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astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

I guess this barely qualifies as a "project", since I'm essentially just swapping out a couple of parts.

I hate the strat type pickguard on my Squier Bronco bass. So I decided to change the pickguard out for a Music Master one. I ordered one from WD Music, and it fits OK without too much effort. The pickup slot isn't perfectly centred under the strings, but this does not look like it will be a problem.

Sorry for the crappiness of the pic!

I had ordered some tuners from WD as well, but they forgot to include them in my shipment. I've already paid for them, and the customs declaration on the package included the value of both the pickguard and the tuners. So when the idiots at WD finally send me the tuners I'll end up paying the taxes and duties twice on them. Great.

The tuners I ordered were the "economy" set, found here. They look like identical units to the ones already on the bronco, except they have the classic "clover leaf" buttons instead of the modern "Y" buttons. Hopefully they'll fit without any drilling.

The guard already has new 250k pots and a 0.047 cap. It just needs the new pickup (red Lace sensor ordered from Aeon) and some knobs. Maybe I'll be dorky and change the headstock decal to a proper Music Master one when I'm done.

Noirie. · YOUTH Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 5149

That is really fucking cool
i kinda wish i didn't sell mine now Sad

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endsjustifymeans · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:24 pm Post subject:

Fill in those screw holes.

But otherwise ACE. Makes me wanna buy one and do the same thing.
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astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

Ty · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:58 pm Post subject:

Leave them be and call them speed holes.

Mages · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:26 pm Post subject:

I would just fill it a bit with some filler and then use a car paint touch-up pen. then sand and polish it to get it all smooth and nice.
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cogito ergo sum...thing or other...

astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

Marquischacha · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:36 pm Post subject:

D'you reckon a Mustang Bass 'guard would fit easily onto a Bronco?

EDIT: Durr. Just realised the obvious difference between the both. Shit.

astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

I found the closest match available in a paint pen: Duplicolr Scratch Fix 2 in 1, General Motors Victory Red. It's almost the exact same colour, I don't think anyone will be able to see the scars if they're more than a couple of feet away.

Now, with what do I fill the screw holes? Should I stuff some bondo in there, then scrape a millimetre out for the paint layer, so that I can sand the paint flat? Or should I cut up bits of toothpick and glue those in? I'm guessing the bondo would be best, but it's the messier of the two options. Opinions?

Mages · Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:52 pm Post subject:

I'm gonna say bondo. or wood filler. the toothpick method I don't think works as easily for a clean finish. it's just harder to get a busted off toothpick to look nice and flat. but that's exactly what wood filler is for. making things look nice and flat. I would approach this like so:

1. glob some filler on/in the holes.
2. when dry, sand it down flat, finishing it with some 1500 grit.
3. apply paint
4. when dry sand with 1500 and 2000
5. polish
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cogito ergo sum...thing or other...

astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

Thanks Mage,

Should I scrape out, say, 1 mm of the bondo out of the holes before painting? I'm worried that if I just sand the filler flat to the body surface that I'll just sand off the paint layer when I want to sand/polish it.

Mages · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:22 am Post subject:

in my experience, wood filler actually sands away easier than wood or poly so if you just sand over the hole a bit it should make a little dip. I wouldn't let it dip too much. just barely perceivable.
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cogito ergo sum...thing or other...

astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

So I've patched the holes. I found a forgotten tub of wood filler, so I didn't use Bondo. Mage, I followed your advice for sanding, and I also polished it with 3M Finesse-It II. It came out quite nice. The paint I used, though close, is not a 100% match. So when you look closely, you can see the scars look just a little bit darker than the surrounding red. But I think it's only noticeable up close. It definitely looks a lot better than before.

I took a pic. You can't see any scars at all in the pic, but that has more to do with my poor photography skills than it does with any refinishing talent on my part!

Now, all I need is the pickup, the tuners (both in the mail), and maybe a decal. Does anybody even make Musicmaster bass decals? I can't imagine that instrument being a popular one for the refinishing crowd, since must people think of the musicmaster bass as undesirable.

Anyway, here's the latest crappy pic.

dots · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject:

i'd hit it.
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endsjustifymeans · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject:

crap... now I've got a new project.

Damn you.
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astro · . Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1751 Location: Montreal

The pickup arrived in the mail today. Surprising, considering it was sent regular mail and was only mailed three days ago from the USA. Any, I just soldered it in... WHOA! The Red Lace Sensor sounds like a badass motherfucker as a bass pickup!

I put on some chrome Jag HH knobs, too.

It's great weather today, so I just took a pic on the balcony...

Bacchus · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject:

Looks well.
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luke · . Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 2201

Looks good, even though I think that's one of the stupidest pickguard designs ever.

endsjustifymeans · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject: