Fender bass redesign

[Huewe]

Hello

First post here. I started a restoration project on a pretty beat up j bass. I got the bass for free but someone had carved junky Led Zeppelin symbols into the body and spray painted the hell out of it. So I planed and sanded the body to get all the scars out. My plan is to do a natural wood finish, however the stock of the body isn't much to look at. So I bought a 1/4 book match set and I want to fix it to the top and boom, fancy new bass.

Here are my questions / holes I see in my plan.

I did not measure the thickness before I started, and I'm certain the extra wood will effect the position of the bridge to pickup and neck distance. So what can I do to correct this? What are the optimal distances for the strings over the pickups and to line it up with the neck?

Will the new height of the bridge offset the height of the neck? Can I install an insert between the neck and the body to correct it? Or could the bridge perhaps be recessed into the "veneer" ?

There is more than one way to skin a cat and I have nothing but patience when it comes to detail work. This is my first instrument I've worked on, but I'm good with wood and I appreciate any advice you could lend me. Thanks

[Greg Robinson]

Hello

First post here. I started a restoration project on a pretty beat up j bass....

Hi Huewe,

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Thanks.

[Mark Swanson]

The body was originally 1- 3/4" thick, so if you make it that thick again your problems will be solved.

[David King]

The trick to this re-skinning a solid body guitar top is getting all the holes and routs located exactly before you glue the new top down. Make a very careful tracing of the instrument and figure on a way to index the top to the tracing. I'd suggest drilling a couple of the outer bridge mounting holes and the two uppermost horn pick guard screws in your new top and pinning in position to the body while you glue it down. To reestablish the pickup routs you can drill a 1/2 or 5/8" hole in the center of the pickup and clean out the rest with a bottom bearing (top bearing?) template following router bit.