Anything new in ye olde shoppe?

[jingle_jangle]

Har! Now that you mention it, Jeff...

[henry5]

Paul, I've notice that when you do refret you always seem to do them over the binding. Any reason why? Is it just to facilitate easier refrets in the future? I just wondered because a while back I had a conversation with a well-known UK luthier named John Diggins (Jaydee guitars) and he said that when he does a refret he always tidies up the fret ends under the original binding so that they look like stock.

[jingle_jangle]

Always is a long time...

A loaded question, with an easy answer. In most cases it depends on what was stock originally, and whether it's a refinish or a total, factory restoration of a worthy antique...

My 380L has binding under frets. Most of my refins are done the same way. My DCM 4003 has binding over frets. A binding under fret job takes me about 2 more hours than a binding over and usually means rebinding and redotting the neck as well; I don't do them except by request and at additional charge to the customer.

I have a '71 331 here with frets over binding done at the factory. It seems that this detail was inconsistent. On Rick 12s (except 660s) it makes sense to have the frets over the binding, to give that extra width to go along with the wider-spaced nuts some customers prefer.

So, by "always", you're talking about one person's inflexible preference that might not always be in synch with what the guitar originally had.

[elysrand]

Har, I try not to fret over such details myself.....

But I can gladly report that your incredibly well-packed Fender Bassman arrived yesterday, as pristine as when it went into your custom Wilczynski-designed wooden crate! I didn't know you had a foam machine and everything. That was one securely-built heavyweight crate! It added seventy pounds to the shipment. I know because the shipper nailed me for a reweigh/overweight penalty from 140 pounds up to 210 pounds after the reweigh, and that doubled the freight charges. Regardless, well worth it at any price.

Nice piece of gear, and thank you most sincerely for it, Paul!

[jingle_jangle]

The foam and crate came from my Farfisa Pro Duo organ when it was shipped from Washington state. The shipping weight was estimated, based upon the amp and crate separately. 210, you say, huh? Hmmm....

Glad it arrived in good shape! It was a beaut and I'm glad it went to a good home, Elys.

[elysrand]

Nice organ! So that's what the BAX Global labels were from.

Knowing the avaricious way the trucking lines run, they probably found the heaviest pallet they could to put under it before they reweighed, so that I was paying for shipping their pallet too

It is a beaut, Paul, and you can rest easily knowing that it will have a good and comfy life from now on!

[jingle_jangle]

Except for that tape patch I told you about, it's really sweet, and performs 100%, too...I checked it out and played it for a couple of hours before packing it up. You are only the second owner, as I just passed it on as far as I'm concerned, and only stored it for a few months (got it in May, I believe...)

The Pro Duo is a fantasy of mine come true. A terrific professional analogue tool, with great flexibility. Just not too portable unless you have roadies. I just acquired a VOX Jaguar. These (and the Continentals) are quite small and eminently portable (only 45 pounds for a Jag--60 for a Connie) and that VOX sound is instantly recognizable! So it'll be the gigging keyboard.

[henry5]

Always is a long time...

A loaded question, with an easy answer. In most cases it depends on what was stock originally, and whether it's a refinish or a total, factory restoration of a worthy antique...

My 380L has binding under frets. Most of my refins are done the same way. My DCM 4003 has binding over frets. A binding under fret job takes me about 2 more hours than a binding over and usually means rebinding and redotting the neck as well; I don't do them except by request and at additional charge to the customer.

I have a '71 331 here with frets over binding done at the factory. It seems that this detail was inconsistent. On Rick 12s (except 660s) it makes sense to have the frets over the binding, to give that extra width to go along with the wider-spaced nuts some customers prefer.

So, by "always", you're talking about one person's inflexible preference that might not always be in synch with what the guitar originally had.

Sorry Paul, the question wasn't meant to be loaded! If it was, it was firing blanks.....

I only used the term "always" because IIRC all the jobs I've seen you post (not that many, and bearing in mind my memory is terrible at the best of times) seemed to use the "over-binding" method. I must admit I've never seen a Ric with frets over the binding (hence, in part, the question), but although I've played many, many Ric basses I've only ever played 2 Ric guitars!

[jingle_jangle]

I don't wish this to become an exercise in vagueness, so I'll state right here and now: any customer who sends me an older Rick for restoration which has binding over frets, and wants it restored like that, my price quote includes that method.

Most newer Ricks I refret the other way (fret over binding). My acoustics I also do this way. The option is always available to any customer to have the fret job done binding over frets; just be aware of the additional expense of rebinding and redotting the neck, and the time it takes to hand-match the binding to each fret end and notch in between.

[jingle_jangle]

Bump, sorta...the 366/12AZ is nearing completion...I'm waiting for some hardware, and it'll be off to its eager owner. I've got some pics of the tuner installation, which I'll post later today. I'm going to get some pics of it with its benchmate, the Mahogany Burst 370/12, before I send both out. Must think calendar, you know!

[shamustwin]

How are the acoustics coming along?

[jingle_jangle]

You're next in line, Jerry. I've got an artist doing the stencils this week.

[shamustwin]

!

[squid]

Stencils? This could be good ...

[shamustwin]

I'm having Gene Simmons in full Kiss makeup stenciled on the back.