Guitar Project #5: Yamaha SG-40 (part 2)

Nearly done with this guitar, so I might as well write the final entry to its blog story. I really can’t praise this Yamaha enough, it definitely deserved the second chance (or third, fourth, …) it got from this restoration.

When I bought it it was missing all the electronics apart from the pickups, which were painted silver. The guitar had been refinished in an awful looking cherryburst. Somewhere in its life the neck was also sprayed in a different color over the original clear-coat on the back. I removed all the lacquer from the guitar, stripping it to the bare wood but leaving the aforementioned layer of paint on the back of the neck intact.

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The body and headstock were sprayed with a sealer, white primer and finished in Traffic Red (RAL 3020), which is as close to the original red I could get. I haven’t seen one of these SG’s in person, however I would bet it matches almost a 100%. Finally the body, headstock and back of the neck were finished with several layers of clear-coat. Another side note, the rosewood fretboard was covered with some overspray from a previous refin. Luckily it wasn’t that thick of a layer and came off relatively easy. It has crept into some of the larger creases caused from player wear which is now hard to remove from completely.

Back to the electronics. For some reason both pickups and the pickup rings were finished in a silver paint over the original dark brown plastic. Unfortunately, the paint didn’t dissolve that well with thinner and I had to carefully sand the silver off. I did scrape the plastic pickup cover a bit, but the damage done was kept to a minimum.

These guitars originally came with two volume pots, two tone pots and a pickup selector on the bass side, similar to a Gibson Les Paul. I didn’t want to complicate things with different features so I bought 4 regular long shaft 250k CTS pots. What type of pot values Yamaha used on SG-40s and other models I couldn’t find online. Judging by the look of these pickups they were somewhat modeled after the ones found on Mosrite guitars. Wiring diagrams and other info I could find on Mosrite pot values pointed to values of 250- or 300k.

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Besides the missing electronics the SG was also missing its plastic back plate and metal jack plate. I had these made by two people I knew who had the correct tools and were more than happy to help me with this project. Thanks a lot if you happen to both read this!

I’ve been playing this guitar for several weeks and I am really impressed how it sounds and plays. Clean with a bit of modulation or dirty these pickups really deliver and the neck profile is very comfortable for chording and solos. It does need a refret somewhere in the near future. Especially the first few frets on the G, B and E string are in pretty bad shape. Otherwise the neck is great, it has shown no signs of warp and the truss-rod is fully functional. By some divine miracle I didn’t have to adjust the bridge saddles, the guitar was perfectly intonated as-is! The bridge plate just had to be raised slightly to avoid fret buzz.

The observant folk have already noticed that in the pictures my Yamaha is missing three of its knobs. Original knobs are next to impossible to find so I’ve been scouring the internet to find anything similar. I found this knob in a guitar store which happened to look somewhat the same as an original. If anyone has matching knobs or any leads on where to find them please contact me!

An update on the Black Eagle/Precision, still have to come up with a clever hybrid name. I got the bass back this week after some minor repairs on the neck and neck pocket. Hopefully next week I’ll be routing for a Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position. I have chosen to finish the body in black. A big thanks to Walter, he has built me a Precision Bass pickguard with Black Eagle inlays. It’s in the mail at the moment but the pictures he sent me looked great. Can’t wait to finish the bass!

Bass Project #3: Ibanez Black Eagle (part 1)

I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to weird guitar parts and aftermarket-related products. When something crosses my path that tickles my brain and makes me think ‘that might turn into something cool one day’, I typically have a hard time not buying it. Especially when cheap. Consequently I have a small collection of parts that are just collecting dust for the moment.

My first (and so far only) part of the Low End series focused on the Ibanez Black Eagle, an old lawsuit Jazz Bass/Burns Bison lovechild. A brief recap: the Ibanez 2609B ‘Black Eagle’ was an electric bass guitar made by Ibanez in the mid to late 70s. The original Black Eagles were manufactured in Japan as part of a limited edition series from 1975 until 1979. Previously Ibanez and other Japanese (sister-)companies were building almost exact replicas of several established guitar models, such as those being made by Fender, Gibson and Rickenbacker.

