Manton Customs

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1472302657' post='3120180'] Wouldn't you need a full neck pocket shim if the neck angle is correct but the saddles are bottoming out? This won't happen with a hand-built bass but if quality control isn't all it could be in a factory it could happen with a production line instrument (I know you've already stated this). The instrument I had to put the full pocket shim in has a Luthite body which has a rather unusual profile (Luthite is a moulded composite material, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luthite for info) - the bridge is set at an unusual angle in a pre-formed receptacle. It would be difficult to machine the body to lower the bridge. The neck is wood with an Ebonol fingerboard and no doubt the ideal solution would be to get a replacement neck that has a thicker heel. My solution, which cost me nothing, was to add the thin plastic shim. [/quote] Well I wouldn't call the neck angle correct if the saddles are bottoming out personally . Anyway, no you wouldn't necessarily need to shim the whole pocket, but there's nothing wrong with that approach (whole shim). There are quite a few different fixes for the issue and the simplest and my preferred quick fix would be to shim the heel end. This would tilt the neck back an imperceptible amount. I'm familiar with the curbow and they are built to a decent standard, however I've seen a lot of problems with the Luthite bodies, such as the pocket warping (even though it's not wood!). Which sounds like what's happened to you. Just so I'm clear- I was in no way criticising you for using a full pocket shim, just saying I prefer the alternative .

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1472285978' post='3120011'] @Manton Customs - if the neck angle is correct without any shims wouldn't a partial shim at either the front or back of the neck pocket introduce a tilt in the neck? [/quote] I'm not sure I understand the question....if the neck angle was correct why would you add a shim? If any of the saddles are bottoming out before the strings rest on the frets (or are very close to doing so), then the neck angle is not correct for the bass in its current state. Over time the neck pocket itself can shift due to the constant pull of the strings and changes within the wood. So the purpose of the shim is to give the bass back the required angle. The thickness of the typical shim required is pretty inconsequential as far as the playing/feel of the bass goes.

I prefer a shim (when one is absolutely necessary) to be at one end to gain maximum effectiveness from minimum material. It's also completely invisible whereas a full pocket shim may be seen. To clarify, I don't mean really small but from the heel end to the first mounting screws and shaped to fit the corners of the pocket. There are no real concerns about a shim causing a ski jump, these typically develop a little lower down the neck. The heel itself is too shorter distance, too supported and also too thick (typically around 1") for bowing to be a real concern.

[quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1472178650' post='3119191'] Won't the previously oiled finish prevent the dye from being drawn into the wood? I would have thought that it would be very difficult to remove all traces of the old oiled finish? [/quote] It's not particularly difficult as long as you make sure you've removed it all before progressing. Oil finishes are amongst the easiest to remove and the idea that they penetrate deep into the wood is a myth.

No problem! You should be able to find a few YouTube videos and tutorials regarding finishing on Google. It's relatively straightforward and easy to get good results if you're going for a low gloss to satin finish. This one is Ash, dyed black. I can appreciate the body shape won't be to everyone's liking though! [attachment=226406:Manton Customs Immortal Seymour Duncan Nazgul.jpg] Figured Maple in green. [URL=http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/Manton-Customs/media/TheTitan.png.html][IMG]http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u425/Manton-Customs/TheTitan.png[/IMG][/URL]

Basically yes. But it depends on the effect your going for, for example an oil finish won't work very well over an opaque painted surface, but dyeing/staining the bass black would be easily achievable and work well under oil. This would be a translucent black, rather than a painted opaque black look. As with all finishing, it's the prep that is the key .

Over the top of an oil finish? No, it'd need stripping, but it's quite easy to strip an oil finish, add the colour then replace the oil finish.

If I'm understanding right- you are asking should you file where the nut sits, or the nut itself to reduce its height. If that's the question then the answer is file the bottom of the nut.

String type/gauge is a good suggestion and I'd look here first. But if they are the usual brand which you use on your other basses some possibilities could be: 1, Tighter radius compared to your other basses- If the frets are not levelled correctly (along the string paths) this will make it difficult to obtain a lower action. It's perfectly possible to have a tight radius and low action, but the fretwork needs to be right. 2, Playing style - perhaps you dig in a bit more with this bass. 3, Fretwork. There doesn't necessarily have to be one or two that are quite high causing big problems, just a few small discrepancies would be enough to necessitate raising the action. So if you get a (good) luthier to perform the fretwork then set it up, that'd cover both 1 and 3.

