Restoration of a Completely Destroyed Bass Guitar

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Bogdan Magnetic Air pickups / magnetic_air_pickups
Greetings!
This project began in December 2023, one of my viewers gave me this destroyed, extremely rare bass guitar from the 1970s
For a long time I couldn’t figure out what to do with this.
After a month of thinking, I decided that I wanted to try painting it with acrylic paints, adding a little ethnicity.
I really like George Harrison's Stratocaster and I've been wanting to make something similar for a long time.
So, in this video we will clean everything thoroughly, repaint it, add a little art
Of course, we’ll install frets, wind new pickups and be sure to listen to how it all sounds.
Enjoy watching😉
00:00 Intro
00:44 Disassembly and gluing
07:39 Guitar painting
12:00 Work with the Neck
18:25 Fretwork
26:50 Nickel plating
30:05 Winding the Pickups
33:36 Pickguard polishing
34:57 Nut and Tuners
37:26 Wiring and shielding
39:21 Final assembly
41:27 First Check and Demo
42:03 Ending

[@horse_dog]

flat wound players be like "theres some life left in those strings"

[@svenjansen2134]

They looked good as new!!

[@Tooshabby]

There is some life left in any string u can still pull to tension

[@Chrisamic]

Just boil them and put them back on!

[@Tooshabby]

​@@ChrisamicBoil them? Just lick them clean

[@user-nq5qu3rz1b]

Of course it’s easy, if I had those tools, two hundred hours, good taste and this much talent I’d do the same

[@mr.k1t]

😉

[@FunnyHaHa420]

I appreciate a pick-guard that can stop small arms fire.

[@nationalduo4945]

You weren’t joking !

[@mr.k1t]

When you live in Ukraine, you need to be prepared for anything😉

[@samuelzetterman]

You won my respect when you recreated the pickups using what you had of the old parts, looks like someboddy mightve robbed this bass of its magnets.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you, the magnets were lying around, but in the end, it was decided to replace them

[@user-gl5kj1fm5x]

not sure if i would have done the graphics but it sounds nice

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@DUDENOFF]

I woul not call it restoration, it is whole rebuilding. Great job man!

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@seanhoward5562]

Wow, never saw a DIN-type connector on a guitar before.

[@mr.k1t]

it`s 5 pin soviet style cable

[@dieselrider]

it's true,soviet factories used to put these connectors on all types of their guitars, they were called "SG-5". the truth is, when the damned union fell apart, our musicians here in Ukraine rejoiced,when they switched to standard "jack-type" connectors, because those SG-5 were simply terrible and impractical, those damned terminals were constantly bent and so more :)

[@cyphi474]

Thats.. certainly something George would do to his guitar....

[@svenjansen2134]

Very nice job man and thanks for using no distracting background music. All the little noises like that fret rounding thingy make great asmr. Thanks for keeping instruments alive and also what a very nice paint job!

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@dieselrider]

Wow,it's crazy beautiful renovation,thank you for your work(mostly - art)as asual!) Idea about painting very cool,it's super special for "ukrainian 70's moustache funk/bigbeat psychedelic" context,it's really about ideas and culture(Pryimachenko-style paint),literally precious! Warm greetings from Lviv,your work priceless💔

[@mr.k1t]

Дякую, ідея полягала у тому, щоб підкреслити ідентичність українських музичних інструментів тих часів і здається в мене вийшло☺️

[@dieselrider]

@@mr.k1t все вийшло дуже добре,це цілий арт-проект,бачу цей бас в Музеї гітар в Києві))) Українські сімдесяті дуже недооцінені,на жаль( Вартує раз послухати хоча б ВІА Червона Рута,щоб зрозуміти,наскільки це була несовкова і цікавв,новаторська поп-музика! Було би прикольно ще взяти якусь Jolana Diamant і зробити з нею також щось схоже(умовно змішати цю вищезгадану естетику з західним психоделік-арт),як бачите - людям зі всього світу це страшно цікаво :)

