My first refinish: Hondo Bass

[kbit]

Nevermind, just gonna refinish it instead...

NSFW: show

So a while ago I bought this Hondo short scale P bass and it pretty much rules. All the hardware is good and it plays really nice. The pickup is glorious, deep and bassy with an aggressive high end. Any time I rub/tap my guitar or my strap moves, it comes through the pickup (microphonic, I believe?) and I love it. I've gotten Converge-esque feedback squeals, fun times.

Pretty much the only fixing up needed is with the wiring since the jack is loose/noisey.
I'm planning on replacing the volume pot and output jack just because.

Here is where I need some guidance: I'd really like to replace the tone pot with a single switch, to either engage or disengage to tone cap since I only use the tone at full cw or ccw anyways. I'm planning on reusing the cap that's already in there.

- First, I'm not sure how I would wire this. I only did a quick google search but couldn't find a diagram. So that would be helpful. But it would also be helpful to know the theory behind the signal flow and all that jazz, so if there is an easy explanation regarding that, I would very much appreciate it.

- Second, I believe the value of the tone pot make a difference in the sound, yeah? So would I need a resistor equal to the pot value to rig up this switch?

- Also i don't have a soldering iron or parts yet, so recommendations there would be helpful. I still have to look at the pot values that are in there now. I don't need anything super fancy for an iron but the cheap plug and go ones are not the best, i know.


Thanks bbys
_______________

& yeah, the finish is kind of cool but I'm planning on redoing it. I'd really like to have one color wear off to show another underneath. So i was thinking of doing a Krylon finish. Any of y'all think that after sanding the body down that two coats of one color, then a third coat of the second color would work well for this? I was also thinking no clear coat would help it wear faster.

I'm thinking of a black/white/gold color scheme, but I'm not sure where to put those colors yet. Pick guard is either staying black or going gold.
OH. & a big ol' stinkin knob for the volume pot, because that shit is waaay cooler

[AxAxSxS]

IMG_6089.JPG

So a while ago I bought this Hondo short scale P bass and it pretty much rules. All the hardware is good and it plays really nice. The pickup is glorious, deep and bassy with an aggressive high end. Any time I rub/tap my guitar or my strap moves, it comes through the pickup (microphonic, I believe?) and I love it. I've gotten Converge-esque feedback squeals, fun times.

Pretty much the only fixing up needed is with the wiring since the jack is loose/noisey.
I'm planning on replacing the volume pot and output jack just because.
99% of the time this can be fixed by bending the part of the jack that contacts the tip of the plug back in so that it puts more pressure on the plug and/or flowing the solder on the connections to the jack
Here is where I need some guidance: I'd really like to replace the tone pot with a single switch, to either engage or disengage to tone cap since I only use the tone at full cw or ccw anyways. I'm planning on reusing the cap that's already in there.
not so sure this is a great idea but heres a diagram that I think would work for you.

you would still need to make some changes to the circuit shown but this should get you in the ballpark

- First, I'm not sure how I would wire this. I only did a quick google search but couldn't find a diagram. So that would be helpful. But it would also be helpful to know the theory behind the signal flow and all that jazz, so if there is an easy explanation regarding that, I would very much appreciate it.

best explanation I have heard is to think of it as water with the grounds being the drains. I suck at explaining this, maybe someone else can pipe in here

- Second, I believe the value of the tone pot make a difference in the sound, yeah? So would I need a resistor equal to the pot value to rig up this switch?
no resistor but I would recomend you consider an option to switch in different value caps as you will be stuck with all on or all off with the setup you are going for

- Also i don't have a soldering iron or parts yet, so recommendations there would be helpful. I still have to look at the pot values that are in there now. I don't need anything super fancy for an iron but the cheap plug and go ones are not the best, i know.
I would strongly recommend you get a good iron. they are really not that expensive, the good ones will last and the cheaapo ones can be a lot harder to achieve decent results with

Thanks bbys
_______________

& yeah, the finish is kind of cool but I'm planning on redoing it. I'd really like to have one color wear off to show another underneath. So i was thinking of doing a Krylon finish. Any of y'all think that after sanding the body down that two coats of one color, then a third coat of the second color would work well for this? I was also thinking no clear coat would help it wear faster.
thats going to add a lot of paint. This gets into the tone woods vs electronics vs type of paint vs thickness of paint arguements. I have found that a very thin coat of paint makes the guitar sound better where a thicker coat of paint tends to deaden the sound and kill sustain. I think the reason nitro finished guitars are thought to be better is that it goes on very thin where many modern guitars have thick coats of poly over a thick coat of sealer. I have stripped a few guitars and removeing all that had a very tangible affect on the sound. A better idea to achiev a worn look might be to go to an autobody supply store and purchase some sand paper in 1000, 2000 and 3000 grit as well as some cut and polish compound. scuff up the whole guitar evenly with the 1000 and then wetsand with progressively finer grits till it's even and almost starting to shine again. if there is an area you want to look more worn give it some extra attention. they will posibly also have buffing discs you can attach to a power drill, I use the ones from harbor freight similar to this


Hit it with the polish compound and buff the helll out of it till you get a mirror finish.
This will work with your worn finish idea as well but I would sand back the current finish almost completely, shooting the base coat and then your final coat and then clear
I'm thinking of a black/white/gold color scheme, but I'm not sure where to put those colors yet. Pick guard is either staying black or going gold.
OH. & a big ol' stinkin knob for the volume pot, because that shit is waaay cooler

My last thought is that you may want to buy a complete POS practice victim guitar and experiment on it before you go all out on a bass that it sounds like you really like. On the electronics side you can always redo it as long as you dont destry something vital like the pickups, which it sounds like you are leaving alone, but on the finishing side its pretty easy to screw shit up. Wait a LONG time for the paint to cure before wetsanding!!!!
boy did I find that one out the hard way
Good luck and have fun.