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For the neck, I'd sand with 400 to smooth the edges of the remaining finish then just build up layers of finish to fill the void (shoot just that area a few times first). Though after you've smoothed it out it may not bother you enough to warrant respraying. That's all assuming it's fairly minor (as it seems in the pic) and not missing actual wood. If it's missing wood get some system 3 epoxy, mix up, apply to the neck then stick masking tape over it to keep it to the shape of the neck and prevent running. Then respray. For the wiring a Les Paul diagram should get you very close. Id test the bridge pickup with a multimeter first though.

[quote name='wishface' timestamp='1470297659' post='3104794'] This all seems rather chicken and the egg to me. If you adjust the truss rod without setting the action to a comfortable level (buzz or not) then you are surely going to get a false measurement when measuring the amount of relief because you're measuring it to the string. So the relief surely has to be set in the context of the desired string height. [/quote] No you're not going to get any false reading. You've already been given the answer to this on the previous page by Moon Bass Alpha. You fret the string at the first and last fret, this remove the bridge height from the equation. You are literally using the string as a straight edge. This must have been covered in the videos which people have helpfully posted. It may be a very good idea to take the bass to a local tech or luthier.

Thank you

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1470253150' post='3104552'] Yes, I think the MTD Kingston Artist 5 is going to be very close, but again not through neck. How do you define the position of the sweet spot with a longer scale length? PM me if you have a measurement and I will check mine to see where it is. Have to say it does sound very stingray 5 like. [/quote] 87% of the scale length if I remember correctly. What's your budget?

[quote name='pineweasel' timestamp='1470139672' post='3103499'] They used hornbeam for the central core for many years. I read that it was dropped because it was too stiff, curiously! [/quote] Yep they did. I heard they could no longer source it though rather than it being too stiff. Either way Hornbeam is great stuff, kind of the native equivalent to Ebony (in hardness not colour!) I've used it for fretboards before and it works great. And yes Shedua [i]is[/i] Ovangkol, just another name for it

Top wood will make little to no difference on the tone of the bass, others will have a different opinion, but I'd advise you to pick the wood on looks and weight. The weight probably won't come into it much unless they use particularly thick facings.

There's not a lot you can do to make it lighter that will reduce the weight considerably. There's little things you can do like replacing the tuners with light weight ones, replacing metal knobs with plastic, changing bridge etc, but none of it's going to equate to much weight loss Chambering would offer a fair weight reduction, but you'd need to think of a way to cover the chambers afterwards. This could be as simple as a larger pickguard (or adding one if it doesn't have one), or simply chambering under the existing pickguard if it isn't already so. If you went this route it wouldn't be particularly expensive.

That kind of dulling usually comes out very easily with a polishing compound, try meguiars ultimate.

Wood glue will not stick to brass very effectively. CA or epoxy work best on metals. Re-drilling is not necessary unless the hole is actually damaged.

Jescar wire is the best around in my opinion.

You can paint over poly (ester or urethane) with nitro no problem. It actually makes a great base for it as it should be dead flat. Just lightly sand the existing finish with 400 on a block. If you mask everything off and plug the tuner holes before spraying you shouldn't have any problems getting colour on areas you don't want it. CAR is a bi*** though! Good luck and remember to not sand your colour/metallic coats.

Your 70s neck would have had a Poly finish, there isn't really a decent poly in a rattle can, so I second the motion for Nitro if your going to DIY. The neck in the pic doesn't have too much of a tint to it and clear Nitro will naturally yellow/Amber even before it ages. So if you're going to use any tinted lacquer go easy on it! The basic procedure would be to spray as many coats as desired of the tint (i.e not many) then follow up with multiple coats of clear. Leave several weeks, wetsand and polish. If it's a Maple fingerboard like the pic it makes things a little trickier as its a pain wetsanding and buffing in between frets! It's still a job you should be able to complete yourself, but it may be a bigger job than you anticipate and you'll probably pull some hair out!

Yes, as I said in the other thread, there is plenty of material there in that pic .

Cutting the contours would not be an expensive job and take a couple of hours maximum. However the bass would then need to be completely refinished, which would not be so cheap! Alternatively you could have a "spare" body made just as you like it and keep the original untouched. Then if you ever sold the bass you could put the neck back on the original body. This wouldn't be cheap either but it keeps the original intact with original finish.

If that's the worst of it then there is enough material there for a fret job.