Build number……. Well, a lot. TLB Tele bass

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Originally Posted by Trevor Davies

Cool project. Have you got the beard to match?

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Thanks! I think it will be fun, a nice foil for the frankenbass project.
No beard, not sure I could even if I wanted to……
I’m thinking the heavy relic look zz top favoured would look cool, there’s hardly any paint left on the timber
Could cut the plate along this line…
Attachment 41836

This sort of relic with these colours. Not sure how to achieve this though
Attachment 41837

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Originally Posted by Andyxlh

This sort of relic with these colours. Not sure how to achieve this though
Attachment 41837

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Apparently that one is a sticker! From a photo of a guitar found after a being in a flood (!!). Billy G has a matching 6 string. I saw this last week on YT.

Nooo! It looks so cool!
Mine won’t be a sticker…

I am also part way through a tele bass build. I asked Simon the same question regarding the switch with the single coil pickup. I shall be watching your build diary with interest. Good luck

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Originally Posted by Micthedic

I am also part way through a tele bass build. I asked Simon the same question regarding the switch with the single coil pickup. I shall be watching your build diary with interest. Good luck

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It's a good use for the switch, but I tend to thrash about when playing live so the less controls for me to mess with the better - I was considering going to a volume only, but I'm guessing that the single coil might need a live tone tweak.
I'm leaning towards cutting the control plate with a grinder along that line, saving the chrome plating and just gently finishing the edge, then making a small timber insert for the hole to shorten it, allowing the cables to pass under this insert. that's today's idea anyway.
Attachment 41861
For finish, I'm tempted to stain the body black japan, sand most of it off leaving it in what little grain the basswood has, thin coat of enamel matte white followed by the red I had left over from the Frankenbass.
Then an argument with my plumber's torch, 80 grit paper, thinned-down oak Feast-Watson timber stain to knock back the red to a maroon and give the timber an aged yellow glow and finally a few generous coats of satin poly clear to seal it in and give the basswood a bit more hardness. Thoughts :)?

You could always buy a proper 2-knob Tele bass control plate. Realparts do one https://www.realparts.com.au/hardwar...te-chrome.html but I'm sure Amazon or eBay or general web searching will also turn some up.

Attachment 41862

Not a bad idea, that would look good

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Originally Posted by Andyxlh

It's a good use for the switch, but I tend to thrash about when playing live so the less controls for me to mess with the better - I was considering going to a volume only, but I'm guessing that the single coil might need a live tone tweak.
I'm leaning towards cutting the control plate with a grinder along that line, saving the chrome plating and just gently finishing the edge, then making a small timber insert for the hole to shorten it, allowing the cables to pass under this insert. that's today's idea anyway.
Attachment 41861
For finish, I'm tempted to stain the body black japan, sand most of it off leaving it in what little grain the basswood has, thin coat of enamel matte white followed by the red I had left over from the Frankenbass.
Then an argument with my plumber's torch, 80 grit paper, thinned-down oak Feast-Watson timber stain to knock back the red to a maroon and give the timber an aged yellow glow and finally a few generous coats of satin poly clear to seal it in and give the basswood a bit more hardness. Thoughts :)?

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I gave mine one coat of black stain, sanded back, then two coats of a purple stain i had, it came up nice. The basswood wasn't all that bad. Then i used 10 coats of penetrating guitar oil worked in with 1500 wet and dry on the last 4-5 coats and it's like glass now, but still a bit satin. I'm unsure if i should add more high build oil to make it more gloss. Il see.

That sounds nice! did it strengthen the surface of the basswood too? it seems really soft, but when hit with a decent amount of poly clear it really soaks in and makes the surface harder I find