Dicey

My 4003 on tour yesterday. The tone through an Ampeg SVT is 🔥 🔥🔥

Beaten up old 4001, previous owner put a horseshoe in the bridge. I had thought to switch the pickup back to an original '70s spec, but I've been putting it to heavy use recently on tour and I'm really digging it!

Now roughing out the contours with a rasp before a final bit of sanding

Aye, it seems like it'd be heresy to refinish it!

Pots and serial date it to '70, but it was sold to me as a '71, maybe it was built in '70 and sold in '71? Whichever of those years it is, it's practically a fretless at this point and with the flatwound strings it plays so smoothly! 😁

I was lucky enough to see Blur last night. Great gig, I grew up on those basslines! What a player Alex is, though it doesnt seem like his playing gets much attention from fellow bassists, am I wrong? Anyway, now I want a '58 reissue p bass 🙈

A couple of "in progress" shots; this has been quite a process, involving a bit of trial and error, but very fun!

The poor creature came to me as a husk, so I had no pickup at the start! I'm very, very happy with the SPB-1 though! In fact, I'm considering another one for the P Bass I'm currently building! 😁

Beaten up dude from the early-mid '70s; Seymour Duncan SPB-1 pickup, replaced pickguard, replaced knobs. Does most of the small scale pub etc gigs where I don't want to risk anything pricier; as a result I'm very attached to him!

A bit of a labour of love/lockdown; finally drawing closer to completion. Essentially a dream scenario late'64/'65 P bass with a jazz width neck. Fender AO jazz neck, brown plastic front and side dots replaced with pearloid, re-radiused from 9.5" to 7.25", frets switched over to vintage style nickel wire. Stripped of the tangerine nitro finish and awaiting a mild amber nitro to paint. Alder p bass body, need to roundover the edges and finish off the tummy and arm cuts, then it'll be time for sanding, grain filling and spraying with nitro. Completed picture is the vintage inspiration.

My venerable Jazz chilling in the studio; it was stripped years before it came into my possession and someone had hogged out the wood around the bridge to install a Badass I (thankfully they kept the original which I put right back on); I do keep thinking about a body refin; it has a lot of character though!

Long time forum lurker, been playing even longer! Mainly playing Fenders these days, Jazz or Precision depending on what mood I'm in, though I still have a place for my Rickenbacker. I like to take on old, abused instruments and bring them back to life. It can be an expensive hobby! Also enjoy my two vintage short scale Gibsons, though its rare to find a gig where they fit in So they mainly get played at home! C'est la vie!