[@mr.k1t]

Я відновлював декілька таких басів людям, досить не погані інструменти, особливо та, що була з палісандровою накладкою. Взагалі прикольна задумка, залишилось знайти вбиту Йолану)

[@MasterFailureOfficialChannel]

Easily one of the best restoration you've done on your channel so far! The amount of work and time you spent on this one is insane I guess... I'm not a fan of the paint job though, but it's just a matter of taste. Congrats for giving this bass a second life! I hope the future owner will be happy with it, and will take care of her.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you my friend. I really put a lot of effort into this project and I appreciate your words🙏

[@Goomer]

Excellent, it's beautiful. Glad you used the original parts.

[@mr.k1t]

I wanted to replace all the parts with new ones, but then I discovered nickel plating. And in my opinion it turned out well

[@Mihei1973]

Чернигов бас. Молодец ресторатор. Приятно смотреть как из хлама восстанавливается инструмент. Оригинальное решение нового дизайна - хиппи раскрас от Дж.Харриссона, при полном сохране оригинальной конструкции. Ортодоксальные коллекционеры не любят и малейших изменений, наверно будут ворчать про то что снят советский полиэфир. Они по своему правы. Но тут такое доброе изменение. Отлично.

[@mr.k1t]

Спасибо 🙏

[@ElGreyoCardinallo]

Ресторатор это тот, кто занимается ресторанным бизнесом 😂

[@dbsound882]

Wow a floating bridge on a bass..very cool guitar, great work.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@williamharris9529]

My 1968 Gretsch bass also has a floating bridge. Back in the day they were common.

[@mr.k1t]

And don’t forget about classic Hofner violin also has a floating bridge.

[@jeffrix27]

Yikes on that paint job. But to each their own...

[@neilbarnett3046]

4:41 When you used a flat screwdriver for a crosshead screw, it seemed appropriate, given the state of the guitar!

[@user-sd9kz6sr9l]

Beautiful pattern, I can’t believe I like it this much!

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@svenjansen2134]

Yea at first I found it childish but then I saw the result and was convinced. It's beautiful 😍

[@user-pl6vs9mw7o]

Это же надо быть таким красавчиком,умным,и так понимающим в таком сложном деле, естественно Лайкосик❤👍👍👍

[@mr.k1t]

😉

[@danielktdoranie]

Excellent sound! Personally I think painted a solid color would be preferred but it is a matter of choice

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks! I've been wanting to draw something on a guitar for a long time, and this time nothing was holding me back😉

[@smetanko]

Красавец получился, звук своеобразный но так даже аутентичней 🤌

[@rustyaxelrod]

When the hand plane entered the chat I was very surprised! I guess there was significant back bow but wow that’s a quick (and brutal) way to get a lot of material off in a hurry, not sure I’d have the guts to try that! I don’t understand how it didn’t cause some tear-out when the blade crossed the fret slots but obviously it worked 👍

[@oscarhele4587]

Awesome!!, congratulations. Montevideo-Uruguay.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@philippe-lebel]

Une vidéo reposante et un son doux à la fin. C'était agréable.

[@robinblackmoor8732]

I don't repair guitars, so I don't know that much about it. It seems like it would be much cheaper and faster to just buy a new bass and paint it the way you want it to get the same result. I would think you can order one not finished to do custom paint on it.

[@butziporsche8646]

The brushstrokes really make it! Very nice.

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@SCOTTSEXPLODINGGUITAR-wc9to]

i like how the pick guard came out

[@mr.k1t]

me too

[@jensk4140]

Nice BEHS!

[@MoodyRiffs]

It may be a soviet bass, the output is a 5-pin connector

[@TheLaidbackBiker]

Oh . . . and I loved the paint!!

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! It's nice to know that you liked my solutions

[@Izoo8524]

That’s a beauty of an axe. Good job!!

