New Bass Day #2 - Washburn XB925

[bass_dinger]

I mentioned in my previous post that I was looking for an XB925, and found two in Hungary.  

 

I bought the intact one - here

However, the seller had a second one, in bits but complete, apart from three items.  A saddle for the low B string.  A positioning screw for the tuner. The truss rod.

 

The previous owner tells me that the two-piece neck had twisted, and he had removed the neck, and fretboard, and then the truss rod.   Steam the neck, twisted it straight, dropped a length of hardwood in there, glued it in, and waited for the neck to reset into the shape of the hardwood insert. 

 

However, he tells me that it didn't reset, and instead twisted back to where it was.

 

 

So, he offered me the bits - swamp Ash body, flame maple cap, two Bartolini pickups, and all the hardware, including what may be a Gotoh bridge and set of machine heads - for a low price.  

 

I said yes, and now have a project that is beyond my capabilities!  However, I am pleased that I agreed to the second bass, if only to save it from being broken for parts.

 

When I opened the case, it was like that moment when one finishes a box of Milk Tray chocolates,  and you then realise there is a second layer to enjoy!

 

Photos of my own to follow, but for now, I will share the seller's snaps.

 

 

[bass_dinger]

The Flame Maple xb925. 

[AndyTravis]

Oh good lord.

 

would love to do it in that blue of the 928 and have the neck plain maple…

 

wooof!

[bass_dinger]

@AndyTravis

 

I like the idea of putting some colour on the body - more than putting some Danish oil on it, which was my original plan. 

 

As for the neck, I have three options. 

 

1. Buy a twin truss rod, get a friend to route the wooden centre block out, and rebuild the neck myself. 

 

2. Get a local luthier to build a neck for me ,  at around £1,000.

 

3. Go to the person in America who designed the XB series. He still makes custom basses, and has the exact specifications of the original necks. He offered to make a new neck for $400.

 

I was concerned about CITES certification if I had a rosewood fretboard.  A maple fretboard may not cause an issue, however. 

 

I was also wondering whether to make this one into a fretless bass. 

[AndyTravis]

I’d speak to our very own @Andyjr1515 (or @Jabba_the_gut - or any of our amazing basschat luthiers) to see if they can make you a 1:1 copy of the neck - and add a Washburn decal from Rothko and Frost.

 

if you ever sell, include the original neck so you’re not hoodwinking anyone with the decal?

 

looks a lovely body.

 

very jealous

 

 

[AndyTravis]

But…original luthier, $400…

 

get someone good for body finish though…

[itu]

7 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

I was concerned about CITES certification if I had a rosewood fretboard.  A maple fretboard may not cause an issue, however.

This was an issue few years back. My understanding of the current situation is that an instrument with an ordinary rosewood is not under CITES. Of course, if you try to use some rare, CITES controlled wood, that's another story.

 

Papers do no harm, but the super strict times should be gone. A much bigger issue is furniture. Many exotic woods are used to tables and chairs, and it seems that their market is in the far east. One tree gives hundreds of fretboards, while a big table, well, you do the maths.

[Andyjr1515]

9 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

1. Buy a twin truss rod, get a friend to route the wooden centre block out, and rebuild the neck myself. 

 

2. Get a local luthier to build a neck for me ,  at around £1,000.

 

3. Go to the person in America who designed the XB series. He still makes custom basses, and has the exact specifications of the original necks. He offered to make a new neck for $400.

 

Yes - as @itu points out above, a CITES exemption came through at the end of 2019 in terms of most commonly used species of rosewood used in guitars, including parts and accessories.  Also, there are plenty of dark wood alternatives that most luthiers can use. 

 

$400 for a neck made by the guy who designed it - grab it.  It generally costs me well over $200 just for the wood!

 

Oh - and two truss rods won't sort a 'naturally twisted' neck.  The only thing worth trying would be planing the joining face flat and straight - but, as you can imagine, that has it's own challenges and consequences

 

And the third option - £1000 to make a neck???  Really???  Did he/she have a royal 'By Appointment to...' crest?   

 

[bass_dinger]

3 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

 

 

And the third option - £1000 to make a neck???  Really???  Did he/she have a royal 'By Appointment to...' crest?   

 

 

@Andyjr1515, that's the same luthier that quoted the same price for fixing the truss rod on my green XB500, that you fixed for me.

 

[Andyjr1515]

2 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

 

@Andyjr1515, that's the same luthier that quoted the same price for fixing the truss rod on my green XB500, that you fixed for me.

 

Goodness...

 

Well - I 'spose no harm in asking 

[Richard R]

18 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

Go to the person in America who designed the XB series. He still makes custom basses, and has the exact specifications of the original necks. He offered to make a new neck for $400.

 

This, quick, before he changes his mind!

 

[bass_dinger]

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

 

This, quick, before he changes his mind!

 

 

Had I asked him 4 months ago, he actually had a suitable neck in stock, that had been hanging around, unsold.

 

 

 

 

 

[bass_dinger]

So, I am now in a position to take this project forward. 

 

 

I looked in more detail at the twisted neck using a straight edge. You'll see a gap between the wood and the straight edge, on one side.  Doing the same check on the other side shows no such gap. So, a bend rather than a twist.

 

 

I showed the same picture to my chosen luthier and he was upset at the poor workmanship of the original neck. That's because he used to run the Washburn custom shop that originally made these basses, until the whole shop was moved to a new location.  Same machines and jigs, different staff - and poorer quality.  I have one of the poorer quality ones ( this one - but my other XB925 is from the original custom shop, and is great to play, and sounds good too).

