Manton Customs

There are a few useful tools such as the action ruler above, there are also feeler gauges and calipers, all can be useful and worth having for various "tech stuff". However, I think you're approaching setup in the right way by setting the bass up correctly for your personal playing style and the bass itself. Everyone has their preference and the guidelines figures you may have read are just that...guidelines. They are going to change if any of the variables change, such as fret wear (or improper leveling in the first place) string gauge and playing style. So, don't sweat the numbers, if you're setting them up for yourself and they feel good to you, then good job...I'd call that efficient .

With the grain orientated like that on the back it'd definitely cause issues like seam separation if given half a chance (such as damp conditions). I'd probably replace the back if possible for that reason, as it could happen again! Your guesses on the wood species sound about right to me . Definitely looks like an Ash top with Mahogany and Maple. The back could also be Ash, but it appears to have those white marking low down on the bass side wing. They are an Oak trademark usually and won't be present in Ash. Good luck with it! Look forward to seeing it restored

I like a 1.5 mm bit for Gotohs. Any drill will do it, electric or handheld. Wax or soap the screw first .

[quote name='mr.noisy' timestamp='1460809291' post='3028964'] What polishing compound would you recommend? [/quote] Meguiars range of compounds work well.

Double post

Yep, you can buff by hand and wetsanding is better by hand anyway.

Yep Twincam is correct. Fenders "nitro finishes" are actually nitro over poly. So yes, it'll work, just give it a light sanding with 600 paper first and throughly degrease it. Regarding the polishing/wetsanding, yes you will need to. It's a necessity unfortunately. When you're finished spraying you'll have a textured finish which needs levelling (wet sanding) then buffed to your desired sheen. It'll most likely look way below anything acceptable before that process. Make sure you give it a very minimum of 2 weeks (longer is better) before doing this though.

Thank you very much!

Just thought I'd update this thread with another wooden bridge I've just finished for an archtop bass. Same process, except this time the top part is made from aluminum, the bottom is Rosewood as before. [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,] [URL=http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/Manton-Customs/media/96e4593c-61b0-44f1-acbc-9cafe50f2938.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u425/Manton-Customs/96e4593c-61b0-44f1-acbc-9cafe50f2938.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/font][/color] [color=#141414][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,] [URL=http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/Manton-Customs/media/2_1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u425/Manton-Customs/2_1.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/font][/color]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1460419572' post='3025630'] That's what I said. [/quote] Sorry , yes, you did! Funny how misreading one word like [b]can't [/b]can change the whole post. I thought you said ski jumps [b]can [/b]be fixed so easily....facepalm

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1460248600' post='3024082'] Ski jumps can't be fixed so easy. You have two options, level the frets and create a drop off in the last frets and/or frets off and level the board. Both of these I've done with great success. Washers, shims etc won't work and heating the neck for a ski jump is not a method I've heard off. [/quote] It all depends on the severity of the situation and how much fret material you've got to work with. If it's possible to level the frets or create a fall away without losing too much material then great. But for a neck with a severe ski jump and/or not much material left the solution is to remove frets, level the board then refret. Which can be a pain! So it can be an easy fix or it can be rather annoying. And yes, washers won't effect a ski jump but are a very common fix for a common problem mentioned earlier. Heat would not be wise either!

Washers!

Ouch! Sorry to hear about that. Agree with all the other posts. Sounds like the anchor has let go. So, the only professional fix is to remove the fingerboard unfortunately. If the neck is an oil finish it will make removal of the board a little easier for whoever is doing the work as you won't have to worry about lacquer damage. I also agree with a new neck being an easier and possibly more cost effective fix! If you can't manage to find a Warwick replacement, I do custom necks for any instrument, just mentioning that on the off chance you may need one .

Agree with the others, it's not a particularly easy job for a beginner to remove a fingerboard safely (apologies if you aren't a beginner). However what makes removal a bit easier is the fact you are not going to reuse the fingerboard...this means it could be routed off rather than steaming/separating, which could damage the finish if not done correctly. You'd need to build a jig which supports the router above the neck having already pulled the frets. It goes without saying that there would be some element of risk of something going wrong though if you haven't done it before. But provided you're careful, it should be achievable . If you can remove the board yourself and cut/sand/file the final taper of the new fingerboard to the neck and you just need the board with front dots installed, fret slots and radius cut, then it wouldn't be particularly expensive. If you needed the whole job completing (eg: fingerboard removed and new board installed) then it could get expensive! Feel free to contact me via PM or email if you'd like to discuss more .

Yes, that's the wood you can see. But the opaque parts (ie the edge of the burst) could hide joins or other unsightly defects as mentioned above. If you decided to go ahead and strip it, a heat gun would be your best bet, but take great care to not scorch the wood or overheat the glue holding the body together as it's likely a 2 or more piece body. If it's an actual EBMM Stingray as opposed to a copy then it'd be better to either sell it or get a pro to do the work, as it'd destroy the resale value and most likely come out less than perfect.

