Supernaut Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Glued on bridge - nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 2 hours ago, wateroftyne said: That’s part of the mystery - new holes have been drilled in the bridge, between the originals. I’ll find out more soon… Hmm. Intriguing - I await the next instalment! Wicked bass tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 That’s a lovely burst too. I have an identical 1970, (also B neck, also 8.8lbs etc) but the red from the burst has faded to a more yellowy colour. This one looks still very vibrant and rich coloured. It’s a beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 17, 2023 Author Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) 17 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said: Hmm. Intriguing - I await the next instalment! Wicked bass tho. Aye, so... I've just been up to drop it off with Dave Wilson. He's had a look at it and... we're still none the wiser as to why the bridge has been moved. It's actually a little crooked in its new location, too - I guess good luthiers were in short supply in Bermuda - so he's going to sort that out. It's a shame the bridge has been drilled, and a couple of new holes have been added to the body, but you can't see the new holes in the bridge. If that's the only major mod in 53 years, I'll take that as a win. In other news, I thought it may have had a refret, but turns out it hasn't. As of now, I still haven't seen under the 'guard, but it looks to all intents and purposes like it's never been opened. We'll see. Dave's going to open it up, take some shots and put it back on before that celluloid gets any time to shrink. Incidentally, when I took the neck off, it felt like it had never been opened. Hard to explain - just the look of the screws, the seal at the joint, etc. I'll never know for sure, though. What we can conclude is that it's spent almost all its life in a dark concert hall. The body has so much colour in it - it's rarely seen sunlight. Best bit is though - I gave it a run out on Saturday night, and even before any tweaks it sounds and plays wonderfully. Not a great showcase for it, but... Edited April 17, 2023 by wateroftyne 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 On 15/04/2023 at 10:08, wateroftyne said: Cheers! The shadow is actually surface marks at the edge of where the bridge used to be. if you look closely you can see the old holes for the bridge cover adjacent to the new ones (the previous owner used the bridge cover with foam stuffed in it). I can't work out why it's been nudged, as it's actually offset the strings. It's still completely playable, but I'm scratching my head as to why. The neck and weight are almost identical to my other beloved '71, but the 'new' one is definitely more resonant, and brighter. Old one is darker and rounder. Disclaimer: Can't say how that translates into the real world until I gig it.. which is tonight 🙂 Excellent score. Key missing fact; which of the two has more heft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Sounds brill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 17, 2023 Author Share Posted April 17, 2023 Right... just heard back from Dave. He's quick! The bridge has been moved to where it should be. Setup is done. No refret necessary... the original frets live to fight another day! The board is Brazilian rosewood 😃 He took the guard off and is under the impression it's the first time it's ever been opened up. For that reason he didn't feel the need to dig the pickups out. The pots aren't stamped on the bottom but I suspect they are stamped on the side as is sometimes the case. He didn't check, but if I'm feeling brave in the future, I'll open it back up to confirm. I'm in no hurry, though! The 'burst has barely faded compared to what's under the guard. I definitely think it's lived most - if not all - of its life in the dark. Heading off to pick it up shortly... 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprocketflup Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ossyrocks Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 16 minutes ago, wateroftyne said: Right... just heard back from Dave. He's quick! The bridge has been moved to where it should be. Setup is done. No refret necessary... the original frets live to fight another day! The board is Brazilian rosewood 😃 He took the guard off and is under the impression it's the first time it's ever been opened up. For that reason he didn't feel the need to dig the pickups out. The pots aren't stamped on the bottom but I suspect they are stamped on the side as is sometimes the case. He didn't check, but if I'm feeling brave in the future, I'll open it back up to confirm. I'm in no hurry, though! The 'burst has barely faded compared to what's under the guard. I definitely think it's lived most - if not all - of its life in the dark. Heading off to pick it up shortly... The wiring looks untouched to me. It's really rare to see that these days I think. I would have been tempted to pop a pickup out, just to see, but the chances of those being changed or messed with, given the rest of the bass, are miniscule. How's the pickup height adjustment doing for you? I mention this, as my '73 wouldn't adjust at all because the foams were so badly deteriorated after 50 years. I had to change those out and it's sorted now. Rob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Possibly in the past some seriously heavy duty flatwounds started lifting the bridge? Heat, moisture contributed? Maybe bridge removed to fix an earth to bridge issue and the screws didn't feel right going back in. And they did there best with what they had? Maybe some weird 70s experiment in tone and sustain haha. Wouldn't worry about the extra holes adds to the mojo right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 IMO the slightly aged burst looks nicer than what should be the original colour under the pick guard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 17, 2023 Author