Odd duck 4001FL on the way!

[doctorwho]

...
The new tuners are chrome vs the nickle of the originals. I’ll see if some muriatic acid will take the chrome off and closer match the nickle.
...

Not sure, but you might need an oxidizing acid (sulfuric or nitric) to remove it ... "Damn it Jim, I'm an organic chemist, not an inorganic chemist!"

[WillyWonka]

...
The new tuners are chrome vs the nickle of the originals. I’ll see if some muriatic acid will take the chrome off and closer match the nickle.
...

Not sure, but you might need an oxidizing acid (sulfuric or nitric) to remove it ... "Damn it Jim, I'm an organic chemist, not an inorganic chemist!"

I was able to match and ashtray to this geetar with muriatic, I don’t think I’ll need to go quite this far on the tunas…

[jps]

...
The new tuners are chrome vs the nickle of the originals. I’ll see if some muriatic acid will take the chrome off and closer match the nickle.
...

Not sure, but you might need an oxidizing acid (sulfuric or nitric) to remove it ... "Damn it Jim, I'm an organic chemist, not an inorganic chemist!"

I was able to match and ashtray to this geetar with muriatic, I don’t think I’ll need to go quite this far on the tunas…

IMG_3688.jpeg

Uh, yeah, that might be going a little too far with the acid!

[WillyWonka]

Not sure, but you might need an oxidizing acid (sulfuric or nitric) to remove it ... "Damn it Jim, I'm an organic chemist, not an inorganic chemist!"

I was able to match and ashtray to this geetar with muriatic, I don’t think I’ll need to go quite this far on the tunas…

IMG_3688.jpeg

Uh, yeah, that might be going a little too far with the acid!

That was I think 24+ hours in fumes.

I’ll start with 30 minute increments.

[WillyWonka]

So this is my best sounding ric, and it's in contention for my best sounding bass.

The neck pickup is clear and blooming, the bridge pickup has bite and punches you in the nuts while you are distracted by the bite...

My 95 is my next best sounding....

I haven't tried the muriatic acid yet, maybe if the weather is nice this weekend I'll set up a tote in the back yard.

[teeder]

It's amazing how instruments that seem to be nearly identical can be so different.

A fretless was high on my list of basses to get next, but I rarely play anymore and just can't justify it.
All my fun money is getting saved for an old (or clone) tweed fender amp now.

[WillyWonka]

It's amazing how instruments that seem to be nearly identical can be so different.

A fretless was high on my list of basses to get next, but I rarely play anymore and just can't justify it.
All my fun money is getting saved for an old (or clone) tweed fender amp now.

I'm finding I enjoy fretless so much more, and fretted basses are going away or getting speed bump surgery.

If I start playing out again it's gonna be fretless with a backup security blanket fretted for the first couple gigs...

[jps]

It's amazing how instruments that seem to be nearly identical can be so different.

Truth!

The neck pickup is clear and blooming...

Those older toasters are amazing sounding.

If I start playing out again it's gonna be fretless with a backup security blanket fretted for the first couple gigs...

Oh, come on, now. You can do gigs with just the fretless and no fretted backup, can't you?

I did so plenty of times.

Look ma, I didn't even have to look at the fingerboard.

[WillyWonka]

It's amazing how instruments that seem to be nearly identical can be so different.

Truth!

The neck pickup is clear and blooming...

Those older toasters are amazing sounding.

If I start playing out again it's gonna be fretless with a backup security blanket fretted for the first couple gigs...

Oh, come on, now. You can do gigs with just the fretless and no fretted backup, can't you?

I did so plenty of times.

Look ma, I didn't even have to look at the fingerboard.

Jeff-1200_03.jpg

Ain’t actually dun it yet, just a security blanket.


Who knows maybe by the time I do it I won’t even have a fretted left.

[WillyWonka]

So I’m playing my maple boarded 4003W with the factory Ric strings and I can’t tell if it’s the board or the strings that I like.

The 4004 and the 79 have Ernie Ball nickle 40-60-70-95

The cheapest I can find the factory Ric strings is $35 and free shipping.

Maybe it’s the 45-55-75-105 I like.

Been using and liking the EB string’s until now. And I can get them under $20 shipped per set.

I’m going to switch the Ric strings to the other Ric’s and see.

I’d love to try this set on my Gibson thunderbird and my other fretlesses/fretlessi, but they are all online headstocks.

At $35 a pop this could get expensive….

[WillyWonka]

I am going to try to just age the shaft of one of the chrome tuners and see if I can get it to look closer to the nickle parts, and then re-assemble, the originals.

She is going to be a main player, and I'll be fine with the half-backwards tuning.

The treble side truss rod was weirdly mis-shapened on the exposed threads and was bent toward the bass nut and it made it difficult to get in to adjust the rods, but I was able to straighten it and adjust the rods.

BOTH nuts on the rods still had lacquer on them so they hadn't had much if any adjustment before now.


I'll need to start a new thread on my 95FG...

That does leave me short one tuna for my 95, but I am committing to a full 5 string conversion on it and I'll be using hipshot ultralights on it, I got a set of 4 1/2" inline tuners to use on the 3 bass side, but I'll have to get 3/8" for the treble side because a 1/2" will interfere with the truss rod cover.

I need to move the A tuner inboard to line up with the nut better, and the 1/2" tuner will cover up the re-positioning of the hole.

I have already made a brass nut, and I'm pondering making an ebony nut.

I have a converted bridge I got from a member of TB, and I have a set of new saddles so I can clean up the look of it.

I had previously converted the tailpiece, when I had it strung EADGC, and I have already added pole pieces to the pickups.

I think I'll be using S.I.T. flatwounds as I haven't heard back about getting a .125 or .130 string made by Pyramid.