The bass customisation thread.

xxxwookie · 09-10-2004, 07:37 AM

I've noticed over the time that I've been here that a lot of people at MX like to customise their basses and they like to do it themselves. The aim of this thread is to ask for help or post advice regarding customisation of your guitar.

You may, if you like, post and discuss your own customisation jobs explaining what you did and how you did it etc.

Some of you may know of my own customisation which has now been going on for over a year (Things seem to go wrong and then I can't do anything while I'm at uni.) Well, I finally finished the paint job and got a clear lacquer to use and guess what. It ate away at my paintwork

I'm off back to uni soon so I probably wont have time to repaint it again and find a lacquer.

Anyway.
I started off with an old P-bass someone gave me because the pickups weren't working. Not a great wuality bass but I saw it as my opportunity.

The Neck
I defretted the neck using a soldering iron to heat them up and gently tapping them out with a screwdriver and a hammer. You will probably get one or two dings but when you fill the frets up you wont notice them so much.
You can buy wood filler from a DIY store or such. This usually involves mixing a wood resin based substance containing saw dust and a catalyst which makes it set quickly. Rub this into the gaps where the frets were and when the filler is set, sand it down so they are flush with the surface
I've actually painted the fret board. I wasn't too sure if this would be a good idea or not but it can always be sanded down if it doesn't work. The back of the neck and the head were also sanded and painted black.

The body
Firstly, I sanded this down until it was completely bare. Easy enough. Some people will recommend a product called Nitro more or somethign like that. This is much better and easier as it burns off the lacquer and paint without harming the wood.
If you're sanding it I recommend you start with a low grade sandpaper about p140-180. This is for stripping paint and such.
I don't really like the P-bass shape so I actually reshaped the body using a coping saw. I cut the horns similar to the shape of an SG but the staggered look actually looks more interesting. I've also reduced the big ugly backside that P-basses have so it looks more slim.
I then used a file to shape the wood in a more detailed way. The coping saw leaves it bumpy.
After this, to smooth off the body before painting, I began sanding again, starting with a low grade around p180. Around the edges of the bass, you should clamp it upright in a workbench, lay the sandpaper over the edge and pull down on either side repeatedly. This will give a smoother more rounded ege on the bass for extra sex appeal. You need to work up to a very high grade of paper such as p600 and then use iron wool to get the smoothest possible finish.
I noticed a problem at this point in that I wanted a J-J pickup combination, however the bass was a P-J. I couldn't just fill the hole because the drilled hole leading to the electronics compartment would be filled. I used a couple of pieces of wood to section off a small gap around the hole and filled the rest of the pickup gap. I then placed on the pickup cover for my J pickup and drew around it. I used a router to cut out a hole to the shape of the J-pickup. Using a router is difficult though. A much easier way to do it is to use a scratchguard which is easily shaped (Unless you want a metal one) and cut a large hole in the wood.

Painting
make sure the surface is as smooth as possible, going over the surfaces with fine iron wool.
Remove any dust from the surfaces using a tack cloth. Be thorough, the dust can make a mess of your paint job.
The best and easiest way to paint IMO is to hang the bass in a garage or a shed. you can hang it through one of the holes for the neck to screw on.
Alternatively, you can screw a piece of wood into the neck holes and clamp that to a workbench.
Use a spray paint, it is difficult to evenly paint with a brush. spray only in light coats and allow time for those coats to dry before spraying another. I painted my bass using a black primer and then a black gloss spray. In between coats, always use a tack cloth to remove dust that may have attached during the time it's taken to dry.
I decided I wanted a personalised design on my bass. I printed a bass clef on my computer and then cut it out of card. I used items to hold down the card so it didn't fly up. I didn't want to use adhesives in case it pulled the black paint up. Paint onto the stencil in the same way you painted the rest of the bass and I did many coats to ensure that it was complete. I covered up the rest of the bass with bits of newspaper to prevent the white paint from getting everywhere.

My bass is now complete except for one stage. it needs to be lacquered. I've made two mistakes thus far. Firstly I used plastikote polyurethane varnish which someone had recommended to me. This aged the white design and left a poor and rough finish which peeled off. I then sanded down and redid the paint job. I used nitrocellulose lacquer which is used by professional luthiers. Make sure you didn't use acrylic paints if you're going to use nitrocellulose, it ate away at my paint job. You should always check the suitability before you use (My lacquer didn't have any guides on it so I wasn't to know).
A good lacquer will need time to set properly. Leave it a few days-1 week and do not touch it. You can spray new coats before it has set properly, it'll probably be sticky to the touch but if you spray too much on at once it will drip and make a mess.

deeps · 09-10-2004, 06:16 PM

ummmmmmmmm... sounds sweet...
got pics?

