Dave Vader

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1292416' date='Jul 4 2011, 04:52 PM']Haha Fair enough. I was just thinking how come he's replying to other folk... I must have pissed him off at some point... I'm good at that you know. I presume you are painting it? After you rub it down, leave it in the airing cupboard for a few days to thoroughly dry out - just in case the is still some residual moisture. I almost put a bid in for this you know. [/quote] Was replying in a big general everyoneness, hoped it was all-inclusive, but probably ballsed it up. And the reason I bought it was cos I didn't want to paint the one I have already, I'm leaving the bugger as is, it's not that beaten up under the stickers. Plus the bridge I have lying around is bigger than a standard Fendery one, and should hide all the dents from hammers and suchlike. My intention is to make a fretless P-bass that matches this here old Strat of mine, so a perfect finish is not essential, as long as it works, and all dings and wear are naturally occuring (no fojo round here). Almost wish you had put a bid in, would have saved me a lot of work...

Oh, while I'm piling on the posts in here Ou7shined, I also bought this body after a discussion we had elsewhere about tonewoods, or lack of. I figured I would get a big lump of plywood, after you convinced me of the many variables that go into the sound of an instrument, and I had a fond reminiscence of an old plywood strat copy. Thank you sir for your contributions, I wish I had your skill with a chisel.

and I would miss your cat.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1292355' date='Jul 4 2011, 04:10 PM']DV : I'm just wondering, am I on your ignore list?[/quote] Not in the least sir, I'm very fond of your posts, I also enjoy re-interpreting them from sensible claw hammer work into whacking it with a big heavy thing (I fully intend to be more sensible, flippancy is a curse I cannot shake off). I assume the chock goes under the head end for the pivoting divot? As I guess there's no way to protect the bit where the claw goes under the bridge? I have nobody on my ignore list, being fair too tolerant for my own good.

[quote name='lowdown' post='1292323' date='Jul 4 2011, 03:47 PM']bear goggles on from Saturday night.. Garry[/quote]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1292242' date='Jul 4 2011, 02:48 PM'] 9" lathe nothing to it. Just remember the googles[/quote] Oh that looks fun, have remembered to google it.... what next

[quote name='zero9' post='1292175' date='Jul 4 2011, 01:45 PM']Did someone say margerine engineer? Sounds well dodgy...[/quote] Yeah, but it plays like butter...

[quote name='Marvin' post='1292284' date='Jul 4 2011, 03:22 PM']Am I jealous of slappers?[/quote] *chuckle* </endsuperchildishmode>

If you've had it wired direct to the jack socket with nothing inbetween, then just stick the hot (usually white) to the tip part, and the neutral to the other tab. And it should be as it was, if it's not, then swap them around. If it's still not how it was, then you are in trouble.

Oooh, that sounds fun. I have no lathe, and wouldn't know where to start, but I can hit it with a hammer. Will try the cautious approach first, but rather than buying more things to try it, I may whack it with a hammer and then apply many cocktail sticks in araldite...

Righty, fun with WD-40 and coke, followed by buying another gadget, and then some fun on ebay (I think it has to be done doesn't it?). Thanks folks, all very helpful. Wish my desire for a P-bass to match my strat hadn't come to this.... (will be worth it when they're hanging next to each other in the living room)

[quote name='Johnston' post='1291976' date='Jul 4 2011, 11:37 AM']Heads breaking off would be my worry . Inevitably they break off flush Sods law or Murphys law whatever you want to call it. They will probably be waisted just below the taper where the bridge and they have been corroding. Got a welder??[/quote] Sadly not, but have a drill, a lot of woodplugs, and a big enough bridge to hide the shame oh, is this the sort of thing you meant with the JML thing? [url="http://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-extractor-set/18643"]http://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-extractor-set/18643[/url]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1291967' date='Jul 4 2011, 11:30 AM']For a BBOT I would just buy one instead of trying to salvage that one !!! Your chances of getting those screws out too with a screw driver will be thin. Might be worth getting an impact screwdriver or those JML bits. Even then they might break the heads off.[/quote] Yeah, I hadn't looked at it that closely when I started this thread. It is now more of a "how the hell do I get this thing off?" thread. I have another bridge lying around that I'm going to use instead. Breaking the heads is ok, as long as I have a bit long enough to grab with some pliers after.

Right, I'm in a bit of a fix, we've agreed to play at this weird street festival thing in Exeter on Saturday, which is an all-acoustic festival, hoorah! However, i don't have a double bass (and have never played one) and don't own a battery powered amp. I have been offered the use of a Crafter Acoustic bass, but in my experience they're too darn quiet to get up with even a standard acoustic guitar unplugged. My ingenious plan is to borrow a "smokie" amp from my mate (you know the little ones inside fag packets) and put it through a 1x10" cab I have. Hoping it will go above the acoustic guitar, so I can play my usual nasty fretless bass and not worry. Anyone else tried this?

