Overhauling an RCE PJ Bass - Part 1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Part 1 - Neck and Body

Folks, what we have here is an honest-to-goodness fabriqué en Chine RCE PJ-style bass. It's definitely been around for quite a while, as RCE was the predecessor to modern-day RC Stromm. Right then, let's begin by taking a look at the headstock, maple neck and hardwood fretboard.

Headstock Face

Back of Headstock

Neck Heel

Hardwood Fretboard

Moving on to the body, exposed wood in the neck pocket and body cavities suggest that it's solid wood mated to a figured cap that's 1/8" thick (I measured). On the whole, the largely intact sunburst finish is marred by rust, grime and crud. Cleaning this up is surely going to take some time.   

Front of Body

Neck Pocket

Lower Horn

Neck Pickup Cavity

Bridge Pickup Cavity

Control Cavity

Looks Like Solid Wood

Bridge Ground

Back of Body

Bolt-On Neck Joint