PlungerModerno

Take your time, wait for the suitable temperatures. No sense in wasting paint, then having to clean it up! Are you going to paint just the body, headstock and ramp... or are you gonna refinish the whole lot - maybe the neck, the pickup cover, fingerboard, tuner keys? slap some silver or clear control knobs on it to complete the look (like a silverish version of the below, with matching pickups). I imagine the different materials may make that a nightmare with most paints.

As I understand it there is only a few measurements you need to get right, all should be on the spec sheet linked in by @Killed_by_Death (the .pdf). The point I made about the hole or holes that might or mighn't match are just the attachment screw(s). Two tuners may be similar in every way, one might have a different screw location: vs. I think the second one is a guitar tuner though lol. If you find the only one in stock that fits your specs (size, colour or finish, price) has an inconvenient screw location - I'd say get it and fit it, loads of guides online. I imagine you'll find a drop in replacement though.

Roasred Roasted flamed maple makes for a really sweet and distinguished fretboard. Reminds me a little of mahogany or bubinga! Goes well with that rich tortoiseshell 'guard.

That colour is sweet. I bet it's even better in the sun! (can't find an exact pic, but I imagine it'd be along these lines:)

That's a remarkable piece of work. It's busy, like a complicated sculpture, but I like it. I'm normally not a burl enthusiast when it comes to instruments but the use of bright blue dyed resin is playful and really goes with those block inlays. Ties it together. I can't be sure from the pics, but the fingerboard wood looks like a gently flamed slab of ash? A simply gorgeous wood in person.

A bass neck is not too complicated, but it is a bit tricky to figure out exactly what's wrong when there are a few things interacting: 1. The flatness of the neck (bow/relief, not the radius of the fretboard): 2. The nut height. 3. Saddle height. In my experience the most common cause of fret buzz is 1, the neck wood shifting with the seasons. A truss rod tweak usually fixes this. Next most common is 3, usually caused by a slipping saddle screw. An oldschool fix is a drop of weak glue or varnish or nail polish on the thread to keep it slipping. Usually works for ages, and unlike superglue or epoxy, doesn't need a welding torch or strong solvent to remove it when you want to make an adjustment lol. 2. May be caused by a bad fit, e.g. switching gauges of strings (usually going from 40 - 100's to 55 - 120's or another big change), or just a nut wearing out after a lot of use. I'd say follow the steps from @Bigguy2017 above. To check the neck for a modest amount of relief have a gander at How to check neck relief on a bass guitar for an idea of how to do it with tools, replace the feeler gauge with a piece of printer paper folded over a couple of times flat (4 thicknesses) and you should be good! a capo really helps here, but an extra pair of hands will work. EDIT: Welcome.

Please note: Even a good replacement (exact same post/bushing/nut sizes) may not line up exactly with the screw or screw holes, you may need to drill & fill: Any unfilled holes will let a little moisture in & out but is mostly cosmetic. What is crucial is you drill a new hole of an appropriate size before mounting a tuner that doesn't fit exactly with the existing hole. You will break a screw trying to force it into maple or other stout hardwood. You might be able to cheat a bit if there is a small bit of slack in the fit, but chances are it will be at an off angle - which would bug me tuning up. Do as you see fit, best of luck. Impressive collaboration, digging up all those links!

My eyes are going funny looking at that!

Another angle: Looks like a slab body, I don't know if they sold them with 4 saddle bridges... that might be a mod too.

Nice. keeping all of that mass at the bridge end should mean perfect balance . . . I much prefer the thought of Lime/Basswood under the veneer than that Ash.

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1484225157' post='3213675'] It was a trick MK used to use on his headed basses for bending harmonics. Bend well is the Status version for their headless models. [/quote] Aye - he started it on his headed basses (Jaydee & Alembic most notably) - and missed it when he went Headless. So his custom axes had to emulate the nut to tuner post run . . . hence the bendwell!

Bit of a shame to lose that grain (But I've a massive thing for Ash woodgrain). I'd say, as long as you're careful, you can get those walls of the chambers down to half that thickness in most places and still have enough strength - it's your call. I get that the roundovers and belly/arm cutouts are 3D and you need to hold it to know. If you go digging out more I'd look at reinforcing the walls of the cavaties (to get long grain strength where there is a lot of runout) rather than keeping it equally thick all around. Then again, it depends on how close to the edge (yes (Yes) pun intended!) you want to go with the veneer - you want to be able to hide the plugs you use to cap the cavities! I've no doubt it'll turn out lovely. If it were mine I'd have the cavities at the rear, of course - but each to their own!