I fell in love with the look of these basses and I bought my first one on eBay several years ago. Despite the obvious parallels with a Jazz Bass I preferred my first Black Eagle over most regular J’s. In the span of a year after I bought my first I found another Black Eagle in the Netherlands and this neck. The other Eagle was much heavier and although I prefer my first, the sustain on this bass is absolutely incredible. It rings out like a piano, much like Greg Lake’s bass sound in early ELP. Getting back to the neck, it has been laying around for years and wanted to finally use it for a project. About a month ago I stumbled across an older (Squier?) P bass body. Dirt cheap, since it was refinished in a very pretty white garden fence paint with all the brush strokes and paint drips visible. Luckily the neck pocket was a nice fit, but the holes didn’t align properly so it needed to be re-drilled.

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Since I already have two (almost) original Black Eagles, I didn’t want to create yet another one from scratch. A Precision Bass/Eagle hybrid is the simplest idea, but I was tempted to slap a mudbucker in the neck position. With just a single Precision pickup it would be a bit plain. I don’t own a bass with a PJ pickup setup and would like to, so I might as well commit to this.

As for the color I’m still not 100% committed. The shortlist includes the obvious black, but white or natural could be nice as well.  My brother even opted a walnut color, similar to how some Fender basses and guitars were finished in the mid to late 70s. I’d love to hear your opinions, suggestions and ideas!

While I’m contemplating which color to choose the Yamaha SG-40 is being close to done. The guitar has already been refinished and I am really happy with the end result! Should be completed in the next week or so, although finding original looking knobs is a pain.

Guitar Project #5: Yamaha SG-40 (part 1)

Another day, another project. Restoring an old guitar or bass to its former glory is one of the most rewarding feelings a musician and guitar geek like myself can get. Especially if the guitar you’re fixing turns out to be an unknown diamond in the rough. This time we’re looking at one of Yamaha’s forgotten series; the early 70s SG-40 and its brethren.

As a lover of all things related to (vintage) Japanese guitars and pedals I did not know about these guitars until quite recently. It was only because a certain member of a certain band played a SG-60T, which had me intrigued from the start. At first glance it looked like a 60s fiberglass guitar like Supro, National or similar brands from that era made. Luckily I found out it wasn’t any of these manufacturers, or even the correct time and place I assumed which made my previous searches futile.

The SG-40 and the different variants (-20, -30, -40S, -45, -60, -60T, -80T and -85) were made for less than 2 years between 1972 and 1974. These were the successors of Yamaha’s first foray into the electric guitar market in the late 60s, the SG-3, -5 and -7 and built prior to the highly coveted SG-175 and -2000. The design of the SG-40 seems to be inspired by the Gibson Les Paul and a Mosrite Ventures guitar, borrowing elements from both. The pickup placement and the German carve, although lacking on the low-level models and on the SG-45 and -85, is clearly lifted from Mosrite, while the body shape, placement of the electronics and the headstock design is more Les Paul-ish.

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The SG-40 was a mid-priced version featuring 2 pickups, a German carve on the body, binding on the neck, two-point bridge and two volume and tone knobs like you would find on a regular Gibson Les Paul or SG. The upper tier models like the SG-60T and -80T had a tremolo system, binding on the headstock and block inlays on the fretboard, tone selector switches and used more expensive woods. Besides the SG-30, -45 and -85 which carried humbuckers, all other models were equipped with single coil pickups. The SG-45, -80T and -85 were the only models with a set neck, the others had a bolt-on neck. All models had 22 frets and a 24 3/4 inch scale length.

Besides scans of old catalogs I can’t really find a lot more information about these guitars. At the time these guitars weren’t a big hit, which resulted in more traditional redesigns on guitars such as the SG-70, a direct predecessor to the SG-175. The shape of the SG-45 and -85 was likely the more popular design of the series and probably the reason Yamaha ditched the German carve in the end.