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@ubeisme]

Unique bass. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@BxCx666]

Soviet era guitars are weird but this one is something special fr

[@mr.k1t]

Yep, it`s ukrainian one from 1970`s I was delighted with this brass pickguard.

[@TheLaidbackBiker]

Amazing! Awesome!

[@mikesalmo]

It went from trash to art… that you can make more art with. Incredible work and great imagination seeing what it could become. Beautiful bass. And I’ve been wanting to do nickel plating for a while, too. Next project I have an excuse to, I will.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@timharris6835]

I think you restored the bass very well, diverse skills at work here.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@WorkingName-rp7wi]

Fantastic job! You earned my subscribe. Don't listen to the few idiots on here who are dogging the guitar. The only thing they've ever created is disappointment for their parents.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! i will😄

[@presmasterflash7555]

Ahh, the Gibson grabber bass… World renowned for it versatility and uncompromising tone

[@mr.k1t]

They were clearly inspired by this

[@bwa_8]

Not my vibe, but I love how you remade the pickups.

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@ukebox00oftheworld63]

That Nitor Lack is the best

[@jacekbukaczewski]

wspaniała praca,piękny instrument.gratuluję i pozdrawiam

[@mr.k1t]

Дякую 🙏

[@colinireson9339]

Thank you for posting this vlog. It is a joy to watch a craftsman at work.

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@Fraik]

That's a great restoration, I love the artwork! It might have been better to paint the body and neck at the end of the process but it made better sense for you this way with the available time ? That fretboard is thick as hell !

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you, we covered it with a layer of matte acrylic, the neck is really thick since it is without a truss rod

[@evilempire1808]

Great job ! Aesthetically it is not my taste. But I recognize the work and that you have clarified its duration. Plus the bass sounds amazing...

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@Calypso495]

Рисунок адовый. Ещё металлические части требуют доработки. Слишком много царапин. От работы над грифом получил удовлетворение.

[@joeblow-tp6gz]

Ready for the Tulip festival

[@GuitarDocAndMore]

Stunning work from all of you! Mesmerising scene when the artwork is put on. Thanks a lot for sharing.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you for your feedback!

[@leeder92]

I'm sorry, but the whole knife/zip lock bag thing did it for me.

[@jimthechin123]

What make of bass guitar is this please? Great job!

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks! Chernyhyv factory in Ukraine 1973

[@user-jb6ko5wt9b]

Тогда уж в СССР, а если точнее УССР

[@ulireisjr]

Sensacional! Um belo e minucioso trabalho. O resultado foi esplêndido! Congratulações!

[@mr.k1t]

Obrigado!

[@AndreasAndersson-ve4jx]

Adorable colour & decoration!, makes me think about decorated flour jars, cooking utensils, etc. from my childhood... It was a retro style, popular in the 70:s, then mostly with printed decor, inspired by earlier hand painted things from the 40:s(? )... I also had a relative, Lena Marcus, ceramic artist, which did things in a somewhat similar style. The Nastya, is she by any chanse ceramic artist?

[@mr.k1t]

We were inspired by the paintings of Maria Primachenko from those years. Nastya does not paint on ceramics, but is actively involved in pysankar(Easter egg painting.)

[@shinyribs2178]

Nice work, man 👍 Very cool art and it has a really pretty sound to it. I'd be happy to own that bass!

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you, it turned out really well, I'm really happy about it

[@user-rr9ro5sp4u]

excellent job, you rebuilt something that many would consider trash, it possibly looks better than in its good years. te luciste pa.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! I wanted to give this bass a little more than just stick it together.

[@rsgsf2]

прекрасная работа 😊👍

[@mr.k1t]

Дякую😉

[@LIVINGRETIRED310]

Very cool

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@pvdguitars2951]

Stunning result. Master craftsmanship! Congrats brother

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! 🙏

[@johnkilpatrick2343]

Now you need to 'relic' it... 😉

[@mr.k1t]

Time will do all the work for me😉

[@theymightbeuptown882]

That's really nice man. So glad you decided to with a different visual. It's a unique and special piece. Thank you for posting.

