Restoration project: Think it's worth it?

tsarter · Post by **tsarter** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:35 am

A have a set of Alembic -Rickenbacke replacement pickups going unused. When I saw this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220071420063

It started me thinking that this might be a nice restoration project to drop those pups into. Since it needs so much though, I don't really know if it would be cost effective.

Any thoughts?

- Tim

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:42 am

Hardware, truss rods and a fingerboard...

Maybe Ted S has some of his initial attempts of recreating a vintage fingerboard available. That would seem to me to be the hardest piece to get for restoring that bass.

With the right effort it looks like that could be a fine bass again.

tsarter · Post by **tsarter** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:01 am

I wouldn't neccesarily be trying to restore this to look exactly as it once did. I would simply want a functional, albeit beautiful, bass with my pickups in it.

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:10 am

No doubt. It seens the binding is completely wasted, so it's be A LOT of work to get that back.

But it needs a fingerboard.

I'm not sure that's a stock part. Truss rods, bridge, tuning peg, pots - they can all be had easily.

tsarter · Post by **tsarter** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:39 am

Mike local luthier, Michael Dolan, does wonderful works. He bulds beautiful custom guitars. Was one of the early founders of Alembic along with Rick Turner and Ron Wikersham. It would not be difficult for him to make a new fingerboard for it. Since I already have the electronics I'd use it is a matter of building a fingerboard, adding all the hardward and applying some sort of finish.

kernkamp · Post by **kernkamp** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:47 am

I think it's a cool idea Tim IF you can get that carcass for a decent price. You wouldn't need to put binding on it.

It could be the Tim Sarter Signature Model.

lyle_from_minneapolis · Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:47 am

Perhaps you'd like the body of a '73 4001 with checkered binding?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1973-Rickenbacker-4001-Checkered-Binding-Old-Style_W0QQitemZ280072276949QQihZ018QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:10 pm

The reserve was too high. Reserve? On that sorry carcass?!

tsarter · Post by **tsarter** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:23 pm

i decided I would not go above $200, which was a stretch. I think they were hoping Curbow's name would fetch more.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:34 pm

The bidders have spoken. it ain't worth that much. Now it is up to Curbow to relist without a reserve.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:14 pm

Someone went a little overboard with a sander!
Holy radius, Batman!

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:34 pm

The wings would have to be replaced.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:05 pm

I agree Ted. There is nowhere near enough wood left for the jack plate. The holes have broken out of both the front and rear surfaces.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:15 pm

The neck slab looks ok though. I was thinking it would be a nice project neck.

xsubs · Post by **xsubs** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:40 pm

Looks like the hack also tried to give it a smaller nut width. Not evenly on both sides either... looks like he/she shaved down the bass side only?