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1458318071' post='3006613'] AFAIK if the nut slots are at the right depth/strings at the right height then there shouldn't be any problems with intonation at the frets closest the nut. However, from what I've read and from my own experience, new basses often need the nut slots deepening (which is why intonation is often poor at the first few frets). [/quote] Generally this is true, there shouldn't be any huge intonation issues and if you're having very noticeably off sounding notes around here, then your nut slots are too high. However, intonation will still be worse around these first few frets on a perfectly setup instrument (it's more noticeable on a guitar), this is just something which comes with regular straight frets (which are a compromise). There are a couple of solutions for the people who can hear those small inaccuracies. One is the compensated nuts mentioned above. These work well, but their effect does not extend much past the first fret, despite what the manufactures claim. The other solution to the problem, is the True Temperament system, where the frets are no longer straight but plotted out to ensure perfect intonation at every fret and string. The system does does not require a compensated nut, but you'll notice how "wiggly" the first fret is, that's to deal with the first fret intonation issues. I've built a couple of these TT instruments (see sig for one) and they really do work! The difference is noticeable even if you have never noticed the small inaccuracies of straight frets, but as to whether it's necessary would depend on the individual. For example they are ideal for people with perfect pitch and/or people who play with instruments which are true tempered (piano, organ etc). Generally though, no, when I craft a nut for a regular bass I do not include any compensation unless a compensated nut is spec'd. A regular well adjusted nut should be fine for all but the most accurate of ears!

Nothing to fear, it'll dent fairly easily (compared to the alternatives) if the bass takes a knock, as it's a pretty soft wood, but that's not really an issue unless you're very clumsy! It will also be comparatively lightweight, which you may or may not like.

Ha, yes it's all in the file . It's just practice really, one of those things you get much faster at without really realising how much you're improving (speed wise). I remember when it took me half the day too! Regarding the fret wire, yep, not all fret wire is created equal! I use Jescar wire on everything when refretting and building from scratch and it's the best you can get in my opinion.

Here is an article which may be of some help http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Truss_Rod_Installation_and_Repair/A_sign_of_truss_rod_trouble_and_an_easy_solution_.html. It's a very common problem with old Fender necks (running out of truss rod adjustment) and adding a washer or two can make a big difference! But as the previous poster has said, reducing string gauge will have a similar effect and hopefully buy yourself back some adjustment.

Ah, 600 is definitely ok for leveling . I use Micro Mesh for the intermediary polishing, grades running around something like 1800, 2400, 3200, then 0000 steel wool and compound to save having to work through every grade of Micro Mesh. It's worth pointing out that the Micro Mesh grades are not the same as regular papers, 1500 is equivalent to around 400 or so. It looks like we are using the same file (SM dual sided, 150 and 300 grit?), and the whole process from leveling to end of polishing takes me around an hour.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1457691090' post='3000948'] And it's come up an awful lot darker than the bare wood...didn't realise it would be quite so dark (especially the end grain), which I'll admit is alittle bit of a shame as I liked the lightness of the wood. No biggie - you live and learn...part of what this was all about. [/quote] That's most likely the Linseed in the Danish Oil causing it to go a little darker than expected. Something Tung oil based may not have darkened so much, though an oil finish will always darken the wood a bit. You could rub back and resume with Tung oil pretty easily if you'd prefer a paler looking bass. Though it looks nice as is to me .

Sounds like the problem could be the paper you're leveling with, what grade is it? You don't want anything below 400 to level them, below this and you'll get a lot of difficult to remove scratches.

To be honest the fact that it has recently received a new nut makes it even more likely it's the culprit. Everybody makes mistakes regardless of experience.The fact it's a bone nut also makes it a bit more "grabby" than if it were graphite or similar. There's obviously nothing wrong with bone, it's a great nut material, but the slots need to be cut correctly and the slots to be lubed. It's probably only the tiniest of fractions too tight and I certainly don't want to sound like I'm being hard on your luthier . Slipping tuners are normally very obvious as you'll struggle to get the note to pitch in the first place without the tuning heading back downwards again while you're still attempting to tune it. My experience is also the same as Big Red X's in that I've never had a modern tuner slip, just old junky open geared ones on 60s and 70s guitars. If you just want to sell the tuners with a clear conscience, then maybe buy some new ones first and see if this solves your tuning issues before selling the old ones. I suspect the tuning issues will still be present though, but if not you'll have your answer .

Can you actually see and feel them slip? Tuners won't normally slip unless the cog is damaged, but maybe that's the case! It's possible the problem is not the tuners but the nut pinching the strings too tightly. If you ever hear creaking or a ping while tuning (or any other time) then that will definitely confirm it. Have you upped your string gauge recently? Some graphite in the nut slots may help, but the slots may need to be widened.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1457347181' post='2997495'] The bevelled horns, the scratch plate shape surely would be infringing on something? Ebmm wouldn't allow that gash truss rod adjuster hole though! [/quote] On a majority of instruments the only part of the shape trademarked/protected is the headstock. This is the case with Fender for 100% who lost a court case to protect the body shapes a few years back. I believe it's a similar sort of thing with Gibson also. Things are a bit different with Ricks though! So most body shapes and especially small touches like those carves and pickguard are free for any one to take. I'm not saying it's right, but they are the rules!