Rayman Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 (edited) So….. I’m putting this here rather than the build diaries because it’s complete. I found the bass on the bay for peanuts, largely because it had a warped (forward bowed) neck, and the truss rod was maxed out. The previous owner had given up on it, describing it as “f@&£&d and bent like a banana” and “ beyond help”. “The fretboard will need to come off and the truss rod replaced….. it’s f£&!@d mate”. Is it really I thought. First job, will the truss rod loosen and the nut come off….. Yep, it did. So, knowing that the truss rod worked, I knew there was hope. I Ordered some tiny washer/shims to drop onto the end of the loose truss rod, just to give the nut some help when it goes back on. I also found, unbelievably, a period correct truss rod cover to replace the one that was missing, thanks to the awesome Henning at Twang vintage guitars in Sweden…. Next, was to clamp it, over heat (a hot water bottle) to coax the neck straight again. Actually it was clamped slightly more the other way, so that it could be loosened off a bit if needs be. I cooked it for an hour, and tightened the truss rod back up while it was still clamped and hot. The hot water bottle doesn’t get hot enough to worry about melting the glue, but the neck got pretty hot under there. After it came out, the result was absolutely perfect, with a slightly bent backward neck, still under tension from the truss rod. The heat had worked perfectly. The plan was to fit the strings in the morning and loosen the truss rod off a bit if needs be to get the action right. So, all that was yesterday, and today the strings went on, after cleaning and conditioning the beautiful fretboard With sheer blind luck, when fully tuned up, the action was perfect! Lovely low and buzz free, it’s spot on at the first attempt. Needless to say I’m over the moon….. These Korean ones had the US made white top pickups, and are really well made and respected, although the shape isn’t for everyone. They CAN fetch quite a bit on the used market. The plan was to fix it, practice my tech skills then flip it….. but I dunno…. 😆, I really love how this bass turned out… What a cracker of a bass. Another one saved from the parts bin. Delighted indeed. Thanks for reading this far 🤘🏻 Edited August 26 by Rayman 33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackroadkill Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Oh, that's very cool indeed. Well done for getting it all right on the first attempt, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meterman Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Does it have the fold-out stand, like the 60's ones? I always thought that was a cool feature. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meterman Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Edit: I can see the pics on a laptop screen now, and the back of the body is clean. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted August 26 Author Share Posted August 26 Yeah, unfortunately it doesn’t. That would indeed be very cool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsay777 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Very nicely done! Looks like a cool bass, short scale? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meterman Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 1 hour ago, Rayman said: Yeah, unfortunately it doesn’t. That would indeed be very cool. It still is cool, I'd definitely go for one of those! 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted August 27 Author Share Posted August 27 12 hours ago, Ramsay777 said: Very nicely done! Looks like a cool bass, short scale? 31”. I bought short scale strings for it, but actually I think medium scales would be a better fit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grooverjr Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 That's a cracker. Great job. Always nice to see when a lovely old instrument is kept alive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 Nice work! I love a bargain buy that comes right, and also love a Jet Star. I had one of the cheaper versions ( 34 inch scale, bolt on neck, Precision type PU etc) but always fancied one like yours and there don’t seem to be many around. Enjoy! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted August 28 Author Share Posted August 28 Yeah you see the odd one or two pop up occasionally, but more often than not it’ll be the Indonesian version as you say. Great bass, and great guitars too. I had an M75T guitar many years ago which was really fantastic too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted September 3 Author Share Posted September 3 And finally…. a set of Guild knobs, courtesy of our friends at Ali Express. They’re surprisingly great, fit perfectly, and only £7.50 for 4. Finished 👍🏻 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 Really good result. I hope you didn’t have to miss a meal while it was clamped to the dining table.🤪 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted September 3 Author Share Posted September 3 Mrs Rayman was treated to a Chicken Korma from the local curry house that particular night. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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