[kbit]

Finding a shit guitar to practice refinishing is a great idea. I will have to find one. But as far as wearing the finish goes, I don't really want to simulate it. I'd rather beat the crap out of it then have the undercoat of a different color show through, A Place To Bury Strangers style. Perhaps I'll just do two layers, one of each color, with no clear coat. & a primer coat might be good, too... thin layers.

As far as the tone switching, I only want the two setting really. Fully open for harshness, fully closed for the dub.
I was thinking of replacing the volume pot with an on/off switch, too. Streamlined. But it's nice to control input signal on dirt.


Recommendations on good but not crazy expensive/fancy irons?

[Jero]

Think this would work...

[Achtane]

Like you said, I'd go for two coats of color A and just one of B. If you don't like it or wanna redo it, just sand it back. It'll be easy to replace paint that thin. Unless you like the original burst enough to preserve it, I'd say just go for it, dude. It's not hard.
The only thing to really watch out for is that you need to tape over the neck heel so paint doesn't build up in the joint between neck and body. When spraying paint, I usually count a "coat" as two or three light passes over the entire body. The first pass is really light and shot from a distance so it kinda just hits the body as a fog. Then it'll be easier for the rest of the paint to go on smoothly when applied normally.
Disclaimer: I don't give a shiiiiiit how much paint or whatever a guitar has on it.

My friend and I both have this station: http://www.circuitspecialists.com/csi-station1a.html
Mine got knocked out of commission after it fell from my workbench and the heating element was bent, but that could be replaced. Normally though it's always been super reliable.

Jero's got it; just make sure you wire the negative of the pickup to the grounded leg of the pot (wired to the body of the pot). Then run another wire from that to the ground of the jack.
Wire the positive of the pickup to the leg of the pot that's running into the switch.
Soldering to the backs of pots blows, so don't give up and try not to leave the iron on it too long. I usually just bend the leg of the pot so that it touches the body and go solder from there, seems easier for me.

[kbit]

Thanks for the diagram Jero. Should that be a SPDT on/off switch? do the open terminals need to bridged?

'Tane, thank for mentioning the neck joint, I thought of covering that up but didn't remember until you mentioned it.
Do you think I can get away with not using a primer coat?
For reference, this is kind of what I'm hoping will happen to the bass over time:



then eventually

[AxAxSxS]

reminds me of beat up old furniture that was given a crappy refinish. you might want to use latex furniture paint and not give it the greatest preparation ever.
The goal here is ta have it flake off with use right? I'd skip the primer coat, minimally sand if at all and just throw the new paint on and then treat it like shit

[kbit]

AWESOME SO MUCH EASIER

[ryan summit]

play the fuck out of that thing
practice windmills and springsteen tosses
play slide with a broken bottle
if i catch you hittin it with a chain
or sanding the topcoat
im coming over and refinishing it
and you gotta start all over
we wanna see kbs blood sweat tears and glamrock in that shit
you feel me kid
get the punkrockers in your hood moshin
and jump in with your bass and their spikes n shit

[kbit]

Yeah, I wanna go nuts with this thing to make it look "proper". But I need a place to play loud and maybe some peeps to help set the mood

[AxAxSxS]

metal guitar pics

[ryan summit]

jus made me think of this

Private Eightball: Now you might not believe it, but under fire Animal Mother is one of the... finest human beings in the world. All he needs is somebody to throw hand grenades at him the rest of his life.

[kbit]

99% of the time this can be fixed by bending the part of the jack that contacts the tip of the plug back in so that it puts more pressure on the plug and/or flowing the solder on the connections to the jack

So while I was checking pot values I tried this and you were right.
& I tried using the tone control more and I dig some of the range.
So I'm not going to touch the electronics for now


Thank you to those who chipped in regarding the electronics and to 'tane for the soldering iron recommendation. I'll likely reference this thread again in the future when I "need" those things. Which might be right now: If I take the body apart to refinish it I'll probably have to cut the ground wire to the bridge, yeah? So I'll have to reattach that again.

UPDATED PLAN: sand off current finish, two coats of an "off black" kind of color then a shitty coat of gold over top for destruction. Picking up sanding stuff and paint tomorrow. Now I just gotta find some sweet looking knobs.

[Achtane]

kbi, I love you, but gurl... you cray if you think you can just sand that finish away. Well, you could...but it'd blow.
I strongly recommend getting a scraper and $20 heat gun for that kinda stuff. Once you peel away the poly and reach the sealer, stop and then even it out through sanding; there's no need to go through the nightmare of removing it unless you're staining the body.

Also, ebay's always good for old radio knobs.

[AxAxSxS]

most of the time thr ground wire isn't attached to the bridge, it just is in contact with it. If you take the bridge off before removing the electronics it should come right out.
Glad that worked for you
I like your new paint plan as well. I think it will look way cooler.
If you do want to sand off the paint, borrow a friends orbital sander. Doing it by hand is an insane endeavor.
I like to get down to wood when I do a refinish, I've done it both ways and I prefer sanding. the heat gun way works and can actually be used to get a nice burnt effect, but sanding gets you a better surface to work from.