4000 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Brilliant and fascinating. Well done that man! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Fretboard levelled and re-finished. Just the nut to cut - I'm using a Graphtech Tusq blank from my bits box and it will be slotted to just shy of the fretboard top. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 3 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: Basically, fretboards shrink a touch when you iron them off...but actually often shrink over time in any case. Ever had fret ends get a bit sharp on a new bass after a year or so? That's the wood shrinking and leaving the fret ends exposed a teeny bit. This is certainly what has happened with my Maruszczyk fretless, it now has a recent, tiny step from neck to board (only noticeable with fingertips j. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Only just caught up with this thread. Sorry to hear you had this happen @Raslee However, this is a masterclass from @Andyjr1515, and I've enjoyed seeing the work of a master in action Neat! Hope you at least get a really nice bass from this anyway 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 (edited) Just out of interest, if the fingerboard had fancy inlays, would you be better heating the tool that separates the fretboard rather than using an iron to heat the fretboard itself? For instance I seem to remember Roger Bucknall of Fylde guitars once telling me that the old Rickenbacker crushed pearl inlays (pre-73) explode when heated. I’ve never tried, just in case. 😂 Edited February 4, 2021 by 4000 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, 4000 said: Just out of interest, if the fingerboard had fancy inlays, would you be better heating the tool that separates the fretboard rather than using an iron to heat the fretboard itself? For instance I seem to remember Roger Buckner of Fylde guitars once telling me that the old Rickenbacker crushed pearl inlays (pre-73) explode when heated. I’ve never tried, just in case. 😂 You do have to be very careful with some of the inlays. The old pearloid Fender & Gibson blocks don't fare well at all But hmmm - in terms of a heated separator, it's actually difficult to do that. You have to get a lot of heat into the glue before you can even get a razor-blade in - this one was 15-20 minutes at full setting! Getting that much heat into something the thickness of a razor blade would be out of reach of most DIY technologies. Once you get it going, however, there is more chance - it is actually one of the reasons I use the acoustic guitar side bender protection sheet - it holds the heat while it's creeping forward. Nevertheless, even if you were wafting a gas burner onto the sheet steel, because it is so thin, I'm still doubtful that enough heat would be transferred to do the job. However - I have found that fretted boards are a lot easier. Luthier suppliers have heating blocks with grooves in so you can heat the wood and not the frets. But I use a standard iron, because I WANT to heat the frets - because the heat goes very quickly down the tangs to almost the glue line - as well as the wood, even though the iron is a frets depth clear of the surface. Edited February 4, 2021 by Andyjr1515 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted February 4, 2021 Author Share Posted February 4, 2021 Wow, so impressive just looking through this thread, complete resurrection. Well done @Andyjr1515 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: You do have to be very careful with some of the inlays. The old pearloid Fender & Gibson blocks don't fare well at all But hmmm - in terms of a heated separator, it's actually difficult to do that. You have to get a lot of heat into the glue before you can even get a razor-blade in - this one was 15-20 minutes at full setting! Getting that much heat into something the thickness of a razor blade would be out of reach of most DIY technologies. Once you get it going, however, there is more chance - it is actually one of the reasons I use the acoustic guitar side bender protection sheet - it holds the heat while it's creeping forward. Nevertheless, even if you were wafting a gas burner onto the sheet steel, because it is so thin, I'm still doubtful that enough heat would be transferred to do the job. However - I have found that fretted boards are a lot easier. Luthier suppliers have heating blocks with grooves in so you can heat the wood and not the frets. But I use a standard iron, because I WANT to heat the frets - because the heat goes very quickly down the tangs to almost the glue line - as well as the wood, even though the iron is a frets depth clear of the surface. That makes sense, thanks for the response. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTool Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 7 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: Fretboard levelled and re-finished. Just the nut to cut - I'm using a Graphtech Tusq blank from my bits box and it will be slotted to just shy of the fretboard top. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Brilliant 👌🏼 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 Looks like a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Can you confirm that @Andyjr1515 ? Was there a smell of cocoa (or chocolate) when sanding it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 43 minutes ago, Hellzero said: Looks like a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Can you confirm that @Andyjr1515 ? Was there a smell of cocoa (or chocolate) when sanding it ? Ref the smell, not obviously when I was sanding it (then again, I was wearing a mask), but it did have that sort of hint when I was heating it to remove it. Seems quite oily so could be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 (edited) I woke up this morning and thought...what's better than Tusq XL for a nut. Another root around in my (chaotic) bits box and I found what was just one step better - a piece of bleached bone. Life's too short to work out the 'string thickness compensated' separations so I use a commercial plastic one as a guide where I can I ground it down to height and added the dropaway and with my trusty Hosco nut files got on with it. I don't use this vice very often but for this it is perfect: And done. Ready to box up over the weekend and ship back to @Raslee first thing Monday : Edited February 6, 2021 by Andyjr1515 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 @Raslee, I bet soon you will be going mwah*. Great neck refurbishment! *No not just with the fretless. Mwah as in socially distanced air kissing. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 On 04/02/2021 at 12:03, Andyjr1515 said: The joints both sides are good with just a light run-down of the glue joint to do with a single-edged razor. Funnily enough, not to take any glue off, but to remove this teeny edge either side: Basically, fretboards shrink a touch when you iron them off...but actually often shrink over time in any case. I've just had to do a similar thing with my old Hohner Arbor fretless. The board had shrunk slightly leaving a tiny lip that could be felt. I drowned it in lemon oil to try and get it to swell back to its original size, but while messing with it noticed that the board had very slightly come away from the neck in the middle. Over the next few days of the board being soaked in oil it separated even more, and it actually popped it off completely using a thin steel rule slid in a the centre and worked either way. The shrinkage and expansion basically broke the glue bond. I glued the board back on after a clean up but I have a fraction of neck protruding either side like you've shown above. Likewise I've scrapped it back flush with a razor but couldn't help take a smudge of the neck lacquer off with it, which is really annoying as it's aged beautifully. I've feathered the lacquer edge with wet'n'dry so you can't feel it, but now I have two tiny stripes of lighter wood between the aged lacquer and the rosewood board. Do you think oil would colour the wood but not take to the lacquer if wiped on carefully and then the lacquered part wiped clean? It's really not too bad but I'd like to disguise it if possible. Sorry for a slight derail. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted February 6, 2021 Author Share Posted February 6, 2021 Mwahvellous on every level - chuffed to bits. B/C really is a great place 😊🕺🏿😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 5 hours ago, Maude said: Do you think oil would colour the wood but not take to the lacquer if wiped on carefully and then the lacquered part wiped clean? Just wipe on and buff off will certainly darken the exposed wood at the same time as removing any on the lacquer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 Andy, you ever replaced the truss rod of a bound neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 4 hours ago, DarkHeart said: Andy, you ever replaced the truss rod of a bound neck? I haven't. I suspect that wooden binding would loosen in places and have to be reglued on reassembly and acrylic binding would distort and need to be replaced. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 ....And The Vox White Shadow.....she lives and breathes again! Saved by Basschat when it was so close to firewood. But she mwah's like a big kiss once again and with the spare Sandberg pickups and pre i had it really sings too. Super low action to boot, easy set up...very happy - it's a winner. @Andyjr1515 you are a gentleman and a genius! I thank thee 👍 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 6 minutes ago, Raslee said: ....And The Vox White Shadow.....she lives and breathes again! Saved by Basschat when it was so close to firewood. But she mwah's like a big kiss once again and with the spare Sandberg pickups and pre i had it really sings too. Super low action to boot, easy set up...very happy - it's a winner. @Andyjr1515 you are a gentleman and a genius! I thank thee 👍 I'm chuffed to bits It looks great 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Great save! Now I'm wondering where I can get some electric Camembert. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTool Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Great to see a bass, any bass really, saved and re-loved 👌🏼 Great result 👍🏼 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Looks great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 @Raslee do you think the carbon rod additions make a difference to the sound? You’re kind of in a unique position to comment on before and after! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 10 hours ago, Pea Turgh said: @Raslee do you think the carbon rod additions make a difference to the sound? You’re kind of in a unique position to comment on before and after! Unfortunately the bass was in a very poor state when I received it so not sure if i can comment on before. It sounds great now though and the neck is super smooth to play an feels very solid. Tried a bit of chorus earlier for those 'Pino' wannabe moments 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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