Bass builds: My own & for clients (friends)

[ThaCoast]

I'm currently waiting on parts for a few things:

- Black squier pbass body w/white guard, & a precision style neck w/ "rose" board, block inlays & bound. This is for a Deluxe precision i'll piece together using a red tort guard i've on hand, some pickups, & tuning keys. Will only be missing the bridge, electronics, & misc hardware (tree, plate/screws).

- Hipshot ultralite LIC 2x2 chrome 1/2" post for the Green flake Grabber bass: As i'm slowly swapping out a few things to simply have it as a main beast in rotation, i figured i'd reduce the keys size. Where its current ones will be installed on the Deluxe precision above. At a future date, i'll acquire a minibucker to swap the EB-0 style mudbucker.

- Non instrument related, but revamping a little about my beach cruiser bike. Currently kinda lowrider esque, i'm going to replace the standard sissy bar holding the seat at the rear, for a suspension sissy bar. More for added comfort, treating this as the Caddilac of my bikes, where my actual lowrider with high rise handlebars is my ratrod

 

[ThaCoast]

Today i went to my old place & got a couple of things moving on:

- The drum shells are on their 2nd coat of paint, while the floor tom's gaps have been filled. Tomorrow will most likely go back, level the fills, & apply its first coat of paint.

- The Squier Affinity pbass is dismantled, parts put into a small container(& the controls are on the new b/w/b guard). Started painting its first coat of arctic white (over the original black finish). Once the paint can finished, the nitro clear will go on.

Aiming to have both of these projects done within the next 2 weeks. Afterwards it'll be the abstract strat, walnut jazz bass, & surf green jazz bass for my drummer Mike.

I still have the Rasta strat neck to plug up & redrill onto the new body, & the peavey 5150 chassis to file the new openings before some new pieces get welded on.

 

[ThaCoast]

Squier pbass refin:

^^^i love the Lynott look. Classy. However...

^^^first coat, straight over the old finish. Holds up nicely! Currently has 3 coats, going for a 4th tonight. Almost completed, cant wait.

^^^drum shells filled, & painted with a white base coat. Floor tom off to the side & not pictured. Still looking for a suitable pink for the final base coat prior to my friends artwork - what that'll be, to be seen.

^^^ took a grabber family picture. The heaviest is the Maya copy (being all maple), & the 75 gibson is lightest (alder & thin 1.25" body). Mine sits closer in weight to the maya, but only due to body thickness (1.5"). Still waiting for the hipshot ultralight keys for the green grabber, & i'll order a new mini bucker pickup for it sometime onwards.

 

[ThaCoast]

Moderate photo update.

Drums are now Pink!!!

^^^they honestly look amazing love how it turned out. Now, my former roommate can paint em.

^^^surf green hoppus jazz bass. Almost done painting.

^^^arctic white pbass. Currently in gloss clear phase. Looking good so far.

^^^green grabber's out for some update/seal. Swapping the keys out for hipshot ultralites 1/2".

^^^removed all the grease & sweat from the neck, 1st shot of amber tint.

^^^3 coats later. Its almost done, itll be assembled with new SIT 45-100 gauge nickel strings. Some point, ill have a new pickup for it.

Thats all for now.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

That all looks great! What finish are you using.

 

[ThaCoast]

That all looks great! What finish are you using.

For the drums its rustoleum gloss white (as primer), & berry pink gloss.

Surf green & arctic white are by Oxford paints, nitro type. First time using them & results are positive! Will definitely be using this paint for good.

All are spray cans.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

For the drums its rustoleum gloss white (as primer), & berry pink gloss.

Surf green & arctic white are by Oxford paints, nitro type. First time using them & results are positive! Will definitely be using this paint for good.

All are spray cans.

I'm pretty well only using water based unless it’s a quick spritz of Rustoleum on a bracket or something but I’ve read a lot of positive stuff about Oxford.

 

[ThaCoast]

I'm pretty well only using water based unless it’s a quick spritz of Rustoleum on a bracket or something but I’ve read a lot of positive stuff about Oxford.

I'm pretty much only going to use Rustoleum 2x paint if it's either as a base coat for uniformity, or a main coat with splat overtop. It's good, & i've used it a number of years, but this Oxford Nitro paint is much nicer, holds very well, & i've no issues with it at all.

I'll never use Krylon, or Great Lakes Nitro paint for that matter. The Great Lakes paint isn't the best quality in my experience (personal, & within the old guitar shop i was in). Then again, many things were wrong with that shop so...

