I will write about this in a later post, but back in June, I actually bought an ESP LTD Precision-styled bass. Some of you may have encountered this quick test I did of TIMOchan[1] on YouTube a few hours after picking it up at the shop:
Fast forward to puasa month, I installed an actual Fender anodised pickguard, which pickup spaces actually required a bit of filing for it to fit.
And for the final touch, I wanted racing stripes as TIMOchan has to at least try to look her best, like her inspiration:
And where can I find one? eBay of course – from a seller called factoryofvinyl in Mexico! I have to say I was a bit apprehensive to buy it, but it was only USD5. What can go wrong eh. After choosing the gold coloured one (there is a selection to choose from) it finally arrived about 3 weeks later. Using a photo of TIMO’s Precision bass as a guide to get the angle right, I was good to go.
Like for like, its full width is a few millimetres less than the one on BLUETUS[2]. Also, to use BLUETUS as a guide, I wasn’t going to have the vinyl decal go all the way the back of the bass. First of all, I wiped the bass clean to ensure there is no dust. I then positioned the racing stripe at the correct angle, as guided by the photo in the magazine. The decal was then fixed into position with masking tape. I also used another strip of masking tape as a guide to the actual angle of the stripe in case I had to position the stripe free hand. Using a hard card, I removed any air bubbles on the decal as best as I could. The decal is then trimmed at the ends with a very sharp pair of scissors for a clean straight cut.
The decal is actually held in position by a clear film which is not to be removed until the end. The backing paper is carefully removed partially and the actual decal is placed on the body of the bass. Remove any bubbles with the firm card. It was looking quite good even at this point as the position is being held by the masking tape.
Once half the decal is stuck onto the bass, I removed the masking tape and the rest of the backing paper. I then gently remove the clear film and used a cloth to really ensure the decal is stuck on the bass. Check out the end of the stripes, just like how it is on BLUETUS. And here is TIMOchan with her new racing stripes. I am well chuffed with the results!
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[1]Obviously!
[2]Will do a separate post on BLUETUS too. As well as two of her, err… buddies.