That’s enough of a history lesson, let’s go back to the guitar project in question. I was searching for one of these SG’s for quite awhile. In Europe I haven’t come across one once, so I expanded my search. On Reverb I found a couple of these guitars, but they were all quite pricey even without the shipping costs. Then I came across this skeleton of a SG-40 in Venezuela of all places. You can still find it on Reverb under sold listings if you want to see some more pictures of its previous condition.

The guitar was stripped of its original finish and repainted in a not-all-that-great-looking cherryburst. For some reason the neck was finished in a different color, reminding me of an old Burns, and its headstock had a peace logo painted on (also for some reason). Same with the silver painted pickups and the funky tropical paint on the pickguard, it was just a weird mess. Both pickups, the bridge and the original tuners were included, but the rest of the electronics, the plastic back plate and the nut were missing. At first I was hesitant, I didn’t know if the guitar was worth fixing and if it would even survive its journey across the globe. With doubts lingering in the back of my mind, I negotiated a price with the seller and he assured me the SG would be packed properly and he had done this multiple times in the past without problems.

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So I bit the bullet and about 2 weeks later it arrived at my door. Luckily, it did arrive all in one piece (or 2 pieces with some screws attached). Although the SG-40 looked even ‘uglier’ in person because of its finish, the guitar appeared to be solid and had a nice weight and comfortable neck. Feeling giddy and hopeful I hadn’t wasted my money I began taking the guitar apart and stripping the finish. The original finish on the body was nowhere to be found so I stripped it down to its bare wood. Katsura wood, albeit a very soft hardwood, has a very nice grain pattern when sanded properly. On the back of the neck I discovered the original clear coat was still present underneath with all its dings and scratches visible. The front of headstock had been sanded down to the wood, so I couldn’t determine the original color. However, I did discover the headstock had been refinished over an older cherryburst finish which matched the body perfectly. So maybe the guitar was midway through a new refin which was never finished? Pun intended.

To wrap up the story, for now at least, I decided to finish the SG-40 in one of its original colors; red. In the catalogs it was labeled as just ‘red’, which was no help and I wasn’t able to find a color code Yamaha might have used back then. I opted for Dakota Red, somewhat in the ball park. By complete happenstance the guitar supply-store I usually buy my paints and parts didn’t stock it at the time, but they had an alternative that matched even better. It is called ‘RAL 3020’, otherwise known as Traffic Red which does sound nicer. I haven’t seen one of these Yamaha’s in its original color red in person, but I’m willing to bet this matches it almost perfectly.

Refinishing the SG-40 is mostly done, so expect the guitar to be completed in the coming weeks. I am not giving myself any rest since the next project is already in the works. For several years an old 70s Ibanez Black Eagle neck is catching dust here and it just so happens I have recently found a Precision body to make for an interesting looking bass. Stay tuned.

Bass Project #1: Ibanez 2452DX / Ripper copy (part 2)

I tried to come up with a different sentence to start this blog other than “It’s finally done!”. Don’t know if this one’s any better, but oh well. Nevertheless I’m quite happy this project is finally finished.

Let’s recap; this Ibanez Ripper copy had quite a rough life and was reduced to a fraction of its original size after one or several run-ins with a saw. Besides these ‘curious modifications’ the Ibanez was also converted to a fretless bass, which appears to have been done somewhat professionally. I’d love to know more about its history, it is a complete enigma.

The original tuners and bridge were the only hardware left on this bass. Unlike the Gibson Rippers these Ibanez basses came with chrome mudbucker-style pickups like EB-0’s or -3’s would have had. I tracked down two mudbuckers, one from an old Japanese EB-0 copy and another with unknown provenance, likely a newer Chinese knockoff. Although not the exact same size I’d argue it adds to the already mismatched, offset theme of this bass haha.