Share Posted April 17, 2023 Picked it up from Dave's earlier. It was fab before, but now...what a difference. Action now is on a par with my other '71 which is my reference action. In fact, it feels identical. It sounds significantly different though - my other one is much mellower, possibly due in part to the re(over)wound pickup. The new one is more present and acoustically resonant. Different sides of a coin. 3 hours ago, ossyrocks said: How's the pickup height adjustment doing for you? I mention this, as my '73 wouldn't adjust at all because the foams were so badly deteriorated after 50 years. I had to change those out and it's sorted now. Rob The foams seem to be in good nick - plenty of height. I've actually asked Dave to lower the pickups 'cos that's what I prefer. Before I forget, here's a pic of some of the bits it came with. The manual (which has the sale details on the back... $315), the original cable (which seem to go for silly money in their own right 😮), the previous owner's strap, the sticker with contact details that was removed from the back (Dave managed to remove it leaving a barely noticeable discolouration), and one of many celluloid tort picks. I feel like I've been passed a torch (and I'm not talking about the flammable picks). 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 I’m loving this thread. It combines two of my passions - bass and history. It’s like a time capsule taking us back to the world of the original Bermuda bassist owner back in the day. What a cool thing eh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted April 18, 2023 Share Posted April 18, 2023 I have a 1972 bridge on which one of the saddles collapsed. I changed the bridge on the bass and so have a 3 string bridge spare. I would be inclined to keep the 3 remaining screws etc (as spares for one of my other old basses) but I can send you the bridge plate if you want one without the drill holes. I guess you could (with care) swap the screws etc and maintain the string length/height etc. The bass it came off is a bit of a hotch potch of bits (combo of 1968/1972 parts) so I'm not sacrificing a fortune in resale value. Drop me a message if you want me to send it to you. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 Three gigs in... it's an absolute belter! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 24 minutes ago, wateroftyne said: Three gigs in... it's an absolute belter! I’m pleased for you. Does this mean any of your others will be receiving much less love and will be shown the door? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 6 hours ago, ezbass said: I’m pleased for you. Does this mean any of your others will be receiving much less love and will be shown the door? Thinking about it... probably not. They sound different enough to justify both, I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 21 minutes ago, wateroftyne said: Thinking about it... probably not. They sound different enough to justify both, I think. Excellent! You don’t want a repeat performance of seller’s regret, as I seem to remember you trying to track down a replacement after a particular sale of previous P (IIRC that is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 55 minutes ago, ezbass said: Excellent! You don’t want a repeat performance of seller’s regret, as I seem to remember you trying to track down a replacement after a particular sale of previous P (IIRC that is). Exactly right. Managed to get it back thanks to the kindness of the chap who bought it off me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 24, 2023 Author Share Posted April 24, 2023 (edited) OMG I love it.... (and it goes without saying I'm not Chuck Rainey 😆) Edited April 24, 2023 by wateroftyne 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 Just keeps getting better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meterman Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 On 17/04/2023 at 21:36, wateroftyne said: Picked it up from Dave's earlier. It was fab before, but now...what a difference. Action now is on a par with my other '71 which is my reference action. In fact, it feels identical. It sounds significantly different though - my other one is much mellower, possibly due in part to the re(over)wound pickup. The new one is more present and acoustically resonant. Different sides of a coin. The foams seem to be in good nick - plenty of height. I've actually asked Dave to lower the pickups 'cos that's what I prefer. Before I forget, here's a pic of some of the bits it came with. The manual (which has the sale details on the back... $315), the original cable (which seem to go for silly money in their own right 😮), the previous owner's strap, the sticker with contact details that was removed from the back (Dave managed to remove it leaving a barely noticeable discolouration), and one of many celluloid tort picks. I feel like I've been passed a torch (and I'm not talking about the flammable picks). Wow. Very nice stash! My two main cables are those old Fender ones, I’ve been using them for decades, on tours, in the studio, the lot. Not because I’m particularly into vintage cables but they came with old guitars I’d bought in the past and I’m lazy and cheap 😂 Had no idea they were worth anything at all. Got me thinking about getting new cables now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 Great post! I still have my old Pbass I bought in the mid 70’s , looks like it went through the Boer War. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Lovely, reminds me of my 76 in the same finish. Shouldn’t have traded it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruarl Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 I'm reminded of how keen you were for a rosewood board when I bought that black/maple one off you. This new one looks an absolute treat, and something of the holy grail you've been chasing. Congrats, and enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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