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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    116

    Default some help, if you could, please.

    I'm really sorry, but this is going to take some explaining.
    I'll try not to whine too much , and to keep it brief,
    but lets just say, I've been happier.

    Some time back, I sent the neck of my 'pride and joy' vintage bass off to jungle country to get seen by an "expert"
    Like a lot of older musicians, I do a lot of repairs, restores (of mostly junk guuitars) setups etc,
    which I really like.
    My bass neck had an issue or 2 . . . "skunk stripe" seperating from the rest of the neck
    - rising tongue and a pronounced increase in the need to adjust the setup of a bass that had previously been unlike that.
    (not a fret dress siolution)

    So I had a go at the stripe repair, . . taped it off and got a good amount of water thin CA down into the seam,
    I thought that might arrest the creep . . . but after a few months it started again.
    I dont want to bad mouth anyone, (and I wont)
    but I spoke to a guy that had repaired the same model bass for me 20 years previously , with (hard to believe, I know )
    EXACTLY the same skunk stripe issue , but probabaly worse.
    The reason I aked him again , was that he was prepared to repair it. . .
    The better known repairmen and Luthiers of Sydney, ALL turned it down , sight unseen, over the phone.
    One offered to make me a new neck . . hmmm
    so I rang this other previous guy, who DOES know his stuff
    and makes very fine , very expensive nylon string guitars,
    that are mostly sold O/S in exotic locations, literally.
    He used to do repairs as well, and agreed to do it again for me, given the circumstances.

    all good . . I send him the neck .
    after about a month , he wants the neck plate and screws, because he wanted to
    "do a Leo Fender" as he put it, and put it to tension and watch what it does.
    Fine, I send the bits . . . and wait . . and wait
    Long story short, after quite a few msgs and calls over the period of ONE YEAR,
    he tells me he's glad it will be finished soon, as he has had to refret the last 10 frets on 5 different occasions.
    And it was now more of a nuisance, than anything else
    Apparently, after removing the frets , he sanded some neck down to make everything as flat as can be
    and when he was happy, refretted, strung it up and left it at tension . . . only to come back and find that it had all shifted . . . ?
    and so, over time, he repeated this 4 more times . . but finally , it should be ok . . he says
    A month later , I got a call saying that due to the nitro being so badly cracked and coming off with some of the mnsking tape (apparently)
    he would have to spray the neck, which I totally expected, anyway.
    Then 2 weeks later , a call saying that it was no good, . . the 5th refret had shifted as well, and the neck was no good , for now , anyway.
    Apparently its too unstable . . (my thoughts? . . a perfect match for its owner)
    I was dissapointed, but what can you do?
    He said he didnt bother with the nitro and had given it a couple of shellac coats instead.

    When I get the neck back, I am , of course, curious.

    I cant believe what I saw.
    It was shocking . . just awful.
    I could easily see with the naked eye , something wast right at all.
    of the last 10 refretted frets, about 3 were seated all the way . . . all the rest were sprung up at either end.
    And moving a lot . . . and sounded like rubber.
    Not only that , but 5 of the last were a tad too short . . I could see slot, looking from above.
    After removing them far too easily and cleanly
    I can see he's obviously tried a post-clamp CA flood under the frets , to magically fix everything . . .
    surprisingly, even CA has its limits.

    So now I have to refret the refret(s)
    I mean , who am I kidding . . this was never done ONCE properly . .
    the other 4 were added for colour and effect, not to add facts.
    And yes, the lacquer is NOW extremely cracked (clear amber finish)
    and coming off way too easily with low tack masking tape, or fingernail.

    So far, this has really gone well, eh?

    Although, the skunk stripe MAY be fixed . . doesnt look perfect, but I'm after function, not looks
    so time will tell with that aspect.
    But, presuming that I am capable of pressing and glueing the last 10 frets in. . . dressing them all etc
    how should I be approaching spraying this?

    I know that a flash coat helps it melt in to previous coats etc and I'm ok with all that,
    but it was only resprayed about a dozen years ago, and its akready a shot duck.
    When I bought it , it had the SAME problems, cracked everywhere,
    and the neck only had finish on the headstock,
    all the other neck finish had been removed, probably at the exact stage I'm at now . . its falling off.

