Telebass project

Here is a cheap Telebass knockoff that I bought from my brother in law a while ago. Just for practice I redid the body using ReRanch goldtop gold. Came out pretty well if I do say so myself.
http://users.adelphia.net/~robertrogers/images/telebass.jpg

That should turn some heads at the next gig!

Unfortunately it is a righty so one of the kids will have to be the one playing it. Up till now it has been sitting around the studio as a spare or a loner. It's an interesting instrument. The body is several pieces of mahogony with a veneer front and back. Goes about 10 pounds 7 oz. The pickup is a rectangular humbucker. I've sort of ignored it up to now, but I want to try to adjust the pickup height and pole pieces to get better string to string balance - the E is a bit "deader" than the other three, which have a nick piano wire bite to them.

At least I learned a bit about applying the gold top paint. It's a bit tricky and I can see why Gibson only puts it on one fairly flat surface of the Les Pauls.

My experience is that all of this type of bass has this slightly deader E, and is one of the reasons the headstock was changed for the '57 model. I've not played one yet that didn't do it to some extent. Recent models ('51 Classic P-bass, Sting bass) and older ('69 Tele bass). Just seems to be that neck...

Otherwise a great bass, and my choice above all else!

And that one one looks great, although a piece of me wants to turn the bridge cover up the other way!

And that one one looks great, although a piece of me wants to turn the bridge cover up the other way!


Ditto...http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=2ed574dc-7684-46d7-78b6-7e614a46377b&size=lg

Following on from what I said, I suppose it would be interesting to clip on one of these Fatfinger widgets and see if it evens the sustain out a little...

Whats a "Fat Finger"?

There are two gadgets - a "Fathead", which is a hunk of brass in the shape of a headstock that goes on the back...the tuners hold it in place. The theory is that the additional mass will increase the sustain. The "Fatfinger" is a clamp-on thing made of (I think) brass - same idea.

I have a Fathead that used to be on a P Bass. It's been sitting in a box. For years. For good reason.

Enough said.

All righty, that's that idea in the can! I'll just stick to my deader E!

That's a beauty! What is that re-ranch gold called? I want to order that shade.

That's reranch "Gold Top Gold." It is very touchy about body prep. I had a primer sag on the side that I thought I'd sanded out smooth to both the eye and the touch. I can still see a ghost of it in the final finish. It is easy to see why Gibson puts it on one fairly flat surface of the Les Paul. Much easier to do.

BTW, thanks to those who gave the heads up on the bridge plate.