 

[ThaCoast]

In parts update: I received the 2nd black squier affinity pbass body. This one is fully loaded (guard, electronics, pickup, strap pins, bridge), & i'll be using it for the Deluxe parts build with the bound & blocked neck, & red tort guard.

The first body i had received will become the Lynott/David J Fretless. I'll only be missing strap pins for it, neck plate + screws, & string tree. I'll be getting a fretless pbass neck from the bay, & once arrived, will have its headstock reshaped, & painted black. The board will be radius'd to 7.25" for a vintage feel. Hot for pbass pickups (for now), & high mass bridge.

 

[ThaCoast]

The squier pbass is one coat of clear away from being complete! I've also removed most of the blue splatter from the Abstract Strat guitar, & it has one light coat of white overtop. Will continue its white coats to have it uniform, & then will splatter the blue once again in the same manner i've done with Rasta strat (which i still need to plug its necks former screw holes, & redrill in the proper place, then it can be strung & set up). I'm aiming the next 2 weeks for good of it being painted, splattered, cleared.

The surf green hoppus jazz will also be cleared, along with the walnut jazz. All of which i'm aiming to be done in the next 2 weeks.

 

[tidbits]

Glad to hear you're having a good experience with the Oxford stuff - I just bought a kit for my summer build and that finishing process feels daunting right now, but I'm planning on taking it slowly and spending lots of time in surface prep. Fingers crossed!

 

[ThaCoast]

Glad to hear you're having a good experience with the Oxford stuff - I just bought a kit for my summer build and that finishing process feels daunting right now, but I'm planning on taking it slowly and spending lots of time in surface prep. Fingers crossed!

You'll thank yourself when its all done with all the prep work & such. It's well worth it, love the Oxford stuff, haven't used a full kit, i just get the colors i need & some clear. So far so good, no splits, cracks, etc. Not having a pro booth is hell, but i make due - just sprits water in the air to down the dust & such before spraying. Limits the amount of specs on a finish (least when outside for me).

 

[tidbits]

just sprits water in the air to down the dust & such before spraying. Limits the amount of specs on a finish (least when outside for me).

Now that is a tip!

I've been trying to figure out exactly where I'm going to be spraying. The garage might become my "paint booth". I think I'll be able to keep it ventilated enough, and I'm hoping that my poor window A/C unit will be able to cool it down to a reasonable temperature for spraying. I hear these finishes don't like it when it's too hot or too humid. Which is all that Missouri is from May to October.

 

[ThaCoast]

The Abstract Strat body & headstock face have 3 coats of white as of this writing. The Squier Pbass is complete, & i'll be buffing/polishing, & assembling on Monday coming - can't wait, sorta reminiscent of my very 1st affinity pbass (though not aged as it might've aged in the 20 years or so i would've owned it had i kept it). still, great bass.

& well, i still have two other project Pbasses to put together Coming soon

 

[ThaCoast]

^^^Family photo of all my current Precision basses. From left to right:

- 2004 Squier Affinity series, made in China. 1.625" Alder body, 40mm nut width Maple neck w/9.5" radius rosewood board. Stock electronics: 500k full size pots, & ceramic magnet split coil pickup, & switchcraft mono output jack), Refined from gloss black to Arctic white. BWB pickguard, Hipshot ultralite 1/2" chrome keys. Chrome dome knobs

- 2021/23 DaCosta Guitars The Brat, Dee Dee Ramone 70's tribute. 1.625" Ash body, 42mm nut width maple neck w/7.25" radius maple board. Wilkinson 70's style chrome tuning keys, Mojotone 70's Pbass pickup, 500K split shaft pots, switchcraft output jack, High mass economy bridge, Red acrylic pickguard. Bone nut, fender strap pins, Chrome barrel knobs

- First parts assembled bass 2014, Sheena. 1.625" basswood body, 38mm nut width maple neck w/9.5" radius rosewood board. Fender CBS style chrome keys, Pegcity Pickups Split coil (10.5K), 1 Meg pots, switchcraft output jack, High mass economy bridge, BWB guard. Bone nut, oversized strap pins. Black speed knobs

- 2023 DaCosta Guitars Paul Simonon 70's tribute. 1.75" Alder body, 42mm nut width maple neck w/12" radius maple board*, Fender CBS style chrome keys, Economy split coil pickup (11k), 500k pots, switchcraft output jack, rasta splattered BWB guard, High mass economy bridge, Oversized pins. Gold speed knobs. Note*: i'm in need to revamp the neck (headstock reshape/fill & redrill for keys for strings to pass straight).

