Gimp, cool on the Tele. I have been playing mine lately and am constantly reminded how much I love it. It's a Mexican fender that I bought used for like $250. Love it. Through my Blues Junior it has just the right amount of twang. For some bite, I just stomp on my overdrive pedal.
Tonight, I think, will be a PRS night, though.
The 5E3 project is moving along, albeit slowly...
Well, it looks like I might go check out that "lawsuit" Ibanez P-bass tonight. I did some research on it last night. Judging by the neck and the tuners/hardware, I think it's a 1976, specifically a 2366B model. That means it's a bit closer to the real thing, which is good, and most Fender parts will fit. Here's what it would have looked like new:
I'm thinking a black pickguard would look better than the beef jerky. You know, like this:
Hopefully, it's not a total turd. 
paranoid_android74 wrote: The 5E3 project is moving along, albeit slowly...
You can't just leave it at that! More!
Tony Sestito wrote: Well, it looks like I might go check out that "lawsuit" Ibanez P-bass tonight. I did some research on it last night. Judging by the neck and the tuners/hardware, I think it's a 1976, specifically a 2366B model. That means it's a bit closer to the real thing, which is good, and most Fender parts will fit. Here's what it would have looked like new:
I started typing yesterday, then changed my mind. I would tots pick up that project bass.
But I have a Squier p-j project I haven't finished yet. I didn't realize how expensive replacement necks were!
@Keith- lol! There isn't too much more to see. I'm working on the chassis layout now. I could use some help with choosing a chassis color though!
For a while I have been thinking about a late 40's style amplifier. All octal tubes, Field coil speaker, very retro looks. Some discussion on the FB guitar amp builders discussion list got the gears turning so I started digging through the stash and turned up a few things.
An institutional wall speaker cabinet from the 40's, a tiny power transformer, a 70's champ output transformer, some 1942 dated tube sockets and a set of RCA tubes. I folded up a quick 12X6X2 chassis.
Flipping the cabinet upside down lets it stand upright and looks cool
And started the layout of components.
Hopefully this will cook right along. It has been too hot to be in the garage for the last few weekends and my workbench is right next to the AC unit.
You guys and your cool home-built tube amps... so cool. 
And yes, if that P-Bass is in any sort of salvageable condition, it's coming home with me.
I've wanted to pick up a P-Bass for a while now, and I wanted something older from the 70's or 80's, like one of these lawsuit-era basses from Japan. There are a ton of different manufacturers (Univox, Tokai, Yamaha, Ibanez, Aria Pro, and more) that all made convincing Fender and Gibson clones. Two of my favorite players, Geezer Butler and Steve Harris, were/are Precision Bass players, so not having one in the arsenal was bugging me. If this doesn't pan out, I'll still be looking.
This is a great idea!
All octal tubes? Which ones?
Jumper K. Balls wrote: For a while I have been thinking about a late 40's style amplifier. All octal tubes, Field coil speaker, very retro looks. Some discussion on the FB guitar amp builders discussion list got the gears turning so I started digging through the stash and turned up a few things.An institutional wall speaker cabinet from the 40's, a tiny power transformer, a 70's champ output transformer, some 1942 dated tube sockets and a set of RCA tubes. I folded up a quick 12X6X2 chassis.
Flipping the cabinet upside down lets it stand upright and looks cool
And started the layout of components.
Hopefully this will cook right along. It has been too hot to be in the garage for the last few weekends and my workbench is right next to the AC unit.
5Y3 Rectifier, 6V6 Power and a 6SL7 preamp.
Pretty much the 5C1 champ circuit
Except it will have a filter choke (hopefully in the form of a field coil speaker) and probably have a negative feedback circuit.
The speaker I had earmarked for this was one I could have sworn was a 12". From the front of the baffle it sure looked like a twelve. I took it out and the frame is 15" even though the cone is the same size as a twelve. I have another to look into though.
In today's lesson in frugality I present these tube sockets
They only put contacts in where they were necessary for that particular tube. I can't imagine how little each contact cost in 1942 but they certainly weren't going to splash out and give them away at the Zenith factory.
So I popped them apart and used a donor socket to supply the the other two with the needed parts.
I could have just rearranged what was there since all 8 pins are very rarely used on a given tube but I am giving myself the option of using the unused terminals to make connections since this will be built without an eyelet board.
I also really like the ground lugs on each socket base. Those will come in handy I think.
I need to find enough cloth covered wire to do this with. I might as well go all the way 
Tony Sestito wrote: You guys and your cool home-built tube amps... so cool.
I heart my P-basses. 
I think I cursed myself from talking about it; the guy flaked on me. It's been for sale for almost a month, and the guy still has it. I don't get it... when you are selling something, wouldn't you want to, well, SELL IT? 
I'll pick one up someday. Might not be this one, but I'll get my P-Bass.
What an ass hat!
I'm sending you a PM- please let me know if you don't get it...
Tony Sestito wrote: I think I cursed myself from talking about it; the guy flaked on me. It's been for sale for almost a month, and the guy still has it. I don't get it... when you are selling something, wouldn't you want to, well, SELL IT?