Jublian · 09-10-2004, 08:50 PM

yes pics!

xxxwookie · 09-11-2004, 06:18 AM

um... *Looks* Unfortunately I don't have many. Like I say, I have to sand down and repaint because the varnish made a horrible mess.

OK, I found a few and put them on my website, but it is geocities so it'll probably mess up in some way or another.
http://www.geocities.com/raw_throat_vocal_martyr/Gear/custom.html

Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove · 09-12-2004, 03:56 AM

Looks like a really cool project man, i wonder how it sounds though.

Jamie · 09-12-2004, 08:09 AM

nice!!! I like!! the 3rd pic doesnt work...

I have a question, which i have asked many a time with NO ANSWER! from anyone,

so, ive defretted my p-bass and done everything, ive put the first coat of laquer on and its been 3 and a half days and its still sticky. Ive been using a brush to put it on.

What do i do, what have i done wrong? (have i put too much on and shall i just left it for a couple more days?

Jamie · 09-12-2004, 08:13 AM

Oh and that second pic is confusing me. Is the grass the floor or is the brick the floor?!?! its really weird!!!

xxxwookie · 09-12-2004, 09:11 AM

Quote:

ive put the first coat of laquer on and its been 3 and a half days and its still sticky.

The lacquer can take up to over 1 week to set properly. It's probably fine. As long as it's just sticky you can continue with any extra layers that may be necessary but only if it's a spray lacquer

Quote:

nice!!! I like!! the 3rd pic doesnt work...

Yeah, Don't you just love geocities? 1st one isn't working anymore either

Quote:

Oh and that second pic is confusing me. Is the grass the floor or is the brick the floor?!?! its really weird!!!

They're both the floor

That path was laid over 100 years ago, they didn't use slab much then. On top of that the local area is particularly well known for clay bricks so it was an easy resource.

Quote:

i wonder how it sounds though

So do I. Like I said, I got it for free so I question how good the wood is likely to be and I don't know how painting the fingerboard will effect things too. Only one way to find out, if I ever finish it that is

Mango Kid · 09-12-2004, 12:08 PM

Looks kind of like a Wal. Very nice work.

09-12-2004, 12:16 PM

The last picture of it painted doesn't show up. What is your next step going to be?

xxxwookie · 09-12-2004, 04:15 PM

I've fixed the link to the third picture. However, Geocities have shut down my site for an hour or so because of the traffic it's receiving

Next step, I'm currently sanding it down (Again) I'll redo the paint job in black gloss and the stencil of a bass clef in white. This time I have a friend whose father knows a lot about paint so he's going to fix me up with the right sprays for the job. It'll probably be my Christmas vacation (If I get one) before I can finish it.

I also have some of the gum drop rubber knobs (ESP) for my controls in white and a badass style bridge

baggagebassman · 09-12-2004, 08:30 PM

Can't wait to see it man.

Big-Bird · 09-12-2004, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxxwookie

um... *Looks* Unfortunately I don't have many. Like I say, I have to sand down and repaint because the varnish made a horrible mess.

OK, I found a few and put them on my website, but it is geocities so it'll probably mess up in some way or another.
http://www.geocities.com/raw_throat_vocal_martyr/Gear/custom.html

dude your bass is looking rad!

coddingtown · 09-13-2004, 01:07 AM

what did you coat the neck with after you painted it?

09-13-2004, 08:28 AM

It looks odd to me. The horns are a little uneven, although I realize that one should be further out than the other they don't look to be the exact same size. Maybe try and fix it up later?

xxxwookie · 09-13-2004, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coddingtown

what did you coat the neck with after you painted it?

The polyurethane spray which made a mess of the rest of the bass. I have a friend who is organising the right paints and the right lacquers for me now though so all should be sorted eventually.

Quote:

It looks odd to me. The horns are a little uneven, although I realize that one should be further out than the other they don't look to be the exact same size. Maybe try and fix it up later?

They've been cut from P bass horns which are different sizes. I kinda like it like that.

09-14-2004, 12:21 PM

Essentially what I mean is that you should shave some wood off of the lower horn so that it looks more like the sg on the outer horn. other than that it looks alright.

Show us some pictures of it on a while background, I can't see the "butt" enough.