Just so you can see the full extent of my problems here.... I only bought it to save me spraying the other one I've got black. Supposed to save me a bit of time and effort, how funny. Stickers are slowly going off, along with the green spray paint all over the back that went unmentioned.... (but that's a piece of piss to get off)

[quote name='Johnston' post='1289166' date='Jul 1 2011, 03:35 PM']Get some of them things I think it's JML sell. They have them n our local asda Rather than drilling they grip the rounded screw head and screw it out. Much easier than drilling the heads off then trying to get the remains out. Edit got a link [url="http://www.jmldirect.com/Screw-Extractor-PS5616/"]http://www.jmldirect.com/Screw-Extractor-PS5616/[/url] Another edit. I've heard heating the screw first with a soldering Iron can loosen things up to make life easier.[/quote] Like the soldering iron idea, sadly the bridge screws are countersunk right down level, so I don't think the extractor thingy will work. Have done the screwdriver whacking in thing before, and not tried it here yet. Cue a long weekend of shouting at things and hitting my fingers with hammers/pinching with pliers/drilling through my thumb Coke and tinfoil on the heads first methinks... (that could mean something else very easily)

[quote name='dc2009' post='1289173' date='Jul 1 2011, 03:39 PM']I'm just not a fan, in the slightest. The only songs of theirs I've liked have always been covered better by another band IMO, their own stuff is just plain old boring.[/quote] The phenomenon that is the Beatles with the benefit of 21st century hindsight seems pointless. However, while they stole and grabbed stuff from everywhere they found it and passed it off as their own (I have no evidence for this) they were the FIRST to bring it to mainstream attention, thus having more influence than any band ever in the history of music. Simply for doing so many different things in a very catchy way, more bands started because of them than anybody else. I'm not a fan either, but I can see what they did there... Mind you, revolver is a flipping brilliant album, and Rubber Soul, oh and the WHite Album, not forgetting Sgt. Peppers... damn it. Maybe I am a fan again...

Nice Venue Den, good luck. Sadly can't make it myself.

[quote name='Monckyman' post='1288938' date='Jul 1 2011, 01:01 PM']I`m assuming you did all the wd40 and tightening the screws to break the seal type of things? How old`s the bass anyhow?[/quote] It's an old 70s/80s hondo P-bass I got off the bay for cheap. Mighty Plywood tone! You can't see the heads of the screws for rust, let alone try and get into them, I suspect drilling is the only way through. The brass saddles are green, which proves they are brass at least. I will try and get a photo of it for you to gawp at in disbelief. I've seen stuff from the Titanic in better nick. In the meantime, here's the original auction page, you can just about make out the gunk on this. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130535015064&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_500wt_898"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...IT#ht_500wt_898[/url]

Update, on closer inspection I shall have to drill out the screws just to get it off the bloody body. Things are gettting interesting now...

Update, rubbed at green paint with bit of old shirt dipped in white spirit, did the job lovely. Will finish it later on.

watch out for people using solicitors cards or old diners club cards. My bestest shims ever were, an entire neck plate, the box from a video of Star Trek Insurrection, and a birthday card with a squirrel on it.

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='1288389' date='Jun 30 2011, 11:34 PM']I had same issue with putting together a P-bass project once - just shimmed the neck pocket with 1/2mm maple sliver to fill the gap, sand it flush and you get a nice snug neck joint again which is barely visible. It doesn't even need fixing in place, just the pressure of the neck in the pocket holds it firm.[/quote] +the 1, I have an old strat with this problem, it spent years with bits of Rizla packet shoved in the hole, which has been replaced with maple veneer now. This has made no noticable tonal difference, may go back to rizla packet, as it looked more rock and roll.

[quote name='ezbass' post='1288565' date='Jul 1 2011, 08:14 AM']With regard to the phrase 'cheat lines' I would point out that one the current finest fretless players, Gary Willis, uses a marked fingerboard as of course did Jaco. Now I'm not a particular fan of either, but I wouldn't call them cheats.[/quote] Cheat lines make it harder, especially when your intonation is all to sh*t, as they are generally in the wrong places for the right notes. I proclaim myself better for having them on my defretted basses.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1288564' date='Jul 1 2011, 08:13 AM']The two youngest will listen to pretty much anything. Who would have though Metallica would work to put a baby to sleep [/quote] I've listened to ...and justice for all a few times, had that effect on me as well