AndyTravis Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 http://basschat.co.uk/topic/288641-hohner-b-bass-l15-bin-seriously/page__pid__3097603#entry3097603 So a £15 BIN was too tempting. I'll summarise what the crack is with it... The body, neck and head are in tact, no dings at all which is a shock considering the general condition. The paintwork is buggered, and there's a hilarious skull painted on the neck. Lots of sellotape on there for no apparent reason. Hardware is shot or incomplete. Pickups seem ok, but will test them. A previous owner has written the notes in biro on the rosewood fingerboard (cheers mate 🙄) Preamp was all de soldered and a rats nest, and two of the pots are stuck fast...so I've ripped it out...there was also a jack plug wires to what looked like mains wire 🙄 This is the diary of a madman, the bass is too good to go to waste - and I'll probably spend more time and effort than I really should on it. Pictures and progress to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 24, 2016 Author Share Posted July 24, 2016 https://instagram.com/p/BIPuBqqgZ0j/ Do we know why you'd do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 24, 2016 Author Share Posted July 24, 2016 https://instagram.com/p/BIPumX7gVuI/ Lovely and clean...and then there's this shambles... https://instagram.com/p/BIIjAY5Aj1u/ Genius...because sticky labels are so last year 🙄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 [quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1469368115' post='3097730'] https://instagram.com/p/BIPuBqqgZ0j/ Do we know why you'd do that? [/quote] Classy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 So with some spare time today (baby is sleeping, other two are out with family) I managed to get going. Stripped the bass totally now, so it's a blank canvas. Agreeing on paint finishes with my spray paint crazy friend. It's been a journey already. The annoying thing is that the paintwork looked really worn and knackered, so I've sanded a few bits here and there, it seems that an owner (probably the note writer 🙄) has sprayed over the bass in black...no idea why. The hohner body logo looked like it'd worn away - but a little nudge with a Stanley edge shows that the logo was in decent nick. Overall though, I think I'll persevere and get it painted. Some Gotoh GB-707 tuners have just arrived, which is cool. And then I took the bridge apart. Held together with dust and fluff and an unhealthy amount of hair. It was really badly pitted and missing the Db lever and fine tuners - so I looked for a new one and at £120 I thought I'd clean this one up and respray it. It cleaned up really well. So spraying it shouldn't be an issue... I'm not going looking for fine tuners etc, just going to use it as it is. https://instagram.com/p/BIXcyKrgAli/ https://instagram.com/p/BIXc7nqge1u/ Oh, and another thing... White pearl paint or Holographic flake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswareham Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 White pearl gets my vote :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 [quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1469627977' post='3099849'] White pearl gets my vote :-D [/quote] Yeah, the wife's car is pearl white and I quite like it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) So, the fingerboard with the notes written on in biro... First, get rid of the ink. https://instagram.com/p/BIXpLk4APuM/ Then a gentle sanding https://instagram.com/p/BIXpPwCAQfv/ And a check, before oiling off. And then polishing the frets next. https://instagram.com/p/BIXpUKiA_wo/ Oh and check the new machine heads out... https://instagram.com/p/BIXp-7RAj64/ Edited July 27, 2016 by AndyTravis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Another thing... I have some Fender custom shop 60's pickups spare. Would that be heresy? Hoping someone has EMGs they don't need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 (edited) So the CS60's pickups sold. Relieved really as I wanted actives in it. The sale frees me up to order some EMGs. I set about filling the holes, the main issue being the smashed pot hole where the stacked knob would've lived and the previous owner ended up fitting a jack socket... I first reinforced the holes from behind using some wood slivers I had left over from a previous job. And then some good old car filler. I then popped the LED out (was going to keep it but it wasn't going to function and I couldn't really be arsed figuring a way of keeping it, and there was a similar hole for the old preamp switch (this had been snapped off) https://instagram.com/p/BIaIRZqAO3x/ I then sanded it all flat, and redrilled the hole for a tone pot. https://instagram.com/p/BIbASpeg2LS/ So that's where I'm up to. Edited July 29, 2016 by AndyTravis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 Bridge is primed. Looks clean! https://instagram.com/p/BIckvBUAcS-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Looking good, Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1469801944' post='3101182'] Looking good, Andy [/quote] Cheers - EMG's ordered in white 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I could follow threads like this every day of the week! Looking forward to seeing it progress to completion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 So, my paint guy is off to his supplier tomorrow, to speed it all up I've taken some of the finish off. My hand sander has stopped functioning, so while my wonderful father took his time dropping his off - I did the top by hand. https://instagram.com/p/BIdB9A_AcHj/ Eventually got down to this stage, a sealer coat. https://instagram.com/p/BIdCBNegDw6/ Such a shame there's been filler applied as the wood has a really nice grain to it. I'd assumed the ones finished in black would've been full of knots... Anyhow. On with the sanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1469810873' post='3101285'] I could follow threads like this every day of the week! Looking forward to seeing it progress to completion [/quote] I find my impatience getting the better of me. Could do this kind of stuff all day long. Depending on what my paint buddy says, might be a metalflake blue - but I'm saying Pearl white will be less of a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Good colour choice one day I WILL own a pearl white Musicman style bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 So, hand sander arrived from my dad... https://instagram.com/p/BIdHq0RgEH6/ This revealed the back, and a dark bit of grain, almost spalting which must've been why this bass was put into the "paint it black" pile. https://instagram.com/p/BIdNZLsA_Yp/ Anyhow, it's not staying natural so it's not a concern. All of the edges were done with a mix of electric sander and hand sanding - no flattened corners. I started on the neck but have been reminded that I have some blinds to fit tomorrow so progress will stop until all of the bits start arriving on Monday. I might leave some sanding to my paint guy Ken, as I think he's a bit aggrieved I've taken a job off him - an unhealthy obsession with sanding mesh. https://instagram.com/p/BIdNmtBgaVq/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 [quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1469817344' post='3101330'] Good colour choice one day I WILL own a pearl white Musicman style bass. [/quote] We'll see. I'm hoping for a blue sparkle...but it comes down to cost and time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 https://instagram.com/p/BIek0ttAU0I/ So, a battery panel blank (thanks Tim - originalscratchplates.com) A run of copper shelling tape and a stereo barrel jack have all arrived, as a point our postie does 8.30am loudly on a Saturday considering I was doing a feed for baby Maggie (5 weeks old) at 5.30am. Feeling bleary eyed, I've committed to doing these blinds quickly so I can finish the sanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 https://instagram.com/p/BIfe7D6gRcB/ The primer for the bridge didn't adhere properly. So I've cut it back a little and reapplied. Seems to have taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 First coat of black is on the bridge... Looks alright. https://instagram.com/p/BIk6EFzgUvC/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 Finally finished the sanding today, so there's no paint left on the bass... https://instagram.com/p/BIm6H3rAADs/ Apart from the headstock face https://instagram.com/p/BIm6S6HgOUM/ Magic. All ready for paint!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 That's looking really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1470145698' post='3103577'] That's looking really good. [/quote] Thanks Andy. If it wasn't for the damage to the pot and the switch/led holes I've filled, I'd be leaving it natural. But, a nice shiny white will do, and will fit in with the sw***y black hardware I've sorted. EMGs have arrived at the shop I ordered them in to. Magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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