- 1994 Eastwood copy, made in Korea. 1.75" Maple ply body, 42mm nut width Maple neck w/10" radius maple board. Fender originals split coil, 500k pots, chrome dome knobs, switchcraft output jack. Economy metric high mass bridge, economy Y keys chrome 3/8", Bone nut, non bevel BWB guard.

- Second parts assembled bass 2024: The Deluxe. A 2002 Squier body 1.625" basswood, Amber tinted Flame bound 42mm nut width maple neck w/12" radius blocked 'rosewood' board, squier ceramic magnet split coil, 500k mini pots, squier output jack. stock bridge, economy chrome keys. Red tort wbw guard. Neck has the 70's Fender pbass logo, & a serial number at the rear (came from ebay/china).

- 2006 Squier Standard P/J: Pumpkin King. 1.625" Agathis body, light flame 38mm nut width maple neck w/9.5" rosewood board. Black economy keys with chrome clovers (on 3 of 4). Black economy high mass bridge, Duncan Quarter pounder Split, & Hot stack Jazz bridge pickup. 500k volume pot, 3 way toggle switch, fender tbx tone control. Switchcraft output jack (side mounted w/football plate).

All of them play good! The Simonon tribute still has major neck work before it's in the rotation of things. At some point down the line, i'll replace the bridge on the Deluxe for a high mass. Pumpkin King needs a TBX rewire & i'll make the bridge pickup only active in the switch middle position (turn what would be its isolation into a killed signal). In terms of heaviest to lightest:

Pumpkin King, Brat, Simonon, Deluxe, Eastwood, '04 Affinity, Sheena

Just missing the fretless Lynott/David J version & the Precision collection is done.

 

[ThaCoast]

Short update, pictures coming soon of each.

Abstract strat is now on varnish phase, which starts today. Along with the Surf green Hoppus Jazz body, & the walnut Jazz body. All 3 of these are aimed to be completed by end of month.

My friend/former roommate started painting the drum shells. Those will be done some point, she's got other things to take care of in between it all. Looking forward to these

 

[ThaCoast]

What supplier do you use? Got a line on Canadians or do you use international and American vendors?

Quoting years later, mainly as an update to the question & to my previous answer some 4 years back. Over the last 3 years, i've opted for Canadian vendors for bulk order in small parts (next gen guitars), or specific branded parts/paint supplies (Solo music gear). Both of these are Ontario Based vendors. I've also purchased templates from Mike Potvin, in Ottawa Ontario. If i were to need something specific that i can get from evilBay (like premade necks for just fast piece projects, some parts because they're "cheaper" on the site, than a guitar parts store. convenient when i only need the one part, & no need to bulk order, or specific pieces like custom knobs or TRCs where i've found the vendors on ebay).

I've not been back on All parts, or Guitar parts ressource for any orders since. I've ordered from stewmac scarcely for their special tools (truss rod rescue, Zfile though this one was ordered on ebay instead, but still their store).

 

[ThaCoast]

I give you all, Sìorraidh

^^^Freshly painted headstock face, logo'd & named. Resplattered the body with Neon Blue acrylic paint. Strung with 11-52 D'adds, Still undergoing setup, currently tuned in D standard. Couldn't be happier with how this one turned out, much better than the first round i gave it, & i really couldn't Thank my friend/roommate who found the pickguard/pickup covers in a park randomly. Having a strat in my rotation of guitars is sweet - like coming full circle from my start as a kid. A squier affinity strat in black/rose fretboard, this one reflects me more as a person i am.

For those curious; Sìorraidh is Scottish Gaelic for Eternal.

 

[ThaCoast]

I've been in thought for a while in regards to my guitars & basses collection. Those complete, to finish, & in current build, writting a list, & soon to play through each & everyone of them (into my rig), seeing what feels best to me overall, the tones they offer, & if any feel/sound the same/similar.

I've my selection in my head thus far, however to test em will be the ultimate judging. Those which stay, are those i'd never in my lifetime part with. The others, will see the chopblock, & be sold off.

In project news, i'll bombard later today (Friday july 19th 2024).

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I’ve been pondering that myself. The ‘ol collection has rather built up and I should get rid of stuff but what?