The Mullinator · 09-14-2004, 09:56 PM

i have a starter bass
epiphone accu bass jr. and i would like to add a nice body, like flying V, or vintage z or something. I dunno how to "customize guitars" on my own, just looking for something to screw on. Will it ruin the sound, can it make it better, could i change the pickups? Is it worth it?

vheartagramv · 09-14-2004, 11:56 PM

How would you go about tightening a truss rod that's basically round? As in, allen wrench won't work. It's like "o" on the inside and "O" on the outside: nothing to grip at all.

Posting in the thread because I can't be arsed to make a new thread, and I really don't feel like bumping my POS thread.

Naveed Afzal · 09-15-2004, 04:42 AM

I have a Black Bass

and i want to put a design on the black what kind of paint would i use to do that

09-10-2004, 07:37 AM	#1
xxxwookie ARGH! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Liverpool, England Posts: 6,429	The bass customisation thread. I've noticed over the time that I've been here that a lot of people at MX like to customise their basses and they like to do it themselves. The aim of this thread is to ask for help or post advice regarding customisation of your guitar. You may, if you like, post and discuss your own customisation jobs explaining what you did and how you did it etc. Some of you may know of my own customisation which has now been going on for over a year (Things seem to go wrong and then I can't do anything while I'm at uni.) Well, I finally finished the paint job and got a clear lacquer to use and guess what. It ate away at my paintwork I'm off back to uni soon so I probably wont have time to repaint it again and find a lacquer. Anyway. I started off with an old P-bass someone gave me because the pickups weren't working. Not a great wuality bass but I saw it as my opportunity. The Neck I defretted the neck using a soldering iron to heat them up and gently tapping them out with a screwdriver and a hammer. You will probably get one or two dings but when you fill the frets up you wont notice them so much. You can buy wood filler from a DIY store or such. This usually involves mixing a wood resin based substance containing saw dust and a catalyst which makes it set quickly. Rub this into the gaps where the frets were and when the filler is set, sand it down so they are flush with the surface I've actually painted the fret board. I wasn't too sure if this would be a good idea or not but it can always be sanded down if it doesn't work. The back of the neck and the head were also sanded and painted black. The body Firstly, I sanded this down until it was completely bare. Easy enough. Some people will recommend a product called Nitro more or somethign like that. This is much better and easier as it burns off the lacquer and paint without harming the wood. If you're sanding it I recommend you start with a low grade sandpaper about p140-180. This is for stripping paint and such. I don't really like the P-bass shape so I actually reshaped the body using a coping saw. I cut the horns similar to the shape of an SG but the staggered look actually looks more interesting. I've also reduced the big ugly backside that P-basses have so it looks more slim. I then used a file to shape the wood in a more detailed way. The coping saw leaves it bumpy. After this, to smooth off the body before painting, I began sanding again, starting with a low grade around p180. Around the edges of the bass, you should clamp it upright in a workbench, lay the sandpaper over the edge and pull down on either side repeatedly. This will give a smoother more rounded ege on the bass for extra sex appeal. You need to work up to a very high grade of paper such as p600 and then use iron wool to get the smoothest possible finish. I noticed a problem at this point in that I wanted a J-J pickup combination, however the bass was a P-J. I couldn't just fill the hole because the drilled hole leading to the electronics compartment would be filled. I used a couple of pieces of wood to section off a small gap around the hole and filled the rest of the pickup gap. I then placed on the pickup cover for my J pickup and drew around it. I used a router to cut out a hole to the shape of the J-pickup. Using a router is difficult though. A much easier way to do it is to use a scratchguard which is easily shaped (Unless you want a metal one) and cut a large hole in the wood. Painting make sure the surface is as smooth as possible, going over the surfaces with fine iron wool. Remove any dust from the surfaces using a tack cloth. Be thorough, the dust can make a mess of your paint job. The best and easiest way to paint IMO is to hang the bass in a garage or a shed. you can hang it through one of the holes for the neck to screw on. Alternatively, you can screw a piece of wood into the neck holes and clamp that to a workbench. Use a spray paint, it is difficult to evenly paint with a brush. spray only in light coats and allow time for those coats to dry before spraying another. I painted my bass using a black primer and then a black gloss spray. In between coats, always use a tack cloth to remove dust that may have attached during the time it's taken to dry. I decided I wanted a personalised design on my bass. I printed a bass clef on my computer and then cut it out of card. I used items to hold down the card so it didn't fly up. I didn't want to use adhesives in case it pulled the black paint up. Paint onto the stencil in the same way you painted the rest of the bass and I did many coats to ensure that it was complete. I covered up the rest of the bass with bits of newspaper to prevent the white paint from getting everywhere. My bass is now complete except for one stage. it needs to be lacquered. I've made two mistakes thus far. Firstly I used plastikote polyurethane varnish which someone had recommended to me. This aged the white design and left a poor and rough finish which peeled off. I then sanded down and redid the paint job. I used nitrocellulose lacquer which is used by professional luthiers. Make sure you didn't use acrylic paints if you're going to use nitrocellulose, it ate away at my paint job. You should always check the suitability before you use (My lacquer didn't have any guides on it so I wasn't to know). A good lacquer will need time to set properly. Leave it a few days-1 week and do not touch it. You can spray new coats before it has set properly, it'll probably be sticky to the touch but if you spray too much on at once it will drip and make a mess.

