W1_Pro Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1478981641' post='3173169'] OK - Schaller, a company I already respected, has gone up to the very, very top of my list of "suppliers with great customer service as well as very good products." Their website wouldn't take my order for the spacers this afternoon. They make it clear on their website that they actually do not take direct orders from UK and most other European countries but, instead, give a list of authorised wholesalers and retailers. So when I kept getting a server error at the point I confirmed my UK address for delivery of the order - although I thought it a bit odd it was a server error - I assumed the error was linked to the fact that the site would probably block me anyway. Anyway, as Touchstone Tonewoods (their nominated UK retailer) didn't show them in stock and weren't open until Tuesday, I thought I'd drop an enquiry to Schaller's customer service email address. I did this late afternoon today. I've just received an email back (it's Saturday evening) from a Dr Bünning.... the owner and Managing Director of Schaller.... apologising, asking for screen shots of the message I'm seeing and letting me know an alternative way of placing my order with them. Now that's what I call GREAT customer service [/quote] That is pretty amazing Andy. As for the info from RhysP.....where would we all be without the interweb? we'd have to do this by fax or something.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8bass Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Just found a black 3d Schaller shim if it's of use lads I do love a BC Rich with the Moser set up Look forward to seeing this one up and running Drop a pm if you need the shim sent Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 [quote name='v8bass' timestamp='1479046394' post='3173490'] Just found a black 3d Schaller shim if it's of use lads I do love a BC Rich with the Moser set up Look forward to seeing this one up and running Drop a pm if you need the shim sent Gary [/quote] That's very good of you, Gary. It looks like Schaller are going to be able to send me the gold ones (it will need 2!) but I'll possibly shout if there's a glitch Cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 I've contacted Schaller before when I lost a small part from a machine head. Customer service was superb - sent me a new part very quickly and didn't charge me for it, it doesn't get better than that!! And the products I've used so far have been excellent quality. Great company, I say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 Just had an email from Schaller's Managing Director (yes, I know ) - the parts are on the way. Great, great service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 With the Schaller spacers due on Monday, I got the frets levelled, crowned and polished and scraped and oiled the fretboard: I also had a look at that crack in the headstock plate. One thing I love about working on old guitars and basses is that you can see the history. E.g., way back when, the then owner loses little screw holding the trussrod cover on, finds a screw in his toolbox, screws it into the rockhard maple, said screw is bigger than the old one and snaps, in the process, the larger diameter has forced the headstock plate apart, taking some of the logo with it. Just a guess, of course... : The whole logo, even the 'mother of pearl' BC Rich logo is actually a decal. This is why the bit of the H is missing above. Having established that the crack is only in the top veneer, I suggested we just tidied the headstack up rather than go for full filling and levelling, which would risk all of the decal being lost. What I have tried to do, therefore, is just deceive the eye. I.e.:[list] [*]darken the crack where it's on rosewood [*]paint some lighter fill where the crack is over the mock MOP [*]Stipple some light fill to trick the eye that the H is actually still complete [*]Fill the crack with clear sealer [*]wipe of tru-oil over the top to smooth out the irregularities without losing the mojo [/list] Here's the bit of stippling: Here's how it looks. It's far from perfect but, once the tuners and strings are on, it should cease to become the attention-seeking magnet it once was : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allighatt0r Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Cool! It will be fine for anything other than close inspection :-) Are you leaving the broken screw in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 [quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1479467162' post='3176749'] Cool! It will be fine for anything other than close inspection :-) Are you leaving the broken screw in there? [/quote] Hi, Bryan Yes - absolutely. It's actually just covered by the trussrod cover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 Here's what the headstock looks like. Not perfect, but the main objective - to soften the look of the crack without jeopardising the very delicate decal is, I think, achieved: The Schaller spacers are due today so we will soon know if we have a physically playable bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 ...and we have a playable bass Here it is with the extra two spacers...SURELY it doesn't need to be that high?? Well - even with these I've had to raise the saddles 1-2mm to get to my nominal action height. But it plays. Nicely and buzz-free. The extra height of the bridge doesn't show at all on the fully assembled instrument: Later this week I'll have a go at putting the new electrics ... and, assuming all goes well, it's then pretty much ready to return to Stuart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Thats looking great Andy. Sterling work as usual. I'm sure you already know, but just in case- there is a pickup blend knob on the current setup, which is not standard, this is replaced in Neals