Yeah, I noticed your surround there, and went back through the archives to see how you'd put it together. My "long-taper" has ended up looking very similar, which is helpful for justifying the effort!
I have thought of doing an 8-string potatohead conversion too, and almost started to on my '76 disaster until I realised that the neck had actually been cracked and nailed back together at the heel (!!!!). So, until I can start with a fresh 4003 with a nice solid neck, I'll have to wait. In the meantime, I have a Hamer B12S that fills the "octave bass" role nicely.
Oh, and I did end up notching the sides of both surrounds. I know, peer pressure....