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09-10-2004, 06:16 PM	#2
deeps It's clonely at the top. Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,297	ummmmmmmmm... sounds sweet... got pics?

09-10-2004, 08:50 PM	#3
Jublian myspace.com/drmilk Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha Posts: 1,114	yes pics!

09-11-2004, 06:18 AM	#4
xxxwookie ARGH! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Liverpool, England Posts: 6,429	um... Looks Unfortunately I don't have many. Like I say, I have to sand down and repaint because the varnish made a horrible mess. OK, I found a few and put them on my website, but it is geocities so it'll probably mess up in some way or another. http://www.geocities.com/raw_throat_vocal_martyr/Gear/custom.html

09-12-2004, 03:56 AM	#5
Bass+Fingers+Amp=Groove Nobody here but us trees Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,765	Looks like a really cool project man, i wonder how it sounds though.

09-12-2004, 08:09 AM	#6
Jamie :O Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 10,789	nice!!! I like!! the 3rd pic doesnt work... I have a question, which i have asked many a time with NO ANSWER! from anyone, so, ive defretted my p-bass and done everything, ive put the first coat of laquer on and its been 3 and a half days and its still sticky. Ive been using a brush to put it on. What do i do, what have i done wrong? (have i put too much on and shall i just left it for a couple more days?

09-12-2004, 08:13 AM	#7
Jamie :O Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 10,789	Oh and that second pic is confusing me. Is the grass the floor or is the brick the floor?!?! its really weird!!!

09-12-2004, 12:08 PM	#9
Mango Kid Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 2,447	Looks kind of like a Wal. Very nice work.

09-12-2004, 12:16 PM	#10
Les_enfants_terribles Guest Posts: n/a	The last picture of it painted doesn't show up. What is your next step going to be?

09-12-2004, 04:15 PM	#11
xxxwookie ARGH! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Liverpool, England Posts: 6,429	I've fixed the link to the third picture. However, Geocities have shut down my site for an hour or so because of the traffic it's receiving Next step, I'm currently sanding it down (Again) I'll redo the paint job in black gloss and the stencil of a bass clef in white. This time I have a friend whose father knows a lot about paint so he's going to fix me up with the right sprays for the job. It'll probably be my Christmas vacation (If I get one) before I can finish it. I also have some of the gum drop rubber knobs (ESP) for my controls in white and a badass style bridge

09-12-2004, 08:30 PM	#12
baggagebassman Keep Cleaning The Mirror Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Unfortunately, not GSH Posts: 1,428	Can't wait to see it man.

09-13-2004, 01:07 AM	#14
coddingtown He Bhagavan Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Samsara Posts: 2,876	what did you coat the neck with after you painted it?

09-13-2004, 08:28 AM	#15
Les_enfants_terribles Guest Posts: n/a	It looks odd to me. The horns are a little uneven, although I realize that one should be further out than the other they don't look to be the exact same size. Maybe try and fix it up later?

09-14-2004, 12:21 PM	#17
Les_enfants_terribles Guest Posts: n/a	Essentially what I mean is that you should shave some wood off of the lower horn so that it looks more like the sg on the outer horn. other than that it looks alright. Show us some pictures of it on a while background, I can't see the "butt" enough.

09-14-2004, 09:56 PM	#18
The Mullinator Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 63	i have a starter bass epiphone accu bass jr. and i would like to add a nice body, like flying V, or vintage z or something. I dunno how to "customize guitars" on my own, just looking for something to screw on. Will it ruin the sound, can it make it better, could i change the pickups? Is it worth it?

09-14-2004, 11:56 PM	#19
vheartagramv www.myspace.com/elysiumnc Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NC Posts: 560	How would you go about tightening a truss rod that's basically round? As in, allen wrench won't work. It's like "o" on the inside and "O" on the outside: nothing to grip at all. Posting in the thread because I can't be arsed to make a new thread, and I really don't feel like bumping my POS thread.

09-15-2004, 04:42 AM	#20
Naveed Afzal MX Ampeg & Prosteels Club Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,834	I have a Black Bass and i want to put a design on the black what kind of paint would i use to do that