rewire kit with a toggle. which can only be a good thing, IMHO. Best S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 [quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1479746851' post='3178934'] Thats looking great Andy. Sterling work as usual. I'm sure you already know, but just in case- there is a pickup blend knob on the current setup, which is not standard, this is replaced in Neals rewire kit with a toggle. which can only be a good thing, IMHO. Best S [/quote] Spotted that but hadn't worked out what all the controls do yet I'm assuming there will be a wiring diagram on the Neals web site. Is this the only mockingbird version they do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Brilliant job Andy...really love those old Mockingbirds and you are doing this one proud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1479751285' post='3178992'] Spotted that but hadn't worked out what all the controls do yet I'm assuming there will be a wiring diagram on the Neals web site. Is this the only mockingbird version they do? [/quote] Yes I believe it is. They are also very helpful on the phone- well Skype anyway. Really nice people as it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 [quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1479796234' post='3179284'] Yes I believe it is. They are also very helpful on the phone- well Skype anyway. Really nice people as it goes. [/quote] Excellent. I'll pop a multimeter onto the pickups today and check we have continuity, then start swopping everything over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) Good news is that both DiMarzio's appear to be showing continuity on both coils Other good news is that I found the wiring diagram on the Neal Moser web site and I THINK I know which colour to solder to which terminal (the pre-wired loom isn't quite the same but I think I can see how it should be). So, onto the pre-wired loom. And here I always have a love/hate relationship. I love the fact that someone much more skilled and neat at soldering than me has already done the hard work: What I also like is that the brass foil its on is already in Mockingbird layout...unfortunately, though, not quite in the right positions for this particular Mockingbird What I don't like about pre-wired looms is that when you unscrew the pots and switches and lift it from its presentation card / plate (which you always seem to need to do because they are NEVER quite in the right positions for your particular instrument), it becomes the wriggling, twisting bag of spanners that represents its inner self And when you lift the wriggling assembly into the control chamber, you have to position 9 star-washers ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!!! And then you pray to whichever deity that seems to make a difference that the screw threads are going to protrude through the top enough to at least get one twist of each of the nine nuts [b]so you don't have to lift the now dishevelled mess back out again [/b] Anyway, I've had a rest now, my pulse rate is back to as normal as post-traumatic stress disorder will allow and.... ...it's in: Not wired up yet, and that inductor pack looks a bit higher than the chamber, and the battery is going to be a bit of a squeeze but, compared to the challenge just gone, all that should be a doddle.... ...providing I don't have to take it out again Edited November 27, 2016 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 That looks lovely Andy. Just remember what it USED to look like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 [quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1480242507' post='3182678'] That looks lovely Andy. Just remember what it USED to look like. [/quote] Ah.....good point.... ...that's made me feel better....that and the tranquillisers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 I still have to find a way of getting the cover back on (and I've got a few tidying jobs left before this will be returned to Stuart) but[b] we now have sound[/b]. In fact, to be precise, we have a zillion - no, maybe TWO zillion - sounds. While I have no idea what controls do what, it does appear that everything is working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1480260395' post='3182853'] I still have to find a way of getting the cover back on (and I've got a few tidying jobs left before this will be returned to Stuart) but[b] we now have sound[/b]. In fact, to be precise, we have a zillion - no, maybe TWO zillion - sounds. While I have no idea what controls do what, it does appear that everything is working [/quote] I found a schematic of what each of the controls do and can confirm it all works correctly Even through my inadequate rig, the variety of different sounds is staggering. With the preamp on and varitone on position 6, think Entwistle at his best... Still got to work out how to get the cover on without squashing anything and a bit of tidying up, but it's almost done. I'll post some shots once it's been polished and got the knobs back on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 (edited) "John Entwistle at his best" Sounds awesome! Edited November 28, 2016 by W1_Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Well, it was a delight to have this lovely bass lodge with us for a while, but all things come to an end and now it needs to journey back home. Here it is, all done and ready to return: Will be sad to see this one leave.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Fantastic job on a fantastic bass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Looks a treat Andy. Well done and thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldwinbass Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Brilliant - I've been watching and enjoying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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