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shreddy bender

shreddy bender

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A co-worker asked me if I wanted his Dad's old bass. Said it was neglected, sitting in his garage for about 8 years and hasn't been played in about 20.

Well... You know me, "free musical instrument?!?!! Hmmm...."

It looks like an easy project so far on the surface. I took it apart last night to give it a good look over and I think it might make a nice addition to my already crowded stable. Oh well, I already know I have some sort of sickness.

Funny how they tell me their names right away.

Lazarus.

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As you can see it's filthy (on the photo of the fingerboard you can see some of the gunk I scraped off with my finger nail).

But all in all it looks like it could make a decent bass.

I plan on refinishing the body just because I can and it will be fun. There are a few big chunks out of the poly so I want to strip it down and see what I'm left with.

Time will tell!
 
eSGEe said:
SCHWEEEEEEEEEET deal Shreddy!!!!

or should I say Shreddy-Boom -Boom ????
Click to expand...

Well... Another Co-worker ( who just bought his first SG last week. It's a 2017 Faded in cherry) asked if I would consider playing bass with him and another co-worker.

Sure! Why not?!

Guess I had better get off my butt and get this thing playable!
 
I did some research about these. I remember seeing this brand in the 80's. It appears they were made in Japan for distribution in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and somewhere else I can't remember. They weren't sold in the U.S. because of the headstock shape or something.

Looks like a good quality build and the neck feels great!. The frets need a polish but look in good shape and the neck is straight. Should be interesting!
 
I don't know if you've seen it but I posted a thread on a similar project over on ETSG.
Mine was a severely neglected 1997 MIC Squier Precision bass, very similar to what you have.
I hope you enjoy your rescue as much as I did. It looks like a very cool project.

For me, the neck was the first challenge. I got the bass for free, but paid good money to an
excellent luthier to get the neck straight for me. After that, the project was fun. I named mine
Raven, and it's the one I reach for most often. Being completely rebuilt with quality parts, it's
no longer a Squier and I sanded off the decal and threw away the rusty neck plate, along with
all the other junk.

Personally, I would strongly recommend against trying to refinish the bass, unless you really
know how to remove polyurethane. The finish on all my 'cheap' guitars is hard and durable, actually
quite practical and impervious to anything but blows from a brick or a hammer. Trying to remove
the stuff plus the undercoat can be very laborious, ...and you don't know what kind of wood might
be under there. I've seen videos where guys heated the finish up and were able to scrape it off
or something, but it seems like a mess. I would just paint the chipped areas black with craft paint
or model airplane enamel and move on to the installation of the new bridge, new p'ups, new wiring,
new PG, new knobs, new ebony tugbar, new nut and new tuners. ...you know, the fun part.
Raven Headstock 17@100.jpg Raven body 17@100.jpg Raven whole bass 17@100.jpg Mustards onstage 89.jpg
 
I remember your thread. You did a great job on it!

I know polyurethane finish is hard and clogs up your sandpaper but I have access to a heat gun and orbital sander. I know that it is a 5 piece body as I can see the seams telegraphing through the finish.

I will refinish it just for the practice. I work at a boat factory fixing flaws in the finish of the fiberglass parts and have done finish repairs onhulls and decks. Wet sanding to 1200, doing paint touch ups and sometimes painting whole parts. I know my way around a sander, buffer and paint gun.

I figure it will be hard work but fun to put a new finish on it.

Really, I think my job is perfect for me as I love spraying, I love sanding and I love creating a smooth mirror finish ( I polish rocks for a hobby for crying out loud!).

There must be something wrong with me... I ain't quite right in the head!:blink:
 
For me, the cool part is how well the darn thing responded to all the labor and
new parts. I installed a Gotoh black bridge, new 250k pots and wiring kit from StewMac,
Golden Age P-Bass pickup, also from StewMac... New all black pick guard and Tele knobs,
new Fender nut (made of whatever, probably Corian)... black roller string tree and black Schaller tuners.

Your Japan made bass might not need all those parts replaced... on mine, the stock parts were rusty and filthy
(or missing) and I wanted nothing to do with them. I could have cleaned them up but I wanted all black for the
Raven bass. Yours might be a higher quality instrument from the beginning. You get the choice.

But after my master card bill was paid, I'm very happy with my rescue bass. And I will enjoy watching your
project unfold.
 
Well Col... Here's some progress. Heat gun, 3 inch putty knife, razor blade and 3 Budweiser beers, 2 doobies and...FB_IMG_1492834277166.jpg FB_IMG_1492834284282.jpg

The tools

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Off to the orbital tomorrow! Thinking of some type of sunburst. Not sure of the colour though. Never sprayed a sunburst. This should be fun!
 
Oh... I forgot... I brought my buffer home from work so I can do the neck. Got steel wool for the frets too!

Couple of weeks and she should be done.
 
So you removed the paint wih heat and elbow grease? No chemicals?

I know there is a substwnce that just turns the paint to mush. Do you stay away from it for any specific reason, or you just did not have in on hand or deem in necessary in this instance?
 
FB_IMG_1492922226379.jpg FB_IMG_1492922236029.jpg I also buffed the neck. Forgot to mention that it will need a new nut. It's got brass saddles though!

Looks like a poplar body. Anyone got any thoughts? It's really soft.
 
Thoughts are that poplar is harder than basswood, if only slighty so it is a step better than many inexpensive guitars. I have routed basswood and it works out. Just do not try to re-tread holes and if you do, use Tite-Bond. Anyway, you are stuck with it right?
 
RVA said:
So you removed the paint wih heat and elbow grease? No chemicals?

I know there is a substwnce that just turns the paint to mush. Do you stay away from it for any specific reason, or you just did not have in on hand or deem in necessary in this instance?
Click to expand...

Chemical paint strippers are nasty. Fumes, burnt skin,
(They eat right through rubber gloves) cleanup of the
caustic toxic mud the stripping chemicals and the
dissolved paint combine to make.

Heat gun and scraper is a much more pleasant experience.

(I know from which I speak. My house was built in 1908 and
somewhere along the line white woodwork came into style.
All that beautiful oak had 6 coats of white enamel on it.
Kathy and I stripped wood for 6 years.)
 
Great friend and great lookin bass for you Shreddy.

I saw a killer bass today too but of course fiscal responsibility keeps me from considering one.



OOOO and one of my favorite songs too, Pink Floyd.
 
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