a tribute

12Jul09

This is an American made Fender Highway One Jazz bass that I refinished into Shell Pink.  Before you cast judgement, it was inspired by one of my earliest influences as a bassist, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. An AOL-Time Warner executive gave Flea a 1961 Shell Pink Jazz bass as a gift, and it’s estimated to be worth around $30,000. Ever since I sold my MIA Jazz V, I missed that classic jazz growl so much. The pickups have been upgraded to Lindy Fralins, 10% overwound, and the bridge is a Leo Quan Badass II. It purrs.

It took a quart of lacquer thinner, latex gloves, tons of paper towls, several different grades of sandpaper, super glue, a can of nitrocellulose primer, a can of nitrocellulose color, two cans of nitrocellulose clear lacquer, tons of elbow grease, and a lot of patience.

Before:

During

After

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