Mr. Wizard Does It Again
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Mr. Wizard Does It Again
Please have a look at one of the latest masterpieces to come out of Mark Arnquist's Shop. I am hoping that Mark will take the time to provide the details here. Mark?
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
I have ,over the last twenty years or so been asked about the McCartney bass many times .
As one of a handful of guys that worked on it just before the 'WING'S OVER AMERICA' tour in the mid 1970's ,I got a real hands on look at what it was and know it fairly well.
I have for fans of PM ,tried to recreate a Right handed version for a few guys over the years.
Since joining the computer age and going cyber ,I have had more than a few requests to modify basses to 'like' specs.
Last year two gentlemen from the Baltimore Maryland ,USA area sent me their basses for these modifications.
Because the PM bass was not professionally modified (as far as the woodworking and finish) I have argued with myself how to do this and to give the 'look' to the customer.
This has been also compounded by the EPA and all the paint regulations .As I am NOT grandfather into the finishing field as a licensed spray facility...I must use what OEM materials are available to me .
This means that what I may have used two years ago is no longer available to me .The Rickenbacker factory has also had similar troubles.
So what was once a readily available product ,is now ....gone.
So there is a learning curve ,and an investment in time to learn how it works.
To make a long story shorter .I have gone through several looks to finally reach a version that I am more than satisfied with.
Having done this 3 times in the last 10 months ...each finish was done a different way ,and one was done three times in three types of material .This was due to ,the first was horrible ,the second was great -but we had this lame earthquake in Seattle and the guitars in the drying room clanked together ! This caused no end of grief for me.At least nothing fell or was broken .BUT ,Much refinishing of refinishing was performed.
As one of a handful of guys that worked on it just before the 'WING'S OVER AMERICA' tour in the mid 1970's ,I got a real hands on look at what it was and know it fairly well.
I have for fans of PM ,tried to recreate a Right handed version for a few guys over the years.
Since joining the computer age and going cyber ,I have had more than a few requests to modify basses to 'like' specs.
Last year two gentlemen from the Baltimore Maryland ,USA area sent me their basses for these modifications.
Because the PM bass was not professionally modified (as far as the woodworking and finish) I have argued with myself how to do this and to give the 'look' to the customer.
This has been also compounded by the EPA and all the paint regulations .As I am NOT grandfather into the finishing field as a licensed spray facility...I must use what OEM materials are available to me .
This means that what I may have used two years ago is no longer available to me .The Rickenbacker factory has also had similar troubles.
So what was once a readily available product ,is now ....gone.
So there is a learning curve ,and an investment in time to learn how it works.
To make a long story shorter .I have gone through several looks to finally reach a version that I am more than satisfied with.
Having done this 3 times in the last 10 months ...each finish was done a different way ,and one was done three times in three types of material .This was due to ,the first was horrible ,the second was great -but we had this lame earthquake in Seattle and the guitars in the drying room clanked together ! This caused no end of grief for me.At least nothing fell or was broken .BUT ,Much refinishing of refinishing was performed.
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!
This is specifically what was done to the posted bass...it started it's life as a 4003 ;
First the instrument was stripped of all the parts and the finish.
Using a Video tape of the 'Wings Over America' and Paul's 'Give My Regards to Broad Street' video and a photo from the Tony Bacon book -'Basses',I made some templates to recreate the body shape.
I have discovered that not all 4000 series bodies are indeed the same shape ! So I actually have to play with each instrument when I do this.
After the reshaping ,The parts get the 'treatment'.
I make a 'new' pickguard in the old style using the holes in the body ,only one new hole needs to be drilled.I also take the knobs and lay them out the same as I did when I made Macca's guard all those years ago.This aligns them in straight lines .
The neck pickup if a button top is replaced with a Toaster .