 

Anyway, the agreement is that I will send him the old neck, and fretboard, for him to either straighten, or to use to inspire the replacement neck.

 

I suggested that he uses the same headstock veneer (lift it off of one neck, place it on the other), and he still has the same stamps so that he can replicate the serial number. 

 

I will post it off tomorrow, and discuss what I need, when he has it in the workshop. 

 

I am planning to have an ebony fretless, with little edge lines.

 

All in, a new neck is $450 (not the $400 I mistakenly quoted).

 

 

 

 

Edited May 16 by bass_dinger

[bass_dinger]

On 19/08/2023 at 23:17, AndyTravis said:

Oh good lord.

 

would love to do it in that blue of the 928 and have the neck plain maple…

 

wooof!

The "blue of the 928" is aniline blue.  The same person who is making my new neck, had also made the 928. He remembers the colour. 

 

I will ask him for more detail, and see if it can be replicated in the UK. 

[bass_dinger]

On 20/08/2023 at 00:20, AndyTravis said:

 

if you ever sell, include the original neck so you’re not hoodwinking anyone with the decal?

 

 

A philosophical question  - if the new neck is made by the same person who ran the Washburn Custom shop, but has now left, is it still a Washburn custom?

 

But yes, if I sell it, the bits will be included  - as will a link to this thread (for those who want a bit of provenance ....).

 

 

[bass_dinger]

I see that I am missing a few bits.  Adjustable bridge saddle and a machine head retaining screw. 

 

Can anyone help?

 

Full wanted advert here: 

 

 

 

[bass_dinger]

The old neck is now with the luthier in the USA. 

 

Within an hour of it arriving, he wrote "It’s time for a new neck".  

 

He says that it "can’t be repaired, and that whoever put the spline in the neck used an unstable piece. It’s caused the neck to curve."  (In fact, it was already curved, hence the spline).

 

He will glue up the neck blank on Tuesday, (holiday weekend there). 

 

Finally, says that he is "Pretty sure I can save the headstock veneer".

 

He needed the neck so that he could replicate the neck pocket joint, take measurements of the profile - and to see if a repair was possible. 

 

Next stage for me is to decide on fretboard materials, fretless markers, and neck finish. 

 

[bass_dinger]

20 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

. 

 

Next stage for me is to decide on fretboard materials, fretless markers, and neck finish. 

 

So, my luthier suggested three options - including two interesting ebony boards, because I didn't want plain black. 

 

1. The spilt ink stain. Macassar Ebony 

 

 

2. The wavy  hair. Macassar Ebony 

 

 

3. The chocolate cake. Bokote.

 

This was just a quick sample of what the luthier had - I had requested a patterned ebony, and that's what he had to hand.

 

I plan to talk with him on Tuesday, to finalise options. 

[Andyjr1515]

Ooooo....I like them all, but I particularly like the first one!

[Grooverjr]

The first one is a lovely bit of wood but if you've got that kind of electric blue body (assuming what I found on Google for aniline blue washburn is accurate) the bokote might work better as it's not so busy

[Richard R]

The last one, the chocolate brownie. That would be my call on almost any bass (just preference), but I also think it would be most appropriate here.

You're getting an original neck by the original luthier (with stamps and provenance) and this is closest to the original,  but clearly an upgrade.  As @Grooverjr says, it's the one that would work best with a coloured/ stained body too.

 

Your choice of course, and what a nice problem to have. 😃

[bass_dinger]

11 hours ago, Grooverjr said:

The first one is a lovely bit of wood but if you've got that kind of electric blue body (assuming what I found on Google for aniline blue washburn is accurate) the bokote might work better as it's not so busy

 

The aniline blue that I was shown.

 

 

[bass_dinger]

9 hours ago, Richard R said:

what a nice problem to have

In my saner moments, I think that I would be better off selling the bits, and using it to fund an intact fretless bass. 

 

However, I understand that I am not the owner, but the custodian of this bass, and have the opportunity to rebuild* it.

 

If I wanted a fretless XB500, fewer than a dozen were made.  A fretless XB925? I have only ever seen one for sale. 

 

So this is a labour of love - to take the bits and remake it. It is also an opportunity to have a factory-made fretless XB925, albeit 25 years late - all with the help of the original luthier. 

 

Future generations will perhaps laugh at my vanity. I think of it as enjoying my children's inheritance before they get their hands on it....

 

*in fact, pay someone else to rebuild it....

Edited May 27 by bass_dinger

[Grooverjr]

Ah, the things we do from the heart instead of the head are the good stuff. It's a great story and you'll love it when it's done and then you'll pass it on to someone else who will understand how rare and wonderful it is. 

Having seen the picture of the stain (I'd only seen the solid colour) it's definitely the bokote for me. 

Looking forward to further updates.

[LeftyJ]

On 18/05/2024 at 15:13, bass_dinger said:

I see that I am missing a few bits.  Adjustable bridge saddle and a machine head retaining screw. 

 

Can anyone help?

 

Full wanted advert here: 

 

 

 

 

Your bridge appears to be an ABM Mueller 3705 in aluminium. Your best bet would be to send them an email or give them a call. Make sure to check the spacing first, these bridges come in either 17 mm or 19 mm spacing and the saddle inserts might differ in width between the two.