uk_lefty Posted October 9, 2023 Share Posted October 9, 2023 (edited) Well, here goes again... I bought a 1970's Hofner 189 body on eBay for a good price. It's new old stock, doesn't even have holes drilled for the bridge or neck, yet it's nicely aged. Sunburst lefty body, two huge pickup routes and controls route. Originally I thought I could finally do the unlined fretless I want... but recently I've been thinking it would be better with Thunderbird style chrome pickups and a right-handed maple fender neck. Tough decisions ahead! I made up a bitsa in the past and learned a lot in the process. While the bitsa previous was a nice bass I just never quite got there with it and think a bit more patience and money thrown at it could have got a better result. Edited January 5 by uk_lefty 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted October 11, 2023 Author Share Posted October 11, 2023 Body has arrived! This may take some time as I'm coming out of some expensive months and I want to shift some gear too, but I'm looking forward to making something unique with this! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted October 30, 2023 Author Share Posted October 30, 2023 Arrived in the post recently... A Fender hi-mass bridge and a neck from China. The neck is about 1mm too wide for the pocket, but I've kept the black headstock style of the original, we just have blocks instead of dots now. The nut needs to go because this was a "reverse headstock" right handed neck but that's no bother at all. The cheap plastic nut can go and I'll replace it with something better and left handed. This is going to be a slow build as funds dictate but next is pickups, wiring and scratch plate.... Tuners also required but I'm hoping to find a good set second hand. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Can I just say how much I liked the "Linkshander" inscription? 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted October 31, 2023 Author Share Posted October 31, 2023 12 hours ago, Happy Jack said: Can I just say how much I liked the "Linkshander" inscription? 🙂 Sehr gut!!! I love it, it will be a shame to cover it up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 (edited) What size are the tuner holes? My Hofner 192 - from what I can see identical to yours but right handed and cut for a precision split coil, think they used the same body for both versions, has small diameter tuners. …….. and I just realised it’s an aftermarket neck not the Hofner one 😂 oh my brain needs a holiday. Edited October 31, 2023 by Dazed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted November 15, 2023 Author Share Posted November 15, 2023 Artec Les Paul bass pickups ordered. I'm seduced by the chrome. I will get myself some Sadowsky lightweight tuners, they're lightweight but have the clover leaf, and then I am almost set. I just need to find someone brave enough to do the trickier parts of the assembly. With their being no pilot holes in the body for the bridge and the neck pocket requiring a small amount of adjustment (or maybe better to adjust the neck rather than the body...) These are jobs that need to be done at the same time by the same person to ensure I get a proper scale length for the strings. With the bridge in, neck fitted, pickups in place I'll just be missing the wiring loom and then a custom pickguard to finish it off. Might take a while to get more kit sold to find the rest of the parts and build but hoping it will all be done before Easter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 nice build there !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted December 15, 2023 Author Share Posted December 15, 2023 Thanks.... I have done absolutely nothing yet. I got some Sadowsky tuners which look fantastic but I really need to get to a local builder to have the neck and bridge properly fitted. Once that's done everything else should be a doddle..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted December 29, 2023 Author Share Posted December 29, 2023 Well, there has been a lull in activity on this one but a long night unable to sleep and a bit of online shopping and I'm a microstep further along by buying the chrome bits I need. Now, all that's left to procure in terms of parts are the pots and wiring. I will do as much as I can with self assembly, which won't be a lot to be honest: fitting the tuners to the neck, fitting the strap buttons, shielding inside the pickup cavities... That's about it! Because the body has never been used it's not even been drilled out for the bridge so that needs properly measuring, with a original neck that needs some fettling I want to hand this over to a professional. Once it's all pieced together and functional then I'll see how it is, see how I find the pickups and when I'm happy I'll make cardboard templates for the pickguard and send these to gig.ink to get made up. The interesting part will then be looking back at what I've spent and once again comparing it to what I could have bought from Sire! Easily a V3, but if it gets into brand new V7 money then I'm hoping it's a really unique bass in terms of sound and playability, not just looks and back-story. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 5 Author Share Posted January 5 Well, some people never learn do they??!! Having been patient in putting together the parts list I'm now left to nurse my pride and temper my over excitement. The cost for the bits I can't do is prohibitive. I've got to kill the project and try to recover what I can from parts that can be returned and refunded, and the rest are at the mercy of the Marketplace/ eBay. Sad, but I can't sink £500+ into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 3 hours ago, uk_lefty said: Well, some people never learn do they??!! Having been patient in putting together the parts list I'm now left to nurse my pride and temper my over excitement. The cost for the bits I can't do is prohibitive. I've got to kill the project and try to recover what I can from parts that can be returned and refunded, and the rest are at the mercy of the Marketplace/ eBay. Sad, but I can't sink £500+ into this. You seem quite close to finishing it with most of the spend already spent. Where in the country are you? Depending how remote your location, I or the other good folk around the country on the 'Basschatters willing to help other Basschatters' list might well be able to finish it off for you for nowt. I'm in the Derby area - any good to you? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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