"Lazarus" Teisco Short-scale Bass

[Chuck_Chill-Out]

This was my first project, eight years ago. Someone tossed this in the dumpster where I live, so I thought I'd try to make it playable.

This is what I found. The headstock was sliced up, the neck was black, and no pickups.

Looking at the body, it appeared like it was used for BB gun practice.

[Chuck_Chill-Out]

Stripping the body, I assume that this was basswood with a mahogany veneer.

[Chuck_Chill-Out]

When I stripped the paint, the plastic position markers, which I didn't know were there, and plastic binding came off. Also, the frets were in horrible shape and I didn't have the proper tools to either redress or replace the frets.

I decided to cut some maple strips and inlay them as the frets and position markers.

From reading a forum post somewhere, I learned how to bend the maple to the shape of the fretboard. Also, I worked on this at my former place of employment, a Japanese company that was in Lancaster, PA. This project was done during my lunch breaks. The President of the company came back in my lab, saw this in pieces and said he used to have a Teisco guitar in the 60's.

Fretboard and binding finished.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Chuck_Chill-Out

[Chuck_Chill-Out]

We had a large amount of blue spray paint at work, and I was told to use it. Voila, boiler blue.

Rebuilt and painted headstock.

I do plan on stripping and refinishing this at some time. I realized that I didn't fill the pores on the body and it does not look good.

Pickguard cut out

Painted pickguard, two six string humbuckers and Fender short scale roundwounds.

[Chuck_Chill-Out]

Her it is with the Gibson amp that my Mother-in-law said was in her attic. Blew out a lot of dust and had a friend give it a once-over. Nice sound out of it.

I restrung it with D'Addario nylon coated strings.