Another 4003 Project Bass

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:19 pm

Thanks Dane. I know from your posts that you have very high standards. That is a compliment coming from you.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 11:55 pm

Hey, Ted, how about this one? It's a 1972 4000.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=3761228251&rd=1

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:44 am

interesting how that 4000 has the full size control cavity and channel for the neck pickup lead.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:21 am

Ted's already on it!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:05 am

I was thinking about bidding on that one ... I have all the hardware I need to restore that one and hide all of the mutilated wood ...

I figured a V63 chrome surround and a V63 pickguard would hide the mess ...

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:06 am

It is been a while since my last installment here. The original fingerboard had some problems so Mary opted for a new one with a zero fret. Here are some shots of the new board pre-radiused with freshly set inlays. The board is slathered with paint and pearlescent resin that will be removed when the radius is cut.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:29 am

****. Of course you all that that is Marty not Mary. Right?

yfoiler · Post by **yfoiler** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:06 am

Ted... That looks Sooooo Cool !!! You've got it nailed! What a beautiful piece of wood too!
But... I was gonna say... Mary will be really ****** when Marty gets her bass!

Man I can hardly wait! A ZERO FRET!!! yes I was yelling---Yeeooww!!

MT

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:11 am

Thanks Marty, the inlays turned out well. It took many trials to get to this point. I have a pile of test boards in my shop in varying degrees of correctness. Some are too pearlescent others are not pearly enough. The trick seems to be in the timing. There is still a subtle touch or two that I am lacking. This board is 98% of the way there. After the radius is cut it will look much nicer.

yfoiler · Post by **yfoiler** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:09 am

As I've mentioned to you before I used to do quite a bit of fiberglass work. It's my opinion that if you use polyester resins timing and working temperatures will always be an issue. That is why I switched to epoxy resins. With epoxy you are generally mixing in much more forgiving ratios like 5 to 1 or 3 to 1, not ten or a hundred to one. Also with epoxies you can get different hardners to compensate for temperature and working times. Here's a link to the System III company: http://www.systemthree.com/index_2.asp
They make some great stuff. So does West Systems, but I believe West was quite a bit more expensive.
BTW, I am not in the epoxy business, just a fan!
Oh, also, epoxies don't "smell" like fiberglass and you won't loose as many brain cells working with the stuff... That may not be as much "fun"...

Marty

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:20 am

I plan to test epoxy in place of polyester resin at some point. The polyester does have a horrible odor. If all goes well, I will have the radius cut tonight. If things go really well I could even have it fretted and possibly bound too. I will post pics of the results in any event.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:43 pm

The fingerboard is set in place here for some pics. The inlays turned out pretty well, I think. The board still needs to be bound and shaped.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:44 pm

Here is another

thx1955 · Post by **thx1955** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 4:06 pm

Nice workmanship Ted .... !!!

yfoiler · Post by **yfoiler** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 10:21 am

Wow Ted!! This is amazing---and so are you. I can't stand it---hurry up and gimmie that bass!! Just kidding of course! As I've always said, an un-pressured Luthier is a happy Luthier!

This is going to be so cool. I've got to ask; How did you figure out the zero fret? And... does this make it harder for you to install the nut? Just curious.

I can only begin to imagine that bubbinga board and the body finished in Dolan's FG! With the walnut wings and the gold "signature" pickguard and TRC!! Ooooh man... goosebumps!

Marty