SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - Project Guitar

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I sold the first six-string bass I bought, the Ibanez, and I'm happy with my twin Peaveys. But I'm never really happy. They're good, and I like the way they play, but the sound is a little too dark for my taste. So I took the older one - the one I got real cheap- and put a new bridge on it. That was a couple months ago, so I didn't properly record it. It required drilling some new holes, but the old ones only show up in the back. I'm planning on filling them in later anyway.

This is the one I'm working on.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ve/Steve-1.jpg

My next step was to try some new pickups, to change the sound. I bought a pair cheap on eBay several months ago, but I've been hesitant to start the job. Part of the problem is that they are a little bigger than the stock ones (4.5" vs 4") so a little cutting would be required. Then just a couple days ago I spotted some 4" ones on Amazon, so I grabbed them.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ve/Pickups.jpg

I started the project (this phase of it anyway) yesterday. First I had to take the old ones out.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...teve/Messy.jpg

The new ones slipped right in, but I broke of one of the screws and had to drill a hole in it and tap it out, but that went sort of okay. Then I had to solder in the new wires, but I managed to muddle through that, and got the strings back on.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3.../Installed.jpg

The sound really is different, but I've got a buzzing I need to fix. I looked at the diagram and it may be that the wires for the bridge (rear) pickup need to be reversed. Soldering is easy, so I'll find out in two days. Tomorrow is devoted to finally getting all my stuff out of storage.

Then comes the refinishing. I'm hoping to have it all done and ready for our show on the 30th. :sunny:

[edit] Oh, yeah. The reason for the keyboard in the 'apart' picture is that I don't currently have a computer desk. An old card table serves the purpose for now. When I get a real desk the card table will return to it's original function as a model-building table. To work on the guitar I had to shove other stuff out of the way.

A fellow guitar player!

Well i don't play bass, but i love guitars and music, Nice looking bass man.

There are quite a few of us around. Some have videos on Youtube, others have actual released albums, all of us have fun.

It's a Peavey Grind 6. Check out our website (in my sig) and on YouTube type in Monkey Rum @ Liquid Joe's, Monkey Rum 2011 and Monkey Rum Acoustic.

Stage 2 was yesterday. I took everything out and started puttying in the old holes. It's never going to be a saleable item because of the things I'm doing to it, but I got it cheap and I'm willing to sacrifice it if necessary for the sake of learning. The only pictures I took were of the open electronics board just before I masked it off.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ase2Wiring.jpg

And all the parts and tools neatly thrown in a heap on my workbench, which obviously is also my temporary computer table.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...iecesparts.jpg

Phase 3 is today's project. I sanded down the putty and stained it as best I could. The only part that really shows is the holes where the original bridge was, but they're in the back where no one can see them.

Hung out to dry.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...hase3front.jpg

And the back.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...Phase3back.jpg

Close-up of the body.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...andsanding.jpg

After reading tons of literature on different oil and varnish finishes, I've followed the recommendations of several guitar makers and bought some Tru-Oil, which is a linseed-based oil compound used mainly to refinish rifle stocks. I've already applied two coats and am waiting for the second to dry before sanding again and applying the third. They say that the more coats you give it the shinier it gets.

We'll see.

Well, I put on three coats of Tru-Oil and put it all back together yesterday. This morning I put all the electronics back in and adjusted everything, and took it to practice. Everybody was impressed with the new sound and the new look, but I forgot to take pictures.

It's okay, though. We're playing Saturday night and I should have plenty of new videos and pictures sometime next week. :sunny:

They were also impressed that I had the nerve to do all the work myself. My answer was I got it cheap, so if I screwed everything up I wasn't out too much money, and I'd have learned my lesson and take it to the professionals next time. But I'm happy, so who cares?

[edit] There's some other good news. The buzzing from the rear pickup is still there in my little practice amp, but when I plugged it into my main rig it was gone. Whoopie!

Let it die? Hell, I'm scheming a way to visit and watch MR live this year. :salute: Great job, Steve, and kudos on the hair cut, short hair really makes you look cool, man.