Our local shop just got in an American P-bass--three-tone burst w/a tortoise shell pick guard. It looks a lot like mine but is American vs. Mexican. I forget the price. Pretty sure the first number is an 8.
Hello? Guitarholics not-quite-anonymous?
My name is BoxheadTim and I have a PRS problem...
So I still haven't had the time to pick up the JP70 I mentioned in the previous post, partially because my schedule was all over the place and yesterday would have been the first day I could pick it up. And partially, because of this little guy:
Yes, I've added another PRS SE to my collection. I guess if the previous purchase was "Oops", that makes this one "Oops, too". Apparently my ability to hold onto my credit card is severly diminished when I see something that says "PRS" on the headstock. Especially if it's rare.
Rare? A PRS SE? Hardly. Well, count the tuners if you haven't spotted the reason already. Go on. I'll wait.
Yep, this is an Korean made 7 string PRS SE Custom, a couple of years old judging by the serial number. I didn't even know PRS made 7 string SEs... Condition is almost as new, it feels pretty much unplayed.
Guess I might have to sell a guitar or two before this completely gets out of hand.
BoxheadTim wrote: Guess I might have to sell a guitar or two before this completely gets out of hand.
I understand each individual word in that sentence, but the way you have put them together doesn't make sense
Here's a guitar project that kind of fell into my lap. I love my Univox Hi-Flier bass and was discussing it with a friend. "I have a body and neck in my guest room, you know." It was this:
IMG_9647 by davidwallens, on Flickr
He traded some used computer gear for an older Japanese short-scale bass, and the seller threw this in. It's been sitting under the bed for years. Obviously it's been around a bit. He said I could take it home and see what's up. So it's a bass body with a guitar neck. Univox offered the Hi-Flier in both flavors. While the two pieces bolt together, the fretboard doesn't sit flush with the guitar body--and there's not really enough material to cut either one to fit. So that explains why the project never progressed. The neck is straight, though. So, now it sits while I watch for parts. I found a bass with a beat body on eBay. The body had been routed for a P/J pickup configuration. The auction sat at $99 up until the closing moments. At $99, it would have been a deal and I would have gotten the parts needed to get close to making this whole. As the auction closed, the price shot up to $150. Figure in $40 shipping, and that's more than I'd rather pay since $500 buys a good one with original parts. Still, as we know, sometimes it's the thrill on the hunt.
In reply to David S. Wallens:
A friend of mine has a Hi-Flier guitar and a super funky Univox "lawsuit" Les Paul. He loves them both. I still want to play one of the basses like you have; they are super cool.
In other news, I went out hunting all day. I went to 5 music stores (!!!). I played A TON of P Basses. I played fake ones, a Squier classic Vibe 70's, a Fender Deluxe P/J, a Squier Affinity P/J, and a Fender Mexican Standard. My favorite was the Mexican Standard, by far. It sounded great and played very nice. At $349, I had to leave it in the store. Not a bad price, but too much for today.
I still prefer a project anyways.
Ibanez Lawsuit Guy fell off the face of the earth, so that one is out. I checked out a Peavey Fury II, but it was too beat; the neck and body had chunks missing.
Maybe I will save for a Mexican one, but I'm going to keep looking.
I have a Mexican P-bass built in '98 or '99. It has a Basslines (Seymour Duncan) pickup. Love it. I bought it at our local shop for $199. The headstock decal isn't original, so that and the pickup knocked the price down a few bucks. I have a Japanese-made '57 Reissue, too, that I should play more than I do.
Played the Hi-Flier tonight. Love it.
Oregon is on fire. Air quality in the Willamette valley is considered "Very Unhealthy" Most people that are out are wearing masks and respirators.
Not my picture but I did get a low res from the same spot I didn't bother to upload.
It was also 98 degrees this weekend. So I did make it a point to stay inside and try and finish the amp.
Rewired the speaker. Mounted the single ended output transformer on it.
Powdercoated the chassis an off white, Mounted everything and started wiring
Absurdly simple circuit
It barely fits
Found a vintage bakelite knob and a cool brass escutcheon. Which led me to think about whatever these were
It is a GIANT red jewel lens in a brass case. Off some pre-war car, but I'm buggered if I know which. I bought some random boxes of junk from a restoration guys estate and these were wrapped up in the bottom.
I am pleased. The goal was to build something that could have been made in the 40's, spend close to zero dollars doing it and get it done over the long weekend. I think I nailed it. It looks old. Hell it smells old.
Problem is. It doesn't work! 
The one 6SJ7 I had is a dud. I had to order a different one. Hopefully it will get here soon
Thats too cool JKB.
I almost forgot... I DID buy a musical thing over the weekend. It's something I've wanted for a VERY long time.
A cowbell. 
It's a Latin Percussion ES-5 full size salsa cowbell. Not mine, but looks just like this:
I found it while looking for basses over the weekend for $15 including the bass drum mount. They usually go for $40 + about $20 for the mount. Now I can play all the Blue Oyster Cult, Def Leppard, and Guns & Roses songs I want!!!
Getting closer to paint and then soldering!
Clean!
I like it!
Nice work! What are you planning for labels on the dials/knobs?
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