1st update: I took the bass to my friendly local guitar shop (not so local, but very friendly) and the tech did a couple of tests on the pups. He was getting nothing out of them, which is odd given that I had got some sound on my first test. He is going to look at the neck pup, which is demagnetised anyway, and see what the least interventionist option is. He did say that sometimes a dead wire can cause intermittent problems, so I’ll get a bit of a wiring report too.
I’m currently working on the premise that it’ll be at least one rewind, and possibly two if it’ll make an improvement overall. I’ve stressed that originality is important to me, so he will use the casings and aim to match the original output. On a positive note; the pickups shouldn’t set me back too much more than £100 (for 2) and he thinks the neck will be ok once I adjust the truss rod.
He said he’d be a couple of weeks - Christmas, Hogmanay, general backlog etc - and then I’ll get the bass home to start on my part of the project. I’d hoped to do it all myself, but there’s no kidding myself that I could undertake a pickup overhaul.
I may collect the body sooner because I’m already missing it and am keen to make some progress.
Two projects on the go.
Hohner B Bass from the 90’s. In a sorry state where a battery leaked and ruined the wood at the top part of the body sanded this back and refilled, still a lot to do with getting this looking nice.
Rest of the bass is natural. I had a fair bit of sanding dings out so the front and edges are bare wood.
Second is a hotchpotch of bits and pieces. Had two dodgy necks, one was horribly warped the other the finger board had separated from the neck. I’ve combined these but the fingerboard is one fret too short.
I’ve cut a slot for a J pick up as I like the sound from the pick up placement.
Gluing the fingerboard on was a challenge but hopefully it’s ok.
The strings didn’t line up with the original bridge so I’ll need to ensure it lines up ok.
Anyway, I enjoy messing around, I have an MGB and an old Ducati so I’m used to challenging myself!
If it’s clear coated, all the better. Not this particular bass, but this level of Ibanez basses have a rep for showing wear quickly. I’m no against natural relicing, but good to know my options. And something to do besides practice while it is on the little brown tuck on the way here.
But it’s oil on a burl top so maybe that’s not even a concern.
No pictures this time as nothing has changed externally, but the Hofner came back from the shop this week and is sounding good (if you ignore the lack of E string). The tech rewound both pups, saying that one was dead and the other was showing signs of disintegration of the tape and wax. He would them both to 9.7ohm, which is at the upper end of the range vintage pickups of this style should be (8.5 - 10ohm). they sound great but now I have to clean the pots and check the wiring is still fit for purpose. The tech also replaced a dead capacitor (free of charge).
The principal I’m working on with this bass is that it will be a minimal intervention, so having the original pups rewound is a quite legitimate repair that could have been done decades ago anyway, and the modern capacitor is nothing but a more reliable unit replacing a dead part.
I was hoping to keep the strings but having broken one it doesn’t seem right to mix them with a brand new one, given the amount of tone they’ve acquired over the years, so sadly they will have to be new as well: but hey, every bass has to have new strings at least once in its life. Right?
Pick guard will be coming off this week and I’ll add some photos as that work progresses.
That’s cool, but that shouldn’t include the strings. I would put new strings on such a find, if only to avoid getting rust on my fingers, or potentially die of sepsis. But seriously, unless you like “dead” strings, new strings is a must and does not take away any vintage claim from the instrument.
Also, I wouldn’t leave it without the E string for too long - there is now uneven stress on the neck and this might twist or warp it if left like that for a longer while.
Yeah @joergkutter, I wasn’t meaning that the strings had to be original as well, it’s just that they seem to be very old but not necessarily much played. There’s no rust and they’re the smoothest I’ve ever encountered. The tone I was getting was very pleasant. Given our reputation for never changing our strings I thought it’d be quite amusing to be playing a bass that had 55 year old strings on it. Maybe I need to put a call out for a very old E strong off somebody…
I’ve de-tensioned the neck for now and de-tuned the strings ready for replacement. The truss rod key is a bit awkward to access without a special tool so it’ll get done when the pick guard comes off.
In the meantime I have demoted my acoustic guitar to our Airbnb cottage so I can have all 3 basses hanging together.
This is just the first coat of prestain and ebony wood stain. I wish I would have gotten water based stain. Instead of oil based prestain, stain, and polyurethane. Oh well, you got to use what you have. Opinions are totally welcome. It’s my very first time ever finishing a bass guitar body.
I appreciate your comment, but could you please explain your statement. It’s brand new out the box. I’m not trying to make it look old. Or at least the thought of aging Ms Generic Jazzy. Never crossed my mind till you mentioned it.
I bought half pints of prestain, ebony stain, and gloss polyurethane for the final coat of protection. I did the back last night. I used half of the ebony stain. The other half of the ebony stain is going on the front.
Here’s a picture of the back with a quarter pint of ebony stain. I laid plastic down to protect the table I’m using. Wednesday morning I laid it on it’s back on the plastic. Now after it dries really good. I’ve got to go back and fix where the plastic screwed up my excellent finish. It’s the second time I’ve ever finished any wood project. The first time was back in industrial arts in middle school. I’m 46 now… So it’s been awhile since I’ve finished a wooden project.
Even though it only shows just one of the two pickups. But, these are the pickups I’m going to use in Ms Generic Jazzy Bass. Plus I’ve got some some excellent ideas for the rest of the electronics. I do know one thing. These modern basses don’t have no near the bottom end. That the basses from the late 60’s to the early 70’s. But, Ms Generic Jazzy Bass will definitely be able to keep up with it’s ancestors.
Any thoughts on what strings I should use. She did come with a new set of round wound strings. Honestly, I really dislike the rounds unless they are coated. I much prefer flats or tape wounds. Even half wound strings over round wound.
It’s not relic just not making it looks too even. You can do that by sanding the center porting to create a lighter stain color simply put making a burst effect. Body with even color usually are from solid wood like walnut or pine, for example. Walnut is naturally dark syrup color. Yours is a couple of shade darker so I just thought that it would look better. Here’s the trick I picked up from Dan at Guns’n’guitars.
First step.
Chiselled the neck pocket to fit. 61mm to 63mm. Then filed the pickguard to fit the neck.
Marked holes to drill but will do it later.
40c in the shed today.
I will look for a red of some kind for the body. Thought about a stain but I think I’ll match the headstock, maybe with a metallic paint
I started applying prestain. Got it spread evenly over the entire body. Applied the ebony stain with a quarter pint of the ebony just on the back. Next day laid part of plastic drop cloth on this an old cheap sewing machine. Nextly laid Ms Jazzy Bass on her back. While the stain was still kinda wet. Although she felt dry. Pickup up Ms Jazzy and looked at the back. To my confused look she had black (ebony stain spots) all over her. Like she had the basspox. (Chicken pox). This evening I started with 80 grit sandpaper on the sanding mouse. This is what I revealed.
this is a good time to age it.
