April '73 4001FL

[FretlessOnly]

I did replace the old delrin nut, Woody. The previous owner had overzealously filed down the nut slots both too deeply and at an angle - it was a train-wreck. Joshua was good enough to sell me a reissue delrin nut that he had for a good price. Just a bit of edge sanding to make things flush and some light prep work to remove the glue residue from the headstock and end of the fingerboard and it glued in there really nicely.

I recently noticed something on this bass after owning it for a year and a half. Take a look at the recent headstock photo I posted. It's a bit tough to make out, but the string slot in the D tuning post is noticeably wider than on the other three. Other than that, the four tuners are all alike and there's no evidence of any physical tampering with the wider string slot. So, was there some variability in the posts used on the wavy Grovers?

[woodyng]

At least yours HAS slots in the posts-thats another vintage feature on my 4000 that does not thrill me. ( the posts have tiny little side holes,making it necessary to tie a "knot" when installing strings....)
I DO like the fact that my tuners are the old reverse nickle type,tho.
Glad to hear that installing the new nut was not a problem for you,as you indicated some trepidation about that.

[FretlessOnly]

Yes, I was concerned about the neck repair being compromised, but that was a non-issue.

As a guitarist too, I deal with the post side-hole issue. Another way to deal with this, aside from tying a knot, is to use the full string length instead of cutting prior to tuning up. Put the string through the hole, then back it up enough so you have enough slack for three or so full wraps. Bend the string just past the post at this point, and begin to bring it to pitch. While there is still no tension on the string but you are getting close to adding tension, thread the excess string under an upcoming wrap so it gets crimped under the windings (when you get better at it you can get it under all the windings) and you're all set.

Of course, you can only do this with tapers on a bass.

[Ivan3000]

The checker binding and the dots go well together on this bass.

[Ivan3000]

Does the treble pickup look closer to the bridge or is that just me?

[jps]

Does the treble pickup look closer to the bridge or is that just me?

No, it's just you that is too close to the bridge.

[Ivan3000]

Does the treble pickup look closer to the bridge or is that just me?

No, it's just you that is too close to the bridge.

I hope I don't fall off - i can't swim.

[Brother Firefingers]

Great looking bass... I had a couple Ric fretless over the years, and should have been smart enough to have kept them. FL's often don't get the love that a fretted bass gets, and therefore are often the first to go when thinning the herd.

She's a beauty!