Flood Victim #1 - Washburn XB125

Preamble
The Washburn XB125 featured in this post is no stranger to me, as I've worked on it twice before. The first time was to rewire it along the lines of a passive Jazz Bass, [1] while the second was to add a Phat II circuit transplanted from an Ibanez GSR205.[2] [3] [4]

This time around, however, the XB125 was in really bad shape; no thanks to the severe floods that hit Kuantan earlier this year. The 'fotoflame' finish had peeled off in several places, exposing bare wood which was either moldy or rotten. The electronics (save the pickups) were totally shot, but most of the hardware could be used again after generous amounts of elbow grease and TLC. Let's take a quick look at what was done to get this instrument in playing condition again at minimal cost.

Body
The body was stripped down, bleached, stained, and clear coated.

Neck
The neck and headstock were stripped down, sanded smooth, and clear coated. The neck also had a slight backbow, and this was remedied by loosening the truss rod.

Electronics
I reverted the electronics to a passive scheme with a three-way toggle switch, a master volume (Alpha 500K), and master tone (Alpha 500K / 0.047uF cap). I should mention that both pickups emerged unscathed, thanks to being potted in black epoxy. Thumbs up, Washburn.

Fender Japan ST-357V Stratocaster

The Japanese Fender Strat featured here came in for fret leveling and recrowning. According to the Guitar Dater Project, it was "made at the Fuji-gen Plant (for Fender Japan), Japan in the Year(s): 1985 - 1986." This guitar was originally Vintage White, as can clearly be seen with the pickguard removed. Hmmm ... it does look good au naturel @ nekkid like this, don't you think? The neck is a solid hunk of maple (that feels like a baseball bat) with a 7.25" fingerboard radius, skunk stripe, 21 frets, a truss rod adjustment screw at the heel end (the pickguard features a corresponding scoop), and "ST-357V" stamped on the heel. The bridge looks a bit too shiny and rust-free to be stock, while the pickups bear a remarkable resemblance to the stock pups on Blackie, my Squier California Series Strat. The pickup covers look the part, though. Last but not least, the pots and 5-way switch appear to be stock, while the headstock sports Gotoh tuning machines. In conclusion, based on observable characteristics and research, I dare say that this guitar could have started out as a Japanese 50s vintage reissue Strat. In any case, feel free to check out the references cited, and draw your own conclusions.

Reference List
The Guitar Dater Project - Fender Serial Number Decoder
FENDER JAPAN STRATOCASTER '87, MODEL ST357V PRO SET

Pics Section

Squier California Series Strat HSS

This red Squier California Series Strat features two single coils (neck / middle) and a humbucker (bridge). It came in for setup, servicing, and a set of 009s. I have to say that although this is an entry-level guitar, the fretwork is OK (no jagged ends), all five switch positions yield usable "stratty" tones; and the bridge humbucker simply sings when distorted. Not bad at all :)

 

Ibanez GSR200

This 2007 black Ibanez GSR200 came in for a general setup and servicing as it had not been played for awhile. As it turned out, the stock Ibanez Phat II EQ and two of the pots were out of commission. We decided to go with the most inexpensive solution, which was to rewire the bass along the lines of a typical Jazz Bass (two volumes and a master tone). So, what we ended up with was an Ibanez PJ-style passive bass. And now, let's take a look at some pics.

Fender Japan Left-Handed Precision Bass

Overview
When this vintage white left-handed P-Bass came in for a setup, shielding, and change of pickups, it had already been modified. These mods included Japanese 250K volume and tone pots, a chrome Leo Quan Badass Bass II bridge, and Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound™ for P-Bass® SPB-3 passive pickups. Now, let's take a closer look at this bass. The neck is by Fender Japan, was manufactured between 2004 - 2005 at the Fuji-gen Plant, and feature-wise, is similar to a PB57/LH. The pickguard is probably non-stock, as it's not single-ply as one would expect, but 3-ply Black-White-Black (see pics below).

References
Quarter Pound™ for P-Bass® SPB-3
Steve Harris Signature P-Bass® SPB-4
Chrome Leo Quan Badass Bass II Bridge
Japanese Instruments Product Dating | Fender Support | Fender®
The Guitar Dater Project - Fender Serial Number Decoder

First Look

"Crafted In Japan"

Front of headstock.

Back of headstock/Period-correct strap button.

Chrome Leo Quan Badass Bass II Bridge

Seymour Duncan SPB-3 Pickups

Seymour Duncan Steve Harris Signature P-Bass® SPB-4 Passive Pickups
Here's the new set of pickups that will be replacing the SPB-3s.

Copper Foil Shielding