![The bass has already undergone some significant modifications and a metallic blue refinish along the way...](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/75d61f0cb65d4e836812ef21f18fd5508e5c5d1e/original/s5008335-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
The bass has already undergone some significant modifications and a metallic blue refinish along the way...
![While the owner wants to keep the aftermarket Bartolini pickups, I chose to fill the old amateur routes with fresh maple, and reroute the cavities nice and clean....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/8c04759d1a9d33931d4a9a6328a74b188ddd3081/original/s5008377-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
While the owner wants to keep the aftermarket Bartolini pickups, I chose to fill the old amateur routes with fresh maple, and reroute the cavities nice and clean....
![The fretboard had popped loose when someone attempted to adjust the truss rods....THE WRONG WAY.....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/3a891a5748a7b3fa85300a9f072bb76b11920f3c/original/s5008341-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
The fretboard had popped loose when someone attempted to adjust the truss rods....THE WRONG WAY.....
![I removed the truss rods for inspection and rethreading, and took that opportunity to reglue the fretboard separation....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/380cb4535b510c971b551fbdc0f4c181094f1ffb/original/s5008345-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
I removed the truss rods for inspection and rethreading, and took that opportunity to reglue the fretboard separation....
![The rods have been straightened and rethreaded, the adjuster nuts retapped, and the cleat deburred....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/098002b9841ec696f44bd3ff3007f8e16f91431a/original/s5008349-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
The rods have been straightened and rethreaded, the adjuster nuts retapped, and the cleat deburred....
![The bass is now in white primer. The binding was airbrushed to camouflage the area where the second output jack once was....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/1cc7f96530cf2307eca893ad9b2047b7c868400f/original/s5001175-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
The bass is now in white primer. The binding was airbrushed to camouflage the area where the second output jack once was....
![The owner chose these two green shades, and I custom mixed them using tinting pigments in nitrocellulose lacquer.....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/3bd8e7c84278bd62cd7ca9c9a6c8ecbedbcc389b/original/s5001189-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
The owner chose these two green shades, and I custom mixed them using tinting pigments in nitrocellulose lacquer.....
![An extra route was later added to accomodate a preamp, and the control cavity was deepened to allow room for push-pull potentiometers....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/6c191d3f8fa38f21ad2d4d8f54dc77189b54a256/original/s5009578-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
An extra route was later added to accomodate a preamp, and the control cavity was deepened to allow room for push-pull potentiometers....
![I've just finished buffing the cured lacquer......the small route in the back will house the 2 9v batteries for the active electronics.....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/0d605f23c96021ed14e2b9bdac6978c6da5d5f8b/original/s5009585-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
I've just finished buffing the cured lacquer......the small route in the back will house the 2 9v batteries for the active electronics.....
![I cut a custom pickguard that closely resembles the original Rickenbacker unit, but will allow the use of a Bartolini neck pickup and custom switches and potentiometers....](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/435709/0043bcf6e4cb28837618c6357711da602c51f163/original/s5009847-resized.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
I cut a custom pickguard that closely resembles the original Rickenbacker unit, but will allow the use of a Bartolini neck pickup and custom switches and potentiometers....