Because of the limited space for any electronics the luthier who worked on the bass had carte blanche on where to add the pots and switch, I didn’t know where it could fit. The pickguard was made to accommodate the pickups and the rest of the electronics. I must say the complete picture almost looks like how it came out of the factory in the 70s. Almost, maybe if you squint your eyes just a bit…

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I had no expectations of the sound and play-ability, but for a gimmicky bass like this it’s not too bad to be honest. Like you’d expect the neck dive is very bad and playing the bass sitting down (or standing up without a proper strap) can be quite a challenge. There is also a bit of a volume imbalance between the bridge and neck pickup. The bridge pickup is significantly lower output than the neck pickup. Otherwise, the neck humbucker sounds really full and punchy, very appropriate for the fretless sound. I still need to do a complete set-up, there is a bit of ‘fretbuzz’ on the high notes. Plus I haven’t decided which strings I should get, any recommendations are welcome.

To conclude, I am very pleased with this bass so far and it is a real conversation piece should I use it on stage in the future. This also won’t be the most easy bass to learn to play fretless on haha. Glad I can finally cross this off my project list.

What does the future hold? Don’t worry, there will be more projects coming up soon. Some might remember I have an Ibanez Black Eagle neck laying around that desparately needs a body and some hardware. Will be on the lookout for something suitable. Secondly, a Yamaha SG-40 is (hopefully) on its way halfway across the world in need of some care and repair. Till next time!

 

Guitar Project #4: Shergold Custom Masquerader 12 string (part 2)

After finishing this guitar I am sure I made one of the best guitar deals in my life. Considering what I spend on the Shergold plus repairs, it was a great bargain. Although she’s not much of looker, no offense meant of course, it is a great to play electric 12 string.

Another quick recap; I bought this Masquerader 12 string on a local Craigslist-style site. It was strung as a lefty, the electronics weren’t working properly, a piece of neck binding was missing and the paint was likely stripped at one point in the past. Definitely not in the best shape and I had my doubts about the guitar when I made an appointment with the seller. I knew these 12 string Shergolds were really rare, so even if I didn’t bond with it I could always sell it quite easily. My expectations were met above and beyond. At first I couldn’t really play the Shergold since it strung in reverse, but I noticed the neck was super comfortable nonetheless.

After I bought the guitar I restrung it and cleaned the fretboard. Besides the obvious improvement in playability the string tension was also a lot better. Previously the thinner octave strings were strung through the body because of the left-handiness. With the thicker strings strung through the body the strings sound a lot fuller when played acoustically.

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The electronics and the missing binding were fixed by a local luthier. He did a great job and apparently the electronics were quite fiddly. The soldering contacts on the pickups are small and finicky to re-solder. After I got the Shergold back I adjusted and intonated the bridge which was also a bit troublesome considering the bridge design and the extra set of strings to intonate. It was all worth the effort though, it transformed the guitar into one of the best electric 12 strings I’ve ever played!

I do have some complaints now that the Shergold is finished. It has some neck dive due to weight at the headstock and the light obeche body which doesn’t really compensate this. The neck pickup is also a bit woofy for my taste, but this can be tamed with some clever EQ’ing. I mostly use a combination of the bridge and neck pickup or just the bridge pickup anyway when amplified. In the future I may want to refinish it. The all-natural look is pretty nice though, just the backside is not that appealing with the different bridge routes clearly visible. I still need to find a switch knob since the original one is long gone. A Tele or Strat switch knob would probably not fit, so I’ll be on the lookout for Shergold parts.

After this project I’m curious how other Shergold (6 string) guitars and basses play and sound in comparison. They’re definitely quality-made instruments. Too bad you don’t come across them that often over here.

Another one of the list; next up the Ibanez Ripper bass! The Ripper is now at a luthier who is (trying) to install the electronics for this bass. I told him to take his time, plus he was busy himself with other repairs, so it might take a month (or two) before you hear from me again.

Bass Project #2: Squier Bass VI (part 2)

And we’re back! I finished this bass awhile back, but I forgot to update the blog. Or I’m just a lazy writer, take a pick.

Quick recap, I bought this Squier Bass VI a couple of months ago and while it was decently setup and hardware was more than OK for a medium-priced Squier, I decided to upgrade some of the parts. Recommendation for all (future) Bass VI owners; swap the stock strings as fast as possible. They don’t sound terrible or anything, the string gauges are just too thin to be playable. I replaced these with LaBella flatwound strings made specifically for Bass VI’s. What a difference, and not just from the switch roundwounds to flats! The low strings don’t buzz due to the lack of tension, which made the old strings worthless in my opinion. I’m still befuddled Fender (and D’Addario) supplies that set on any VI.

Other mods I did was replacing the bridge, tailpiece and part of the electronics. Not really necessary if you also happen to buy a really good specimen from Squier like I did, but I’d still recommend it if you have some extra cash to spend. From what I’ve read most Squier VI’s won’t intonate properly because of the small width of the Jaguar/Jazzmaster-style bridges, the original VI’s had much wider bridges. If you’re on a budget you can flip the bridge around, which will allow you to intonate the strings correctly. By some divine miracle mine had spot-on intonation with the stock bridge. I had already ordered a Staytrem replacement, so I swapped the bridges anyhow. The Staytrem looks a lot better as well and is not as finicky as the stock bridge saddles.

The AVRI tailpiece was also more of a vanity addition. Although you can’t ‘lock’ the stock tailpieces on these Squier VI’s, if maintained and adjusted accordingly (plus getting those thicker strings!) they stay in-tune surprisingly well. Lastly, I replaced the stock Alpha pots with ones from CTS and upgraded the jack to a Switchcraft. These pots are quite a bit larger than the Alphas, you have to position them very precisely as to fit in the control cavity without needing extra routing. The holes on the control plate have to be drilled a little bigger as well, since the shaft on CTS pots is wider.

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This Bass VI is the first Squier I bought brand-new from a store, after playing several duds which just didn’t play and feel right. I got really lucky with this one I guess, it really inspires me to play and make new music and sounds. The added upgrades were worth it and a big improvement to an already exemplary instrument. Try one out if you haven’t, these basses are a nifty, unique tool for most guitar- or bass-players looking to expand their musical horizon.

What’s next? The Shergold 12 string is also done, more on that in the next blog, and the Ibanez is on its way to a luthier, who can hopefully finish the electronics with the limited amount of space available. I’m very curious about the end result.

Guitar Project #4: Shergold Custom Masquerader 12 string (part 1)

I have always had a soft spot for Shergold guitars and basses. Something about these bespoke guitars, with their quirky headstock, hardware and Blackletter font, intrigues me to no end. Guitars like this simply aren’t build anymore. Their sound is strictly their own, complimented with the often elaborate electronic switching features. Although I had never played one IRL, when I got the chance to buy one for cheap I had to at least try it.

This Shergold wasn’t in great condition, but for the price I paid I would have been crazy not to pull the trigger. I had been looking for a good 12 string electric which, like the Shergold brand, are a rarity themselves. Coincidentally, I happened to find this Masquerader 12 string. I knew how rare the 12 string model was in and of itself, and to my amazement I was the first person to arrange a pickup with the seller. Not hassling down the price any further was likely the reason I got the upper hand.

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As you can see in the pictures it has been modded and is not in the best of shape altogether. The finish was stripped at some point and a string-thru bridge added. At some point prior someone must have experimented with different bridges suggested by the two separate routs in the back of the body. Although the stripped finish doesn’t conceal any of these mods I do quite like the current bridge design. Lastly, a strip of binding on the first three frets is missing and the electronics need a checkup.

One weird thing I did notice is that it’s missing the two lower toggle switches for splitting/phasing the humbucker pickups. Besides the knobs being non-original, the control plate seems to be stock. If this was a custom ordered or a temporary lack of parts at the factory I have no idea.

How does she play? I didn’t really know what to expect, but whatever expectation I could have had would’ve been shattered. This is the perfect 12 string for me! The neck feels great, as do the contours of the body. The body is made from obeche, a very light hardwood from Africa, keeping the weight to a minimum. Besides the electronics that aren’t fully functional most of the time, I have yet to find any real complaints otherwise. Acoustically the strings ring full and its a joy just to play without an amp, which admittedly, I do most of the time anyway while practicing.

