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Build a Bass!


Pestie
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I have just got back from the best week I have had. I spent Mon-Fri at MD Guitars in Otley, W,York's with Martin Dixon of MD Guitars making my own bass. It was unbelievable, I started on Monday with four pieces of fairly rough wood: Swamp Ash, American Maple, Rosewood. By yesterday, after a lot of routing, sawing, filing and sanding I had a P type bass with Wizard Thumper & Eighty Four in it and Wilkinson hardware. It is amazing and there is only one in the world!!!!! :rolleyes: That's got to be good. It has a full size P type Swamp Ash body and a medium 32" scale, tailor made! CTS pots, Orange Drop cap, Switchcraft jack socket, Allparts scratchplate and control knobs.

If you want a realy exceptional week in the Dales and walk away with your own hand built bass to any design or spec you want you should try it.

Martin is in the back of guitarist under MD Guitars give it a go, I'm going back soon to make another.

MD Guitars, 01943 462604, [email protected]

Prices range from £450 for the week and that includes the guitar you make and lunch. You can also do B&B for £15 per night, evening meal is another £5.

Mike (Pestie)

[url="http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/Mikevickers1/media/NewBasses022_zps737826c9.jpg.html"][/url]

[url="http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/Mikevickers1/media/NewBasses023_zpsd0b6f2c9.jpg.html"][/url]

Edited by Pestie
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[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1367073730' post='2060980']
Details??? How much did it cost?? website?? sounds better that 2 weeks on some crappy Spanish beach - though probably not if you have a Ptr and kids..
[/quote]
+1 And pics of the new bass would be good too Please?

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" sounds better that 2 weeks on some crappy Spanish beach " Maybe this would fit the bill [url="http://jungleguitars.com/index.html"]http://jungleguitars.com/index.html[/url]

Edited by rubis
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[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1367081376' post='2061119']
That`s great Mike but I am on the waiting list to go on Mark D Phillips, guitar improver/master bodger, guitar course. :rolleyes:
[/quote]
im on it next week not sure wether to pack my rasp or bastard file for the nuts though :(

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[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1367144932' post='2061609']
A year and a half seems like quite a long time to make a bass guitar.
[/quote]

Then again, he recommended the guy, not the building course, so me gathers they don't do a lot of bass building together. :yarr: :ph34r:

best,
bert

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Come on lads, let's get back to being sensible. Martin is a top guy, top teacher, top guitar maker! During the week I was there I met four different local guitar/bass players all gigging musicians, men and women who have been going back for years and between them have made some incredible guitars and basses of the highest quality. I can't put mine down! :D I can't recommend Martin and his guitar/bass making skills enough, try it out, you will be amazed, I know I was and I have a bass that I made and am really proud of. :D

I will post some pics as soon as I get them onto Photobucket.

Thanks

Mike(Pestie) :rolleyes: :D :)

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It has a couple of coats of hand applied nitro cellulose on at the moment. I still need to do a bit more fine sanding then I think I will either put on some more nitro or some tung oil and bees wax, but I suppose it is unfinished.

Thanks for asking

Mike :D

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Hey Mike! That looks a really beautiful piece of work. You look very justifiably proud.

On the matter of the finish, if its had nitro on it, you can sand it and nitro it some more, but don't oil it. Oil needs to soak into the wood. It won't penetrate nitro, so it'll only sit on the surface as an oil-slick. If you sand and oil it now, the bear wood will soak up the oil and it'll look patchy and weird with the oil/nitro patches... so PLEASE don't put any oil on it.

Once it's got a good coat of nitro you can bees-wax it.

On a side note: DON'T EVER use Pledge, Mr Sheen or any other spray polish.

I hope this is helpful.

Cheers
Rich

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[quote name='Pestie' timestamp='1367163816' post='2061969']
It has a couple of coats of hand applied nitro cellulose on at the moment. I still need to do a bit more fine sanding then I think I will either put on some more nitro or some tung oil and bees wax, but I suppose it is unfinished.

Thanks for asking

Mike :D
[/quote]


Ah, fair enough! Looks lovely Mike! Haha :P

But really it does look lovely!

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Thank you all for your help and support. I am glad you went into detail about the finish Rich. I will sand, nitro and bees wax and it will look even better than it does now.

Thanks again to you all, I will post pics again when I have finished the final bit of sanding and polishingm

Mike :D

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I can only afford to go monthly. Mainly due to some very "necessary" gear buying.

That said, I am a slow worker. Took me just under a year for the first one and now I'm well on the way with another three. It's damned addictive!

If you get to meet Jeff ask him about his cling filmed fish story.


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