Was one for sale pretty recently (gone in early december, I checked). +1 to a wanted add. Could take some time for one in good, original condition - with modules - to come up for sale.

That's gorgeous . . . Well worth putting up with a little bit of a pong for! Good look with the de-odourizing!

I'd say have a look at what's available locally. Don't get emotional - keep it as rational as you can. If you take a look at a relatively uncommon model (e.g. Saab estate) - keep in mind you'll have less choice when it comes to service & repair vs. a [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group"]VW/Skoda/Seat/Audi[/url] or a [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors#Europe"]Opel/Daewoo [/url]. Last thing you want to get stuck with is a car you have to go to the dealer every time for parts. Look into the top sellers for the year/reg you're looking for to stack the odds in your favour.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1483624042' post='3208752'] The point against a shim is that it's simply a bodge to make up for poor manufacturing standards. If you pay for good standards you should get good standards. Other makers manage to do it. [/quote] +1 Any hand crafted (i.e. traditionally made, without CNC) instrument, or indeed a 3D modelled modern equivalent should be checked at neck fitting stage for angle. It should be set up so at the factory specs - so that the grub screws are at least 90% flush with the saddles (for traditional style bridges) - and allow adjustment up or down a reasonable amount. Over time it may need a shim - depending on what the wood does (impossible to predict over the long term with any wood). This may have happened in this case - Sandberg may have made the bass well within spec - but it changed in the weeks or months (or years!) since the bass / neck / neck pocket was checked. It's up to the shop to check this. If an adjustment is maxxed out the bass cannot be setup beyond that (e.g. lower action for picolo tuning for example). On a premium instrument - or any that expects you to pay for QC - it's not good enough. It should be so overbuilt as to last a lifetime with minimal maintence - not have a possible major symtom of an issue (which may get worse over time) from day one.

[quote name='therealting' timestamp='1483479096' post='3207592'] 73s have poly finish so less delicate than nitro if you want to try cleaning it properly. [/quote] That's what I was gona ask - finish type & condition. As long as you don't get cleaner & water on bare wood (or into screw holes etc) ... you can get it soaking wet and scrubbed up. I'd advise a mirofibre cloth and a lot of careful rubbing. If the pickups smell - you may be able to clean the covers, but the pickup itself won't respond well to solvents - unless of course it's epoxy potted! I'd leave a lot of cat litter stuff (or that odour charcoal active stuff) in the case - try not to stain it with charcoal if it's a nice colour.

Maybe a SD 1/4 pounder? [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zois23LFNAU"]https://www.youtube....h?v=Zois23LFNAU[/url] Scratch that - it's a seymour duncan J not P. Try [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NraEEOArsPs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NraEEOArsPs[/url] Not a fretless however.

Coming along... ...swiftly Seriously though it's beautiful, in an unusual way. And it's progressing well. Thanks for taking the time to share!

That's a big one! If it's chambered - with a light, slim neck - I think it might be doable. I'd need to try it first! I hope those are lightweight tuners. Come to think of it a 40" headless would be much more practical (might fit in a standard gigbag/hard case? P.S. It's gorgeous - but it's not even nearly as sweet looking as the JAX layout next to it. The oversized body & the 'buckers remind me of a Peavey T40.

Ooooh Sparkley

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1481981208' post='3196733'] This is a really nice build... [/quote] +1 Very nice piece of ash used in that body.

[quote name='jimbobothy' timestamp='1481404599' post='3192137'] .... just happened to me, bummer [/quote] Well that sucks Neck through or bolt on? Bolt on makes the truss rod extraction rather simpler (you don't need to work around the body when you remove the fingerboard). If it's one of the removable ones you've probably got a rather simpler swap out ahead of you.

I find loosening off string tension is sufficient for the typical fender style neck to be adjusted. Most of them IME adjust just fine at concert pitch - even increasing truss rod tension. I'd say it depends on the neck, and of course the strings. I'd avoid applying too much pressure to the nut when adding tension. Try removing the nut (with the strings loose), adding a small dab of grease to the nut threads - then reinstalling. That may assist the movement of the nut. a spacer/washer may end up being nescessary. Either way a little grease will make taking off & on - and future tweaking - a safer bet. I find it's dry or corroded threads that I'm most likely to damage.