    Is it ok to work "over" this and it will all be forgiven in the flashing?
    It seems a fragile house to be building on.
    should it be removed and completely re-done
    ( its a 'Jan '77 Musicman Stingray) , in the first 2000 made - not eaxactly a '62 Jazz, but its 40 y.o. and its a quality vintage bass.
    so a "new neck" wont really do, either.
    also, I have 10 frets that have been landscaped a fair bit,
    and 11 others, that are losing finish, like there's no tomorrow.
    All the finish around places like neck dots is quite pronounced and protruding slightly swollen . . humidity, I guess.
    And this is my final question . .
    I have no idea how long the neck was left unfinished for , before I bought it.
    Could years of having no finish, cause bad changes?
    or are the years of "no finish" , there, because there IS a problem in the timber,
    resulting in the magical rejection of the Nitro
    and after a full repair/refret/respray, only a dozen years and the NItro resigns . . AGAIN.

    The Luthier? . . well, he's obviously found the challenge of Sobriety too much , or something
    The amount of time and BS is frustrating , but good things (completely seperate) came of being without that instrument for so long
    and I honestly think he meant no harm. . . or . . caftsmanship, either.

    Seriously though , please feel free to ask, add , comment , criticise, . . . whatever.
    I want to try and make the best polished terd that I can from this situation,
    so any thoughts are respected and appreciated.
    Again my sincere aoplogies fior the rant and length,

    . . . cheers
    Last edited by Slapfest; 11th April 2018 at 05:16 PM. Reason: spelling

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    86

    Default

    Hi mate,
    Is it a two piece neck ?

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Parkside - South Australia
    Age
    45
    Posts
    3,316

    Default

    Wow .... what a read. I think I might sit down for a bit.
    Now proudly sponsored by Binford Tools. Be sure to check out the Binford 6100 - available now at any good tool retailer.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    1,813

    Default

    How you gonna post a story like that with no pics?

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    116

    Default

    -re pics . . ok . . . I had my phone stolen not long ago and the el cheapo replacement is a shocker. . camera especially so . . plus I'm ready to put 10 more frets in now, the slots are clean and all the old refrets are in the bin. So theres not too much to show . . . suffice tio say that the cracking is as bad as you would have seen . . Bueller, i'll see if I can use someone else's better quality phone and get some up here. .

    Mase, Its a one piece neck. . .

    Sir Stinky . . . its a lot, I know

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    86

    Default

    Yea figured that might be the case given the skunk stripe, thought I'd ask anyway.
    I have fixed a two piece with similar problems, removed all the finish/removed the frets/removed the fingerboard.
    Put all the bits on the top shelf in the pantry for six months to let nature take its course, then put it all back together.
    Big job, but it worked.

    I reckon part of your problem is the weather in Sydney and perhaps the way the guitar has been stored.
    where I am we don't experience the extremes of humidity the way you do.

    No way would I try to work over the existing finish without sorting out what is causing the problem first.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    116

    Default

    As I said, not great pics and the bad frets are already gone018.jpg
    but that is how the headstock looks today . . almost identical to when it was refretted and resprayed in around 2005
    021.jpgthese patches came off from low tack tape
    019.jpg you can see the deformity and swelling of the fret dots
    020.jpg along the left edge and the left 12th fret dot , ALL that finish was transferred to masking tape in about 2 mins of masking off briefly, and back to timber
    022.jpg still tidying the area before more frets

    So, that tells you little, I know . . .
    but thats all I got

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    116

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mase View Post
    I reckon part of your problem is the weather in Sydney and perhaps the way the guitar has been stored.
    where I am we don't experience the extremes of humidity the way you do.

    No way would I try to work over the existing finish without sorting out what is causing the problem first.
    Yeah , I agree totally . . . I'm a few hours nth of Sydney, Port Stephens . . . even worse for humidity . . .
    And I'm starting to lean toward the complete refret and respray . . . I dont think that particular nitro is to be trusted now,. . . i'll see how the missing 10 frets go in . . the slots are pretty good , there's minimal chipping from one of the previous refrets, and no glue, to speak of . . so after a good look at the remaining frets, I'm leaning towards a clean-ish slate, same as when I bought it . . . full refret and spray . . , keep headstock with minimal changes
    But I dont HAVE to, if someone else has a different thought?

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