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! I've been wanting to do something unique for a long time

[@anton7357]

Huge project! Love the artwork

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@jurgenivanjuk186]

Great Job. Huge Respect. Аграмезны рэспэкт за вялікую працу. Гучыць цудоўна, выглядае вельмі прыгожа.

[@mr.k1t]

Дякую!

[@skalewilly]

What a great job in this bass, congrats!!!!!

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@onats67]

great job

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@Good_Luck_8619]

Nice job well done 🤘👍

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@floydlay9189]

What do I think,bloody awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@RomanShushkanov]

Хорошая работа!

[@rays6210]

Great restoration! The paint job is awesome! Next time fill in that gash in the body with ramen noodles I hear that’s the proper way to fix that 😉

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! I have to admit, I had this idea😉

[@kiddcomet3563]

Nicely done 👍

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@rejerh8731]

Nice!

[@MrGUSARIK]

I wood cover the neck with the protective layer, otherwise all the beautiful painting will rub off.

[@mr.k1t]

We covered it with a layer of matte acrylic

[@mridulster]

Beautiful piece of art i would say...

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@guitarfriend65]

fantastic job - second life for this bass!

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@joffreleyton4861]

Nice 😮

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@duncan-rmi]

bravo!

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@paullavery4030]

I love the paint job you chose- fits well with the style/ year of the bass

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@billhuey8866]

Lovely

[@jeffrix27]

Guessing this wasn't meant to be used since you painted pictures on the back of the neck? Probably would have fixed those drill holes first...

[@rutikuiwa7133]

Very good job 👍👍👍

[@alexandreberanger2067]

Dude, that's beautiful...

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@mpalaskokkalis1476]

Perfect 👌

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@alejandroalucard162]

Hermoso resultado!

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@ast3663]

funny looking fella..maybe szech /russ/poland? ..has a vintage DIN out and a very flat fretboard radius..you could also do some slight upgrades..better bridge..I think the position of neck/body is slightly off, maybe the nut must be redone, the string spacing is off..but interesting build

[@mr.k1t]

It’s Ukrainian one I did 9.5 here

[@slacker42uk]

Ted would love it. Superb work!

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks!

[@PhatsGaming]

awesome man. looked and sounded great

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@dusterowner9978]

Great job but the paint job was a let down for me !

Great job my friend !!!

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@old_falc]

Судя по разъёму пятиштырьковому штекера ОНЦ-ВГ-4-5/16-Р (СГ-5) и отсутствия анкера - это гитара из СССР примерно 1965-70 года. Так же "узнаваемы" звукосниматели по 9 руб. Но такой формы колков (попарно на одной планке) я не помню. Интересно бы узнать историю этой гитары, какую ценность она представляет? Только в этом случае был смысл реставрировать инструмент из такого плохого состояния. Впрочем - мне интересен этот ролик - как "обучающий" фильм: у меня хобби - ремонт, восстановление гитар, а так же сборка и настройка (из готовых комплектов). У таких мастеров - есть чему поучиться: у каждого мастера есть свои хитрые приёмы и способы ремонта. ЗЫ. Субъективное мнение - Пикгард, изготовленный в корпусном цехе судоремонтного завода, лучше было бы заменить на другой, например из белого перламутра. И конечно, вывести проводок "заземления" на струнодержатель. 👍👍👍 Респект

[@ManO0waR]

Это редкий черниговский бас, примерно 75 года. Был, пока его не изуродовали

[@old_falc]

@@ManO0waR Вторая жизнь в коллекции раритетных инструментов 😉. Обнаружил такую гитару на просторах интернета VK в коллекции гитар Владислава Силиванова. Действительно там установлен такой мощный пикгард из нержавейки

[@ManO0waR]

@@old_falc Да, коллекция Владислава выше всех похвал, мне пока далеко до него) Только пикгард не из нержавейки, а из хромированной латуни толщиной 2 мм.

