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-   -   The bass customisation thread. (http://www.sputnikmusic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237591)

Jamie 09-25-2004 12:59 PM

You can change the tuning pegs as long as you get the right kind, and im pretty sure you will be able to change the knobs, try just lightly pulling on the knobs, most cheap basses just have puush-on knobs (such as squiers) so they are easy top take off and put on

Shady Ultima 09-25-2004 01:45 PM

Mine are screwed on. They need to be removed with an a special screwdriver.

Shady Ultima 09-25-2004 02:15 PM

If anyone has any links to sites that show custom tuning pegs, custom knobs, and I also want to customize the bridge, any good lookin bridges? I should also say I want gothic looking parts, like bloody, and skulls and stuff. Thanks!

xxxwookie 09-27-2004 09:31 AM

Try ebay for you spares, only problem is that there are different types of machine head so you need to know specifically the size that you're looking for (If you remove them and measure the diameter of the hole without the ring, that is what you need to know).

The knobs on your bass are attached with allen key bolts. They hold on better and wear less than push on knobs, but all pots are similar so push on knobs will work fine on there

Lotto 09-29-2004 03:13 PM

Hey There....
I'm kind of new to this site, and well, new to the bass for that matter, but i got bored about a month ago and painted the pick gaurd and changed the knobs out on the ol' pbass. I found some like hexagonal 70's style radio knobs at Radio Shack, LoL... Well, I like it... :D

[IMG]http://www.textamerica.com/user.images.x/40/IMG_430340/_0920%5CTZ200920180426114.jpg[/IMG]

xxxwookie 09-29-2004 06:46 PM

That looks pretty funky but it ****s with my eyes!

ibanezfishman 09-29-2004 08:24 PM

Hey i need to know hoe to defret my bass step by step here cause im a lil thick

xxxwookie 09-30-2004 05:13 PM

Well, quick guide.

You will need a mahher, a screwdriver and a soldering iron.

Use the soldering iron to heat up the frets. This does a little to loosen it up.
Use the hammer to gently tap the screwdriver pushing the frets out.
Once completely defretted, fill gaps with woodfiller
Sand down until smooth
Cover fretboard with varnish.

There are a lot of guides available on the net if you search for them

tom the frog 10-01-2004 07:46 AM

id just like to say congrats to both conversions i saw, there very beautiful, all ive done to mine is put some stickers on it lol, well keep it up, youve inspired me

peace

Jamie 10-12-2004 11:20 AM

[url]http://www.geocities.com/lessthanjakebass/index[/url] there ya go mate (defretting thing)

It aint fully finished. (ill finish it this weekend) but its good enough to read through for now

billtus 10-13-2004 07:28 AM

i'm currently remaking a really cheap bass that has one split pickup, i've reshaped the whole thing, but it had a layed of fiberglass about 2mm thick and i don't know what to use to get it off, and hints?

billtus 10-13-2004 07:30 AM

i de-fretted it a few years ago, but now im making it a rock style bass (kind of the ESP F-204) so i need to buy some frets, but i have no idea about the purchasing of frets

ThePatient 10-13-2004 12:50 PM

I defretted my Squire ages ago and I still haven't done anything with it but I've come into money lately so I'm finally going to get it fixed and upgrade it. So I've got a couple of questions:

1. Any reccomendations besides the Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounders?
2. Is there any place besides Warmoth to look for bridges? Because I went there and the only one under $100 was a bridge that looks exactly like the one already on Squires.

--Oh, and Jamie Dunce, I like what you did with your pickguard. :thumb:

ThePatient 10-15-2004 12:07 PM

Two days and no response? What is the world coming to?

billtus 10-29-2004 07:25 AM

i guess i'll respond, ive got the first coat down on my bass, now i gotta sandit then recoat and repeat

WHoRRID 10-30-2004 11:27 AM

[QUOTE=CrapBassist19]I defretted my Squire ages ago and I still haven't done anything with it but I've come into money lately so I'm finally going to get it fixed and upgrade it. So I've got a couple of questions:

1. Any reccomendations besides the Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounders?
2. Is there any place besides Warmoth to look for bridges? Because I went there and the only one under $100 was a bridge that looks exactly like the one already on Squires.

--Oh, and Jamie Dunce, I like what you did with your pickguard. :thumb:[/QUOTE]
[url]http://mailboxmusic.zoovy.com/category/bassparts/[/url]
[url]http://www.allparts.com/[/url]

Skit 10-31-2004 06:22 AM

[QUOTE=xxxwookie]The filling in the hole under the scratchplate isn't an easy job. In saying that it's not too hard either. Basically, you need to get some wood filler and some thin plastic tubes (Wide enough for you to pass 2 wires through) You fill in the gaps leaving space for the pickup(s) and you make sure that the wire tube is submerged and emerges at the pickup hols and at the electronics. you wait for it to set and voila, no need for a scratch plate. You can do the same to the electronics but you'd have to route out a hole in the back to put them in.

It's a tricky job, but not something amazingly difficult[/QUOTE]

Sounds good but I dont quite understand....

