New SUB5 project about to start...

[bradfordws]

I posted pics of my last SUB 5 - the sparkle siver flake in my photo album. I ended up selling that one because it was actually TOO flashy. I was in a disco band for over 10 years and after that officially ended a couple years ago, I really had no use for such a flashy bass. I came very close to ordering a Sterling 5H in sterling silver, but I recently found a passive SUB 5 for $500 that I couldn't pass up. It's a bit of a beater, so it's a perfect candidate for a rehab. There's another on on ebay now - they seem to go for around the same bread every time I see them. I should be seeing this one early next week. Anyway, the plans for this SUB include:

Put in on the scale - 8-9# is ok, but if it's 10#, one of the plans will be to rout out some material under the pickguard to reduce some weight.

Contour the body front and back like the standard Stingrays
Mill out the neck screw holes to fit neck washers
Hipshot Ultra Lite tuners
White pickguard from Pickguard Heaven
Send body and neck to Marty Bell - refinish body in Inca or Sterling Silver; strip and refinish neck - natural back and matching silver headstock - custom MM decal

These are the shots from the ebay auction:

I'll post more pics as this project moves along....

 

[jlepre]

Just curious...
After spending the time and money of all of these "CHANGES", why not just buy a nice USED SR4 in a nice color?

Just sayin'

 

[five7]

I posted pics of my last SUB 5 - the sparkle siver flake in my photo album. I ended up selling that one because it was actually TOO flashy. I was in a disco band for over 10 years and after that officially ended a couple years ago, I really had no use for such a flashy bass. I came very close to ordering a Sterling 5H in sterling silver, but I recently found a passive SUB 5 for $500 that I couldn't pass up. It's a bit of a beater, so it's a perfect candidate for a rehab. There's another on on ebay now - they seem to go for around the same bread every time I see them. I should be seeing this one early next week. Anyway, the plans for this SUB include:

Put in on the scale - 8-9# is ok, but if it's 10#, one of the plans will be to rout out some material under the pickguard to reduce some weight.

Contour the body front and back like the standard Stingrays
Mill out the neck screw holes to fit neck washers
Hipshot Ultra Lite tuners
White pickguard from Pickguard Heaven
Send body and neck to Marty Bell - refinish body in Inca or Sterling Silver; strip and refinish neck - natural back and matching sivler headstock - custom MM decal



When you recontour the body will you loose enough weight with out having to do any routing under the pg.

 

[Holdsg]

Just curious...
After spending the time and money of all of these "CHANGES", why not just buy a nice USED SR4 in a nice color?

Just sayin'

that would be the easy way...obviously, he's into the road less traveled...

 

[bradfordws]

that would be the easy way...obviously, he's into the road less traveled...

Yeah - needs to be a 5 - and I prefer the standard Stingray body over the Stingray 5 body - and the Classic Stingray 5 is too expensive to buy and have refinished. I've wanted a silver MM for quite a while. I like projects too. This will cost under $1000 - not a bad deal IMO.

 

[Webtroll]

I prefer the standard Stingray body over the Stingray 5 body - and the Classic Stingray 5 is too expensive to buy and have refinished. I've wanted a silver MM for quite a while. I like projects too.

Big +1 on that, the original SR is beautiful, and I've wanted a SUB5 for this exact reason. I am very interested on how this project works out.

 

[jlepre]

Ahhhhh my mistake. I can see your point now. I too like the standard SR oval PG OVER the large SR5. Good luck with your project.

 

[4play]

Projects are fun. Plain and simple. Have fun!

Here's my S.U.B. 4 project. Marty Bell candy-orange, hand-carved contours, Hipshot HB1's, and ebonized board:

 

[bradfordws]

Projects are fun. Plain and simple. Have fun!

Here's my S.U.B. 4 project. Marty Bell candy-orange, hand-carved contours, Hipshot HB1's, and ebonized board

Nice job on that one! You're more daring than me - that is, you have actual woodworking skills! Marty Bell rules! I'm "SUBBING" out all of my project except for disassembly and reassembly! I have a local repair shop a couple miles away who I've been going to for many years. He's going to do the contours and mill for the neck washers. I'm going a step further with the matching headstock / new decal, but true EB/MM fans will know it's a SUB because of the plain bridge. I'm hoping the grain is decent on the back of the neck. I saw another SUB somewhere (maybe on here) where the guy also stripped the black paint off the back of the neck and it looked OK.

 

[4play]

Yeah, Marty's the man. He's done 3 projects for me to date with another 2 on the way. He's fast, responsive, reasonably priced, and the quality is second to none.

 

[Golem]

`

About the neck screw washers .... I think you need to stay with the
neck plate. Poplar isn't as strong as ash, so the neck plate acts as
a reinforcement to that area, where the body thickness is less [due
to the neck socket]. If you wanna doll up that area, mill a recess to
sink the plate down flush with the rest of the back of the bass. Old
Sterlings had such a recessed flush plate. It's a cool, subtle touch.

 

[bradfordws]

Good idea - I didn't think about that. I'll have my repair shop recess the plate instead....

 

[Golem]

Good idea - I didn't think about that. I'll have my
repair shop recess the plate instead....

Your entirely wecome.

If you wanna get over-the-top about it, you
can have them make a longer plate, 8 holes
instead of 6. The extra 2 holes don't lead into
the neck but instead they anchor the 8-hole
plate to the body just behind the neck socket.
You could have the plate made from stainless
steel so you wouldn't hafta chrome plate it.

All neck plate bolt-on basses OUGHT TO be
built this way, but even the really expensive
builds don't bother. Think on it: The bottom
of the neck socket is sandwiched between
the neck plate and the butt of the neck. If
extreme stress were applied to the neck
joint, the only connection the "meat of the
sandwich" has to the rest of the body wood
is the wood fiber at the edges of the "meat".
The extended neck plate bridges the edge
of the neck socket over onto the main body
structure. Obviously a 10-hole plate would
be even better for this .... but one hasta
ask just how obsessive one dares to be
about an accident that so seldom occurs.

Whether there's any tone transmission
advantage to longer plates is also up for
speculation. How much can a bolt-on
approximate a neck-thru ?

Just sharing stream of consciousness
stuff .... no expertise claimed here.

 

[Basswave]

that would be the easy way...obviously, he's into the road less traveled...

Nothing wrong with that most of my basses have been modded...Yep some on here think its evil...(Well I don't )

Amen to that and I think a SUB is great platform...So are the SBMM basses...

 

[Rano Bass]

Good luck with your project, i hope you take lots of pics of the process.

 

[danny-79]

Good luck an looking forward to the pics of your project !

 

[oli@bass]

Looking forward to seeing the final pics... there have been a couple of really cool SUB projects around, this will be another one.

 

[bradfordws]

The body and neck are down south at Marty Bell's shop now - should see them next week. Meanwhile, here's a photoshop by the famous RK on talkbass. He also does real nice renderings from scratch, but this one is strictly modified photos. The SUB should end up looking just like this.

 

[4play]

Did you find a mute-bridge?

 

[jlepre]

And an SR5 neck?