MrFingers Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Back in 2011, a friend of mine (being the real bassplayer of the band I'm in, because I was forced to play organ/guitar ) wanted a Top-Notch 1960's P-bass, as vintage correct as possible, and preferably in a fancy, rare colour, because he was so fond of [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0_i4evBvFU]mine[/url]. So I picked on this: A late 1964 P-bass, just before the transition to the CBS-era. In february of this year, I placed an order with musikraft, since they could make a veneer fretboard, and a neck in the shape and width I wanted, with correct placing of the dots, and today it arrived in the mail. Coincidentally, the hardware I ordered from Darren Riley arrived also today. I already had a d*c*l from FrenderBawb, just to make sure I had the finishing touch first The Neck: The Hardware: The decal: The attentive reader might have noticed that there is something missing... something quite essential... Being the body. Because I couldn't find a vintage correct enough body from the companies that made those, I decided that I had one custom-built at my local [url=http://www.stijnkenens.eu/]luthier[/url] (those who've read the 1978 Musicmaster Bass resque know how good he is with all things wood) to my specs (I have a friend who has an actual 1964, so I had some measurements and HD pictures), which will be made somewhat in the next 2 weeks. The lacquer (nitro) is also ordered, and should arrive somewhere around half may (the company is in holiday ). Because he wanted a rare color, sunburst/white wasn't an option. And because he isn't THAT masculine, shell pink would be too much... So we settled on... [b]Shoreline Gold[/b] The specs: veneer rosewood fretboard 1.75" nutwidht 7.25" radius vintage frets "chunky C" profile CTS/NOS-cap wiring Seymour Duncan Antiquity I pickup 2-piece "off centre joined" alder body My goal is to make it as vintage correct as is humanly possible (thus using the correct nailholes, paintstickmarks, ...), without making it so correct that it could be used as a fraud. Special thanks go to [url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peterbuilt-Basses/300518246647095]Peter Boer[/url] for helping me get those things in the US (being a non-creditcard user is a PITA) and the aforementioned Stijn Kenens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 In the meantime a custom carved bone nut was made (Thx Pete) Today I've marked the holes for the countersink. The brackets which hold the gear for the tuner are folded together at the back of the tuner, and from 1963-ish, Fender started to drill ~9mm-ish holes in the headstock to make sure those brackets are in the headstock, making the tuner sit flush with the headstock... I've marked the diameter with 11mm, so that gives me a spare mm so I could see nothing would protrude from underneath the tuner... Those holes were drilled before the neck was finished, so that's the same thing as I'll do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 The alder blank Bandsawing it up roughly done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Shoreline gold P is on my GAS list. I can tell this thread isn't going to be good for my wallet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick's Fine '52 Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Nice work, looking forward to seing this one develop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 @Toasted: "you can NEVER have enough P-basses"... @Ricks: thanks, I'm also looking forward to it. The parts used are top-notch, so it should be an amazing bass in the end. Anyway, some progress today: Routed and contoured. One small tearout, but the bits need some sharpening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigman Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 (edited) [quote name='MrFingers' timestamp='1337334744' post='1658238'] [/quote] Thanks for posting this. I have just bought the exact same tuners [Fender Vintage RI reverse nickel] for my next Warmoth and noticed how the folded metal stuck out the back of the tuner plate and was wondering how to overcome this obstacle....I couldn't find anything anywhere else on the interweb about this!! Until you posted this I had assumed they would just press into the wood! I was trying to imagine how many screws I'd break attempting to apply the appropriate torque!! Now to source an appropriate countersinking bit and find a drill press I can borrow...... I was contemplating dismantling my JV to discover how that had been assembled. Beginning to think I maybe should have just bought a set of Schallers instead...... Edited May 18, 2012 by Twigman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 (edited) they don't have to be pressed in the wood, Fender didn't countersink the holes until 1963/64, so from 1951 onwards, the tuners were just mounted on the headstock, with as a result a little gap between the tuner and the headstock. Doesn't affect the tuning ability nor the stability, it's just... "not tidy" And you don't need a countersink drillbit, just use a 3/8" (9mm) drill bit for metal (with the conical point) and give it a spin or 2 in the drillpress (holes should be about 2 à 3mm deep) Edited May 18, 2012 by MrFingers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 [quote name='MrFingers' timestamp='1337334725' post='1658236'] The Neck: The specs: veneer rosewood fretboard 1.75" nutwidht 7.25" radius vintage frets "chunky C" profile CTS/NOS-cap wiring Seymour Duncan Antiquity I pickup 2-piece "off centre joined" alder body My goal is to make it as vintage correct as is humanly possible (thus using the correct nailholes, paintstickmarks, ...), without making it so correct that it could be used as a fraud. Special thanks go to [url="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peterbuilt-Basses/300518246647095"]Peter Boer[/url] for helping me get those things in the US (being a non-creditcard user is a PITA) and the aforementioned Stijn Kenens. [/quote] Not wishing to appear negative, I think this will be a very fine build & very similar to something I'd like to do myself - but: To me - from the photo's - the frets don't look snug down onto the fingerboard radius, in the centres particularly, maybe a trick of the light? Cheerz, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 When I saw the pictures first, I was thinking the same thing, but in the flesh, the frets are top-notch. The rosewood was very dry, I gave it a lick of lemonoi, and now it's a lot darker and smoother, and the dark edge at the frets disappeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Sweet it did look in need of some Lemon oil good stuff. Looking forward to the rest of the build. Cheerz, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Don't know if you've heard of him but there's an Isreali guy called Gil Yaron who does scarily authentic vintage builds and posts them all on TDPRI under the name of Preeb. Well worth a look, not just at his bass builds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 (edited) I know Gil (and his work) and the efforts he makes in making authentic replica's... I wish I could mill a trussrod to exact vintage specifications, but I have neither the knowledge nor the tools for it, so I have to make some concessions... Edited May 21, 2012 by MrFingers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick's Fine '52 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 [quote name='rubis' timestamp='1337618528' post='1662905'] TDPRI[/quote] TDPRI? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Telecaster Discussion Pages Re-Issue For the hotlinkers among us 1956P: [url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bass-place/129433-56-precision-bass-build-help-needed.html"]click[/url] 1957P: [url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bass-place/139356-57-precision-bass-build.html"]click[/url] 1960J: [url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/169606-1960-jazzbass-build.html"]click[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Gil Yaron has the most extreme OCD ever. And is a genius! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 In my case it's curable... -ish Anyway, I've been looking on "teh interwebz", and I shouldn't have done that! Pfoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 just me but i'd prefer shoreline gold............or teal/sherwood green............or inca silver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Nono, this one stays Shoreline, the paint is already ordered, so... But there is a secret rule: "you can never have your GASbuildlist empty". Maybe something for after this, for myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Routed the cavities... Loeks naaiss: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Missed this... looking forward to the rest of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 The cavity was a bit strangly formed (a bit too pronounced)... Routed it the vintage way: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Looking grrrrrrrreat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edges are done after the bellycut is finished) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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