At the moment the binding and electronics are being professionally fixed, can’t wait to get it back in my hands when it’s all done. I am thinking of refinishing the 12 string at some point. The natural look is nice though, but there is no way of hiding the bridge routs in that case. If I would ever change the finish it would be one of factory colors, perhaps black or white, maybe cherry. For now I’m happy as-is.

As always, some (small) updates on the remaining two projects; I need to replace part of the electronics of the Bass VI and its done. I am lazy, so please excuse the long wait. I do want to record with that bass. The other bass, the leftovers to what was once an Ibanez Ripper, will hopefully be in the final stage of completion after I get the Shergold back from repairs. Finger crossed…

Guitar Project #2: Fender ‘Billy Corgan’ tribute Stratocaster (part 2)

Let’s start by saying I have a habit of underestimating the time it takes to finish a certain project, and not just guitars. It only took me another 10 months or so to finish this one. Luckily finding a neck for this Strat wasn’t such a big endeavor as the Ronald Jones Jaguar, however the refinishing and rewiring took a lot longer than expected. Although, I did finish the guitar two weeks ago, so I could have been quicker if wasn’t such a procrastinator.

Quick recap; I had the idea for a Corgan-inspired Stratocaster for quite a while. The Fender signature guitar would have been a nice alternative, but why make it so simple? Also the DiMarzio’s weren’t really authentic enough compared to the original 90s Smashing Pumpkins lineup of guitars. Although I really like those pickups, I’m not gonna swap them for Lace Sensors on $1000+ signature guitar.

Originally I had bought a ‘set’ of late 80s Lace Sensors, with a Dually Red humbucker in the bridge position. Not really what Corgan used back then but I figured it was a tribute, so what. After coming across a Fender Duo-Sonic (check out the blog on that one) I used 2 of the Lace Sensors to add to that guitar. I wasn’t pickup-less for long as I found an original Red-Silver-Blue Lace set from the early 90s, just as the man himself used. Because of this I could also change the pickguard. I had bought a Black Pearl HSS guard to fit the Dually Red humbucker. Not really enamored with this color from the start I opted for a simple white SSS pickguard.

The final ingredient was the neck. Luck turned in my favor as I found an early 90s American Std. Fender Stratocaster for cheap. I’m not an expert on the exact specifications of different models from Fender from this era, but this particular neck is a strange hybrid it seems. The tuners and string trees are non-original and the neck has 22 frets which was standard back then. The weird thing is that the fretboard is curved at a 7.25″ radius. I am used to this radius as this is the same radius found on old Mustangs, Jaguars and most other vintage Fenders till the late 70s/early 80s. As far as I’m aware Fender didn’t use this radius much after that period, only more recently on certain reissues. I could be wrong though, I would be interested to hear someone with more knowledge on 80s/90s Fender to fill me in!

The reason it took longer to finish this guitar was because of the finish (pun intended). I had to sand the body down to remove the previous lacquer which was one of the ugliest sunbursts I have seen. I knew a guy who could refinish it for free (minus the cost of the paint). He was pretty busy with other things and I should have brought it to him earlier. More my fault than his, but it’s done and he did a lovely job so I’m not complaining. The body is finished in nitrocellulose clear coat, followed by a few layers of vintage tint and more clear coat. I wanted to keep the nice grain of the ash body visible but give it that vintage 70s amber-like clear tint. I’m really pleased with the end result.

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How does she sound? You can get pretty close to the classic Corgan tone. I am no virtuoso on guitar but with my favorite distortion/fuzz pedal I’m as close as I’ll ever get. Maybe I should get some floral paisley shirts to match the rest of the Corgan outfit haha. It also excels at its clean tones and takes modulation effects like a champ. I noticed a very Adrian Belew-esque tonal quality to these Lace Sensors, very responsive to your picking. I installed a CTS Blender pot instead of the second tone pot in order to blend in different pickups, like the neck and bridge pickup for that in-between Tele sound or all pickups at once. I’m really glad I chose this instead of a useless second tone knob, it adds a lot of extra versatility.