The bridge gets correctly placed ,if it was on a bass made before 1985 and the saddles are buffed to a high sheen.The E saddle slot is squared out and the section that has the screw going through it is thinned by 1/3rd .This gives maximum travel for that saddle .This is something that I did do for Macca.
On many others I do my new bridge mod and one that I would do for Paul ,in a heartbeat.That has been posted on this site already.
I make a new aluminum plate for the bridge pickup coil to sit on ,some of the coils I rewind to around 10K ,this is about what the replacement coil was .
The Headstock is the next job and I cut off the wings and replace them with Black walnut .Reshape the headstock and then the final touch.
Some of the owners want the fretboard stripped like Paul's and the frets replaced with the vintage size .I also install a Mycarta nut which is a whitish color .The one we used at the factory was bone ,but that size is extremely hard to come by .And as Paul has this zero fret add on piece that he installs from time to time ,I don't see this as 'incorrect'.
As Paul's bass was not a professional stripping job ,nor was the woodworking (I believe that he himself did it) I have to make a decision with input from the customers.
I suggest that while Paul's bass is bare ,it had a problem of dirt and odor.To get around that and to retain the look ...I have gone to using satin finishes.
This gives protection and has a bare wood feel and look.I feel that it is the best alternative.
I also believe that one of the reasons that this bass is possibly no longer used publicly is ......the odor! Think about it .All those tours and all that sweat! Yum!
I think I would want a different bass put into my hands as well .Get look ,vibe,and feel ...but ................yuck.
Depending on era of bass ,there are some truss rod mods that I will also do to increase the performance.
If asked I also include a letter of what I did for the customer ....prices vary on this whole modification.
That's it .
First the instrument was stripped of all the parts and the finish.
Using a Video tape of the 'Wings Over America' and Paul's 'Give My Regards to Broad Street' video and a photo from the Tony Bacon book -'Basses',I made some templates to recreate the body shape.
I have discovered that not all 4000 series bodies are indeed the same shape ! So I actually have to play with each instrument when I do this.
After the reshaping ,The parts get the 'treatment'.
I make a 'new' pickguard in the old style using the holes in the body ,only one new hole needs to be drilled.I also take the knobs and lay them out the same as I did when I made Macca's guard all those years ago.This aligns them in straight lines .
The neck pickup if a button top is replaced with a Toaster .
The bridge gets correctly placed ,if it was on a bass made before 1985 and the saddles are buffed to a high sheen.The E saddle slot is squared out and the section that has the screw going through it is thinned by 1/3rd .This gives maximum travel for that saddle .This is something that I did do for Macca.
On many others I do my new bridge mod and one that I would do for Paul ,in a heartbeat.That has been posted on this site already.
I make a new aluminum plate for the bridge pickup coil to sit on ,some of the coils I rewind to around 10K ,this is about what the replacement coil was .
The Headstock is the next job and I cut off the wings and replace them with Black walnut .Reshape the headstock and then the final touch.
Some of the owners want the fretboard stripped like Paul's and the frets replaced with the vintage size .I also install a Mycarta nut which is a whitish color .The one we used at the factory was bone ,but that size is extremely hard to come by .And as Paul has this zero fret add on piece that he installs from time to time ,I don't see this as 'incorrect'.
As Paul's bass was not a professional stripping job ,nor was the woodworking (I believe that he himself did it) I have to make a decision with input from the customers.
I suggest that while Paul's bass is bare ,it had a problem of dirt and odor.To get around that and to retain the look ...I have gone to using satin finishes.
This gives protection and has a bare wood feel and look.I feel that it is the best alternative.
I also believe that one of the reasons that this bass is possibly no longer used publicly is ......the odor! Think about it .All those tours and all that sweat! Yum!
I think I would want a different bass put into my hands as well .Get look ,vibe,and feel ...but ................yuck.
Depending on era of bass ,there are some truss rod mods that I will also do to increase the performance.
If asked I also include a letter of what I did for the customer ....prices vary on this whole modification.
That's it .
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!