[@old_falc]

​@@ManO0waRБогатая у нас страна была: хромированную 2-х мм накладку из цветного металла на электрогитару могли себе позволить..... 😊

[@user-tj7dl8vb7b]

50лет назад был комплект этих гитар на заводе .Черниговские.У меня есть фото я с такой ,только 6 стружка.

[@sytsebloem1979]

This was the best video ever

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! It's nice to read comments like this😉

[@sytsebloem1979]

@@mr.k1t i was lying down with a cold beer carefully watching everything. Super inspiring and relaxing.

Top 🤓

[@BoredoldPunk]

So many questions: what was the bass originally? What kind of strings are those? Is it clearcoated to protect the paint? Also what are the background music tracks?

[@mr.k1t]

and I will give you the answers Bass guitar from the Chernigov factory, produced in 1973 (btw, on my Patreon there is a detailed description of this bass guitar, it’s free😉) The strings are dadario nylon tapewound Drawings covered with acrylic And what kind of music are you asking about? What am I playing? or double bass in the background?

[@BoredoldPunk]

@@mr.k1t yes, the background tracks.

[@GabrielTheGuitarist]

Ah man I love everything about this until you made it 2 volume knobs only. You could’ve made it a more versatile bass by making those pots be stacked concentric knobs. Each controlling volume/tone for their respective pickup. You should revisit this idea in the future

[@mr.k1t]

I'll do this later, I only had ordinary potentiometers at hand. there was an option to make 1 volume (for two sensors) and 1 tone, but in the case of two volumes, it seemed more varied to me

[@bjstein4242]

You mentioned you wanted to bend the neck into a slight back bow as there was no truss rod.. how did you manage that?.. some use heat and a straight bar and apply pressure to the middle back.. i hope you did some of this work BEFORE it was painted.. lol.?.. excellent job on this considering where it started.. excellent work..

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! No, I did it after, you can see in the video that I work with the neck when it is screwed to the body. I press the body with straps to the table and watch the bend I get

[@philanna38]

Imaging job!

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you!

[@jinxie1080]

Sorry if the question was answered before in the comments or later in the video as I'm just at the start, but seeing the dismal state of the bass when you got it got me curious: do you get a great instrument rebuilding this because the wood is from the 70s etc and there's something you can't emulate regarding the age of the guitar or is it, even with restoration, just sounds worse than an off-the-shelf Ibanez or Yamaha and you're simply using this as an exercise? Either way, love your videos :D

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! Hmm, I've been repairing guitars for so long and a lot that I can no longer tell you what a “Good” or “Bad” sound is. Trends are constantly changing and every sound from any bass guitar can be used in an interesting way. I was pleased with the sound of this bass, it gives exactly the old sound that I expected from it, but still, I prefer the sound of a good MusicMan😏

[@BassPhat]

Unlucky 13th fret? 😉 Does this bass have a truss rod? Lovely art by the way. I had a cream strat with brilliant original fairy art but a drug addict friend stole it not long before he overdosed. 😢

[@mr.k1t]

Thank you! Yes, it is without a truss rod Sad story

[@dexiville]

прекрасно!

[@johnvillanova9984]

Great restoration...hate the flowery paint job though...

[@John-wg6xw]

Of all things why the "Pennsylvania Dutch" designs?

[@mr.k1t]

This painting refers to the Ukrainian artist Maria Primachenko, since the bass was made in Ukraine in the 1970s, I wanted to emphasize this

[@wolfganggro967]

at 4:40 it is very "professional" to open a phillips screw with a slotted screwdriver!

[@mr.k1t]

If it works, it works 😉

[@daviaraujo5631]

Excelente

[@nationalduo4945]

What was the black powder filler used on the side to fill in the space…Great video 😎

[@mr.k1t]

Thanks! It was graphite dust

[@BassPhat]

Is that an old Soviet bass? 😮

[@mr.k1t]

This is a Chernihiv bass guitar from the 1970s of the period of the Ukrainian SSR