Glad I can finally take this one of my list of projects, but it was worth the wait. Let’s see what’s next on the menu… The Bass VI is almost done, I have all the parts to finish upgrading the bass. It wasn’t a big endeavor to begin with, so it should be done in the next few weeks. Same applies for the Ibanez (ripped-up) Ripper, although more long term probably. I have found a second mudbucker and all the other parts are in as well, I just have to figure out how I can fit the electronics in this bass with such limited space available. Any ideas/suggestions are more than welcome!

One project finishes, yet another starts; recently I bought a quite rare Shergold Masquerader 12 string electric from the late 70s for cheap. I’ll be tackling that one in the next blog soon, so stick around. I’m also going to start a new segment called ‘Guest Guitars’ as a companion to ‘The Low End’, in which I’ll discuss a weird or rare guitar model. Or maybe highlight a specific interesting guitar me or someone else owns. We’ll were this format goes, I do have a particular guitar lined up for part one.

Bass Project #2: Squier Bass VI (part 1)

I’m sorry for the long absence between the last couple of blogs. I have been busy with quite a few things besides guitars and making music. I’m trying to organize a lot of my unfinished projects, getting the parts necessary and finally getting around to finishing them. It doesn’t help that I also suffer from GAS-syndrome, which is why this current bass entered my life.

Being a fan of weird guitars and basses I am always looking out for the next instrument to tickle my fancy. The Fender Bass VI has been on my watch list for quite some time. Being a fan of both the Cure and Cream I always wanted to own one. Also the allure of a 6 string bass with a tremolo ticked all the right boxes in my head. A few years back the only way of getting one was finding an original VI from the 60s/70s or ordering one from the Custom Shop. This was even before Fender Japan started making reissues I believe, although I am not an expert on Japan’s domestic guitar catalog. Needless to say that was way above anything I could afford at the time and even now I wouldn’t want to shill out that kind money. There were alternatives like the Fender Bottom Master and Baritone Custom, but these were also quite expensive and not even really reissues of the original VI’s.

Besides the Japanese reissues, which weren’t really available in Europe at the time, Fender introduced the Mexican-made Pawn Shop Bass VI and the Squier VM Bass VI (made in Indonesia) a few years back. Although I really liked the Candy Apple Red Pawn Shop version it was missing the crucial switching system like the originals, replacing it with a 5-way Strat switch. I tried out 2 sunburst Squiers at different shops but both were quite disappointing. I might have bought a Pawn Shop one but most shops didn’t stock them at the time and when I finally wanted to really try one they were discontinued.

Fast-forward to the present and I developed a serious itch from that infectious GAS-syndrome. Most shops here seemed to have stopped stocking the Squier version, at least the black VI was nowhere to be found and the stores that had VI’s were all in sunburst finishes. My guess is the recent CITES concerning rosewood-use on guitars means Fender is replacing the entire Squier line, Mexican- and part of their USA-built instruments with different fretboard materials and the last rosewood models are being sold off before final replacement. Anyway, I preferred Olympic White over sunburst and I was able to find a shop which had a few left in stock. Luckily it also played better than the previous two I had tried out, so I happily bought it. I am really impressed by the build quality for the price, even though there are definitely significant flaws warranting a fix. After a few days I was adjusted to the smaller string spacing and using the bass with fingerstyle is no problem. It makes a fine bass on its own without the chordal options. The pickup options are also really nice, so far I’m glad I chose this over a Pawn Shop VI.

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It’s not a project without any mods, so what am I going to be changing out on bass? First and foremost; the strings. Not a mod of course, but words can not describe how much I hate these stock strings. I really don’t know why Fender/Squier ever opted for a string set with such a thin low E string. The instrument is completely unplayable in my opinion. The rest of strings are fine, the A string maybe a bit to thin as well. Fretting anywhere on the E is almost impossible without bending it out of tune or hitting it hard without a lot of fret buzz. I haven’t settled on flats or rounds, I’ll be buying La Bella’s either way.

