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1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 1:25 pm
by sal paradise
Couldn’t turn this down. Converted to right hand at some point in its life & a terrible paint job. A few knocks but generally in good shape. It’s light, the neck is nice a slim at the nut & it sounds exactly how I want a precision to sound.

Bought off a lovely dude whose house is basically a jumble of old amps, guitars & cables. Probably staring into my future :D

Plan is to strip it, remove the filler & send it to a friend with woodwork skills to do a proper repair on that right handed control cavity, then off for a refin. Think I’ll leave the rest as-is.

Seems to have a grey undercoat- any idea what colour this might have been originally?

I was thinking vintage white nitro for respray with black guard. Open to suggestions though.

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Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 1:26 pm
by HNB
Oooo extra curvy on the back!

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 3:29 am
by JVG
Olympic White would look good.

Why do some right handers feel the need to play a lefty upside down? Are they just trying to fuck up (or deprive us of) the relatively small number of instruments we have available? It messes with my head.

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2024 1:13 pm
by armensguitars
Such a cool bass, hope you are able to do it justice! Agreed on the why make a lefty into a righty sentiment. My exception was once I found a lefty 70s strat neck, which immediately was paired to a righty body, as it was too cool not to.

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:51 am
by Nudger
This to me is perfect.
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Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2024 7:30 am
by armensguitars
Nudger wrote:
Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:51 am
This to me is perfect.
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Is that from M&Ms? Looks amazing.

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2024 8:51 am
by Nudger
Yup, Finish by copacetic, on reverb 1969..

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:11 am
by sal paradise
The refinisher wanted to do the repair work themselves, so I just sent off the body with finish still on. Due to the depth of alterations, we've been talking about best way to solve - current thinking is cut off the body at the line & replace. Will mean an offset join, but seems the way to save the most amount of wood.

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Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:16 am
by MattK
That seems insane to me - lose the whole original corner curve and shaping? I would cut a veneer type patch and route the surface down. It won’t matter at all if some of the filler is left hidden inside. Or just leave it as is and make it smooth if you don’t need to see grain.

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:59 am
by sal paradise
MattK wrote:
Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:16 am
That seems insane to me - lose the whole original corner curve and shaping? I would cut a veneer type patch and route the surface down. It won’t matter at all if some of the filler is left hidden inside. Or just leave it as is and make it smooth if you don’t need to see grain.
Veneer was the original plan. This is the problem- it’s beyond my understanding/knowledge though:

“due to the forearm contour needing to be recarved, part of the filled area would be exposed on the contouring. I don't think the infill section would successfully curve down over a new contour which is usually possible across a larger width, but tricky as a smaller section.”

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 10:34 am
by MattK
Respectfully, that’s rubbish. If the contour needs to be redone (it didn’t look like it?) then carve the contour with the filler in place, rout out a patch area on the carved surface, patch and level. Even I could do that.

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:25 am
by sal paradise
MattK wrote:
Mon Mar 04, 2024 10:34 am
Respectfully, that’s rubbish. If the contour needs to be redone (it didn’t look like it?) then carve the contour with the filler in place, rout out a patch area on the carved surface, patch and level. Even I could do that.
The contour would need shaping with a veneer, I think? That was the original plan.

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 9:19 pm
by JVG
Yeah, unless you’re planning a translucent or clear finish, please don't go hacking chunks out of it.

Smooth it, finish it.

And for the person who originally made it right handed (and will never read this) - i’m still angry about it. Fucker.

Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 6:00 pm
by hulakatt
Although, as long as the wood is proper smoothed out underneath, under a metallic coat it won't much matter wether it's veneer or not.
Nudger wrote:
Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:51 am
This to me is perfect.
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Sherwood Green is lovely but I'm partial to Lake Placid Blue myself...

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Re: 1976 left-handed Precision needs tlc

Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 3:56 pm
by sal paradise
A little update. Decided to go with a replacement piece of wood due to complications, and on the recommendation of the person doing the work. Already looks way nicer :)

“Have made the new 'infill' piece and grafted it in.
Need to carve the forearm contour next, then continue stripping the existing paint from the back and edges of the body ready for the pore filling stage.”

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