Christine

You may find fatter strings might solve it if not you need to find out if the frets are actually flat when the neck is straight. There's no way you can check when the neck is set as by default they should all or nearly all rock. Even Fenders and Gibsons come out of the factory with just frets pressed in and not dressed, that 99% of the time is good enough but occasionally you get a rogue fret that is a little higher or lower

Have you tried to straighten the neck and checked the frets are actually level across the fretboard?

1 hour ago, Dov65 said:

Your only saying that cause your Welsh..could be English that worse..stain wise i mean 😁...looking at blue / purple think that would look fine

Translucent purple would be nice too but it's not like red is it?

Red, only choice Did I mention I like red?

2 minutes ago, Manton Customs said:

Sorry I’m not sure who you’re referring to about missing the point? The OP was talking about selling it, so people were posting potentially useful information regarding that in an effort to help.

I totally agree that it’s a cool bass, well worth preserving and keeping as original as possible. It’d need to be put right in a sensitive way, which is perfectly doable. But the conversation looked like it had moved onto selling it.

No one in particular, there seemed to be an idea that it might be a monetary valuable thing, which I think it should be. I think your post hints at it's real value if the neck is good

I have a sneaking suspicion it needs no more than a set of strings, a bit of time and a good set up but that is just a guess

No, can't spot the mistake, which means it's huge and right under my nose

Nice job on the routing, it looks very good by any standard

I think you're missing the point of it's value, it's not worth much financially but it's value historically is more. It's an Italian made bass that is 55 years old, the fact it is still here is a small miracle let alone in such good condition. It's not an AC30, it's a lesser bass from a time when the buzz was for American instruments. What it might be worth in this condition with a good neck and what someone will pay for it may well be two different numbers, with a bad neck, not a huge amount but still more than with a replacement neck. Just a shame Paul McCartney didn't play one instead of that Hofner.

Remember the neck on this is thin, it has two strings on it, old Gibsons get a twist in them that's caused by the tension in the truss rod, it could well be this. We have no idea what has been done to the truss rod over the years, it may well have been wound up tight.  Until @Blalpher posts a picture down the neck to show the magnitude of the twist/bend then it's all guesswork at best

1 hour ago, Blalpher said:

@Christine @KiOgon

its not going to get repaired where I am, or at least not done well. (Highlands Scotland). Part of me wants to keep it (if it was playable because then I’d actually use it) but if I can’t get it repaired I’d rather sell it to someone who will give it life. 

What you guys thinking? 

Put a set of strings on it and tune it, then put it away in the case for a month, it may well be fine after that.

Failing that well, there could be a lot of work involved, it's a classic instrument so you don't want to make a new neck unless you absolutely had no choice. Maybe the fretboard could be lifted off and a couple of carbon rods set in with it dead straight, then refit the fretboard. Whether or not it's worth that expense is another thing, VOX basses don't hold the same value as their AC30s which is a shame, they are lovely instruments, especially in that condition.

Is that all you've done? I expected to see it finished this morning

Better

4 minutes ago, Blalpher said:

I actually received this bass without any strings on it. And the neck was twisted to begin with. The strings are detuned to not give tension. @KiOgon thats cool that you worked for Vox, you know more about this bass than I do then 😛 whats its story? Is it worth repairing?

You've got a bunch of drooling bassists here, is it worth repairing? Yes, definitely, look at it, it's gorgeous and a piece of history. I want that bass 🤩

It might be worth putting a set of cheap strings on it and tensioning them, it may well pull the neck straight after a week or two. The twist although not ideal might not be the end of the world as long as the truss rod can still set the neck and there is sufficient bridge adjustment to set the action. Put some strings on it and tune it, then leave it and see what happens, it's lasted 55 years, a few more weeks won't make much of a dent

I do miss my drum sander, it was very handy for a quick tidy up of wood with a horrible grain. I used it an awful lot for thicknessing veneers cut on the bandsaw a job that would be next to impossible any other way. Have you noticed though how it tends to case harden the wood? I find it very much harder to sand the wood from a hand plane, that could be just my imagination of course but that's how I remember it so just curious

7 hours ago, KiOgon said:

(Did I mention I worked for VOX late 60s/early 70s), them goodoldays 😆

Wow, how cool, our singer has a VOX teardrop guitar from those days, I forget the year but it's a nice little thing

One way or another it's repairable, can you post a picture looking down the neck to show the bow and twist?

That was quick!!

And I'm on the beach

53 minutes ago, Slappindabass said:

I still have all my fingers

I am still pleased with it

But had a bit of break out. My own fault the first one was the very first touch, didnt have the router going fast enough, second was where Ithink I may have made contact with the bit a bit to heavily . Still...got a feel for it and a bit of confidence. May have a go at the ash soon.

 

 

Wise to practice. When did that damage happen, to me that looks like where you fed the wood into the cutter, am I right?

It probably has nothing to do with speed but vibration. If you fed in there you would have been cutting against the grain and also without any support for the cutter as the wood fed in. Next time feed in first where the grain runs exactly sideways like at the side of the body. You'll find that more forgiving to feed in on without causing any damage, after that keep the jig/body in firm contact with both the guide bearing/pin and the router table body to minimise any vibration. Slowly and smoothly, never force it and shallow cuts.

I like the quarter pounders too, I've read a lot of good things about Entwistle pickups on these forums too, cost next to nothing but reports comment they are very very good

Don't use acetone on a nitrocellulose finish, it's fine on poly but it will strip nitro as fast as it takes it off my nails

A vacuum bag and a drum sander, yours?

That's looking really good, I do like the detail from the outer veneers in the neck laminates, very classy. What did you think of working with the Rocklite? I'm very impressed with it so far

6 hours ago, Jimothey said:

Just got to fill in some of the pickup cavity first................😀

I'd be tempted to rout out that whole patch around the pickup and set in a new one and start again, you'll get better integrity I would think

28 minutes ago, Slappindabass said:

Geat pics thanks. I guess the only bit that was worrying me is the large horn. But with the dual bearing bit on the new 4 flute bit i guess I can just turn it upside down so I can still route right to left.

Just keep feeding it in the right directionand if the work ends up behind the cutter then you'll be feeding left to right but that is fine because the feed orientation will be the same.

Keep the workpiece firmly held down and tight against either the pin or the router bearing. That will minimize vibration and vibration is the source of all evil in wood machining. If you must stop pull the wood away from the cutter then lead back in from the cut edge to prevent burns to the workpiece. It's a lot easier to do than explain. Right direction, shallow cuts and a firm grip and you'll not need too much sanding afterwards

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

And to my great relief and surprise, it fits...

 

 

You lying sod You knew damn well that was going to fit before you switched the router on

Looking very good

A better picture

10 hours ago, Si600 said:

When milling it's when you feed the workpiece in the same direction as the rotation of the cutter. The teeth of the cutter drag the material rather than cutting into it. It can be useful if you're only taking light cuts as it means you can cut both ways, but there's the risk that the cutter with catch, pull your half finished part out of the vice and fling it across the workshop.

I'm assuming that the same thing can happen with wood if you cut in the same direction as the router rotates.

With wood it is opposite; a milling machine has a vice and a sliding table that can hold the work securely but with wood either the work or the machine is being held in someone's hands. You feed the thing your holding so the cutter tips cut into it and exit where there is still wood to be removed. Excuse the rubbish diagram but like this, the other way is dangerous

15 minutes ago, Slappindabass said:

Also purchased a 4 flute bit today which are quite well regarded.

as that one of the Radian tools cutters? I have one and I think it's the best cutter I've owned for template following