Do you thread the wires through a pipe and cover it and the control knobs completely?
Any persific(sp) type of pipe needed? (im doing plumbing at college so i can nick some pipe :thumb: )



Could you maybe post a more detailed explanation?

billtus 11-02-2004 06:04 AM

i was thinking of wood filler, but i might just buy a new body(im re-shaping the old one) because the one i've got had a 3mm or so thick layer of fibreglass and it was kinda dodgy

LewsTherin 11-03-2004 03:10 PM

[QUOTE=billtus]i'm currently remaking a really cheap bass that has one split pickup, i've reshaped the whole thing, but it had a layed of fiberglass about 2mm thick and i don't know what to use to get it off, and hints?[/QUOTE]


i work with fiberglass for a living (boats), we usually use angle-grinders. you could use just a power-sander, but youll have to be careful not to f- up the wood underneath. also, be careful when sanding fiberglass, wear a mask, its nasty shi-

oh yeah, for detail/small work, id recommend something like a dremel.

jaseonbase 11-06-2004 10:36 PM

HI...what type of paint do you use to ad decoration to a bass(its a **** samick) that has fibreglass or plastic guard all the way around the body?

NEED HELP!!

LewsTherin 11-08-2004 06:25 PM

[QUOTE=jaseonbase]HI...what type of paint do you use to ad decoration to a bass(its a **** samick) that has fibreglass or plastic guard all the way around the body?

NEED HELP!![/QUOTE]


Acrylic Enamel Spray works, I think. Thats what I use on gas-cans (polycarbonate) and the boats (fiberglass) at the shop at my work.

jaseonbase 11-10-2004 02:43 AM

sweet...if i get it done i'll take photos cos its gonna kick ***.

TerryThorne 11-10-2004 10:13 PM

If you defret a bass, does it still sound as good as a normal fretless?

Skit 11-11-2004 05:08 AM

[QUOTE=TerryThorne]If you defret a bass, does it still sound as good as a normal fretless?[/QUOTE]

Yes :thumb:

yesiamsimon 11-11-2004 01:24 PM

I've attempted a few custom jobs, I stripped the paint from a messed up bruiser of a Precision copy and routed a deeper pickup cavity in my jazz so i could lower the p/u's more as well as tinkering with the electronics when things have broken, but the most ambitious things i've done is defret a bass.

Followed the advice that i picked up from various web pages, like I treated the fingerboard with lemon oil before I started, masked the wood around the fret, heated it with an iron, and so on. I used two part Epoxy Resin to fill the slots but didn't want to lose the tone of the rosewood fingerboard so sanded it off flush with the neck. One good tip i discovered is, if you want to make the fret slots show up without messing around with contrasting wood laminates, take a white watercolour paint block, scratch at it with a knife to get really fine flakes then add just enough water to make a thick paste and add it to your epoxy as you mix the resin and hardener together, takes a long time to mix the two together, as your just suspending the water based paint in the epoxy but when it dries it will be white (or at least off white) its probably easier to source coloured resin but i had to bodge something together with the materials i had to hand. You'll have to sand the resin off the fingerboard though, and if the frets have chipped out lots then it wont be a clean line - But it worked for me. Now i just need to learn to play fretless....

LewsTherin 11-11-2004 01:29 PM

[QUOTE=yesiamsimon]I've attempted a few custom jobs, I stripped the paint from a messed up bruiser of a Precision copy and routed a deeper pickup cavity in my jazz so i could lower the p/u's more as well as tinkering with the electronics when things have broken, but the most ambitious things i've done is defret a bass.

Followed the advice that i picked up from various web pages, like I treated the fingerboard with lemon oil before I started, masked the wood around the fret, heated it with an iron, and so on. I used two part Epoxy Resin to fill the slots but didn't want to lose the tone of the rosewood fingerboard so sanded it off flush with the neck. One good tip i discovered is, if you want to make the fret slots show up without messing around with contrasting wood laminates, take a white watercolour paint block, scratch at it with a knife to get really fine flakes then add just enough water to make a thick paste and add it to your epoxy as you mix the resin and hardener together, takes a long time to mix the two together, as your just suspending the water based paint in the epoxy but when it dries it will be white (or at least off white) its probably easier to source coloured resin but i had to bodge something together with the materials i had to hand. You'll have to sand the resin off the fingerboard though, and if the frets have chipped out lots then it wont be a clean line - But it worked for me. Now i just need to learn to play fretless....[/QUOTE]

or, if your using West System epoxy (as i would), you could set it under a lamp partway into the set, and after it sets....itll make it nice and yellow.
i've never done it on a fingerboard, but ive done epoxy inlays on boats (just screwing around), and if yellow suits you, its great. im not sure if other brands do this too, ive only ever used West System.

Cramboli 11-12-2004 03:12 PM

a hollow neck with barbed wire on the inside and running blood thta would be awsome.

LewsTherin 11-12-2004 04:22 PM

[QUOTE=cramboli]a hollow neck with barbed wire on the inside and running blood thta would be awsome.[/QUOTE]

ill take your word for it.

i dont know if any transparent materials would be both strong and flexible enough for a neck....or if one thin-walled enough to put stuff (like barbed wire) would be strong enough...

Fernandes Power 11-13-2004 08:38 PM

Help?
 
I am thinking about buying a Fernandes Gravity 5X as it is a particularly playable bass, but the electronics arent amazing so i wanted to get some EMG J's fitted to it sometime soon (if indeed i buy it). Although i have seen that Robert Trujillo of Metallica has also done this, and his basses seem to have an extra knob (4 instead of the 3 that are on the Gravity) this is obviously due to custom electronics and having his basses built from scratch.

The 4th knob makes me wonder if it is possible to get the EMG's fitted to it, will i need to drill a hole and attatch a new knob to it? Should i just leave it?

neatobassman 11-14-2004 01:56 AM

^^I'm not sure if you will need the 4th nob, but I think you might, cause my spector has EMGs and I have 4 nobs


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