky of course, but worth a try 😎

7 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

And what a pleasure that was.  If I had to choose the favourite bass I've ever held in my hands, it would be - without doubt, that one.  Couldn't tell you why.  It just felt magical.

 Now that.

Is surely saying something 😯

10 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Wow ! 

What he said 😲

Amazing! 👌🏼

Great to see a bass, any bass really, saved and re-loved 👌🏼

Great result 👍🏼