The real ‘mods’ are replacing the cheaper parts with higher quality ones to make it a better instrument overall, such as an AVRI tailpiece (for the locking function mostly) and a Staytrem bridge as well as CTS pots. I might also change the pickguard. I am a stickler for nice tortoise-shell pickguards but a Spitfire guard isn’t cheap and I don’t want to be spending more on this bass than the actual price I bought it for. We’ll see!

This project won’t take as long as it is just ordering the different parts and replacing them. I’m not in a hurry anyway although I would like to record and play with this bass when it is all done and setup properly. I still have 2 projects I also want to finish soon. The Billy Corgan Stratocaster is almost done. I know, I said the same thing the last time… Besides some minor polishing of the lacquer, it is only a matter of soldering the electronics and screwing everything together. Fingers crossed. 🙂 The Ibanez bass is on the back burner for now. I have found a mudbucker from a 70s Japanese EB-0 copy with its pots and wiring. All I need is second pickup and a custom pickguard to fit this weird bass.

Bass Project #1: Ibanez 2452DX / Ripper copy (part 1)

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s… wait. What is that?!

Ever wonder what the ‘ugliest’ guitar mod is you’ve ever seen? I think this bass will be quite high on that list… I’m still boggled and confused what happened to this poor instrument, since it seems so random and some parts seem to have been done by a professional while others seem to be more the result of some kind of industrial accident. Pictures of this transformation are down below, it goes good to worse.

The backstory: I was browsing the local ‘Craigslist’ and came across an ad for the weirdest looking bass with a matching title that was pretty on the noose: Ibanez Pole Bass (or Stick, depends which translation you prefer). The seller described the bass as “Ibanez Ripper lawsuit copy with structural weight reduction”, especially that last part made me grin. This mutilated bass looked like something Devo would have used live in the 70s. Being quite intrigued I contacted the seller and the price was so low I just had to have it! I was afraid this ‘Ibanez’ might not be constructionally sound after its weight-loss. The seller guaranteed me it was solid so I picked it up.

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What is the situation? Well the bass is still built like a tank, the neck has a very nice profile and surprisingly the play-ability and sustain of this instrument is still pretty good. Neck dive is off the chart though. The action is a bit high in places and the D-string is buzzing around the 12th fret but nothing that can’t be adjusted for. What puzzles me most is the Ibanez was converted to a fretless bass, the fretboard being completed replaced by a newer ebony board, which was done professionally (at least to my eyes) but the body seems to be mangled by an amateur with a hack saw. The treble side and headstock for sure, the bass side is done fairly nice actually. The seller told me the bass was his brothers who got it for free in the early 90s (figures…). He had it converted to a fretless but it eventually ended up in this state. No idea what the exact timeline of abuse this bass suffered is but it must be quite a story.

Apart from the hack job it is missing all of its electronics, besides a lone ground-wire from the bridge. Originally these Ibanez Ripper copies came with a set of chrome ‘mudbuckers’ like those found in Gibson EB-0, -2 and -3’s. The two-point bridge design appears to have also been lifted from these same models, unlike the three-point bridges on ‘real’ Rippers. The pickup routes are large enough to fit almost anything but that leads me to the final question: what am I going to do with this bass?

I’m not quite sure yet. I bought it not expecting much but there is certainly much potential coming off this bass. The Devo vibe is also to good to be true, where is the rest of my new cover band?! I think I’ll start with adding some cheap pickups and electronics just to see what sounds I can get out of this bass before throwing any more money at it. Because of the lack of wood it’ll be quite a challenge adding the necessary pots and switches. Room for an output jack is routed on the lower half but I have no idea if this bass ever had much electronics in its then current state, if any. Suggestions much appreciated!

I’ll update this blog if anything progresses, I’m curious what will become of this strange, lanky bass guitar. Side note; the Billy Corgan Stratocaster will likely be finished in the coming weeks after I find a suitable neck and wire the electronics. Hopefully it won’t last as long as another certain project…