So last night I was trying to line things up, forgot the pickguard was not screwed on, and dropped it just far enough to snap the wires from the electronics to the output jack 
So I put it all aside… I’m going to clamp it in place and put the outer strings on so I can line up where to drill the neck holes. The pocket has… lots of wiggle room 
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Yeah, not a bass (well, not with that attitude) but there’s a light relic 90s Strat body near me for $80…
One of those ugly/pain “tobacco bursts” or whatever, but I have a dark wooden pickguard that might set it off…
Very rough, sketchy AF MS Paint hack:
The lighting is all wrong for the pickguard vs body lol…
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I tried yours and many other suggestion to use heat Gun so far so good only flat but if I was patient enough I get a little sheet.
Finger crossed I don’t know if the side would be a pain in the butt or not.
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I say leave it like that - uber relic
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This guy did a pretty good job, but he had a helper
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You may try several heat and cool cycles before scraping. Heat it up till the paint starts warping, then let it cool. Rinse and repeat a few times. The expansion and rapid contraction should help break the bond.
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You know I noticed that’s there’s another a millimeter or 2 of the filler thingy. It’s like they dip the body in the filler bucket.
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It might just be high build primer.
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Oh man I’m drooling 
.
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Me too with the Dart, too bad we don’t live in the same neighborhood.
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Oh man, that’s pretty 
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Ok it’s done. Well the paint. Now it’s just sanding.
The side is definitely harder.
@MC-Canadastan thermo cycling it doesn’t work as well as plan. I noticed you have one shot at the bubble second time around it’s more brittle. May be a couple of quick passes work better.
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Worth a shot. It works well for paints that are fairly rubbery in consistency on a dense base. I guess a hard finish like here wasn’t the right one.
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Plus I’m on max the whole time.
I get to do it all over again soon my second sb4 is on deck. That one is candy apple red so it will hurt a bit, lol
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Hell yes, nice job so far
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Looking snazzy, @Al1885 . It’s the DIY Dart. In fact it’s probably truer to Joe’s original bass, which was a DIY’d Stingray-Ish from a pawnshop, than the actual signature model.
For those sides, if you feel like investing in tool, a vertical oscillating sander is ideal. You can go down to your local Horrible Fright or Craigslist, and they have one that can have both a grinding belt or spindle.
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That looks great Al, definitely a worth while project. The videos I saw about removing paint have it coming off in small, brittle chips. Sanding really brought out the beauty in that body.
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Always wanted one now I have a reason to get one. I found a good deal on Rigid if I could I’ll pick it up today.
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