GOLD, BLACK, CHROME... or none of the above...?

[Highlander]

George, you diamond in the dust...!

I got home on Friday to discover that some "Mud" had been pushed through my letterbox, in a US Postal Box, safe-and-sound...

... and I am still grinning ear-to-ear...

I have "offered-her-up" to my Tequilabird and found some mods will be required to fit (most notably the inner/lower mounting, which will not fit) which will require minor works... this will result in the Mudbucker fitted in the neck position under her chrome cover...

now I have a dilemma...

As those unfortunate enough to have seen close-ups of my 'bird will know, she has had a rough life and is in need of some S. E. R. I. O. U. S. T. L. C.
And George's kind donation to the Kenny Rehabilitation Support Group (along with Uwe and Tony "Tube") has resulted in a dilemma of gross maginitude...


here's a clue...


got it yet...?


O. M. G. - GOLD Thunderbird hardware, a BLACK RD Artist pup, and a CHROME Mudbucker...

Talk about "CLASH OF THE TITANS" - what do I do now...?

... at least it means the time for the "TEQUILABURST" is nigh, with a strip and refin imminent...

Guys and Gals, yeah though I walk through the valley in the shadow of F*nd*rs, I need your help to guide me out of this...

[Chris P.]

My idea:

- Get another (Artec?) chrome cover and make it visually a two mudbucker bass.

- Fix the holes

- Install a new 'Strat'-input.

- Nice black/silver reflector cap controls

- And of course the refinish.

- Hardware: Chrome; Chrome tuners won't be a problem, but the bridge will be. But maybe there are any ideas.

Your bass is just beautiful and a piece of history and it deserves a good restoration!

[OldManC]

I'm glad it got there safe and sound. Looks good! You might not be bothered, but a pickup ring would probably cover the holes around the rear pickup. I like the quilt-like mix of colors. Definitely unique and certainly interesting. I'm looking forward to how it all comes together!

[TBird1958]

Ken,


 Seek professional help.......................................


 Seriously, those parts are likely all replacable in chrome, which as WE ALL KNOW is the best choice for hardware. It will compliment any new finish you might choose, I'd suggest the colors of the Canadian Navy   

[Blazer]

Ken, Seek professional help.......................................

I agree with Mark here but in a different way, you should get it to a luthier and have her stripped and refurbished in a professional way. It will set you back a penny but it'll be worth it.

It will give your bird a new youth and not with such juvenile looking customizations. It will have people go "Whoa, where did you get that bass?" Instead of them going "What a waste, this probably was such a beautiful instrument."   

[Highlander]

Wouter - don't know if you saw the original story about my T'bird so here's the link...

http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=674c18cda0e1b97d3a4791c182b4f761&topic=1944.0

The problem I have is "cash-flow", like too many of us at the moment, and everything has to be on a (tight) budget - I will be selling a variety of my redundant goodies/junk to fund anything I do regarding my return from "retirement"...
I have a "damaged" 1968 Marshall 50w "smallbox" which does not shut-off and feeds-back crazily... it also blows speakers... I need to get her operational prior to doing the necessary repairs on my...
1970 Hiwatt DR103 "switch" - original caps - and then there's the matter of a rather decrepid...
Marshall 4x12, with only three speakers, which had an inch of water in her when I dug her out of her "resting-place" in my old shed (which is my next priority, once I complete redecorating my daughter's room) which err, leaks a bit...
I have one fully operational bass - a Hohner Jack...
My RD is going to get a refin (spec agreed with the "Bass-Meister"...  ) and I have had some assistance re spares from some of the good people hereabouts...
... But the PC'bird is a special case...

I will have no problem with a refin for "Her", not an "It", Wouter... the choice of colour-scheme remains to be chosen... "out-sourcing" is out... of... the... question... no money...

I intend to strip her down to the wood and repair as required - there is some uncertainty re her neck (three piece thru) which has developed a crack along the joint (along the back - roughly 3rd to 7th)... there is also a crack in the paintwork across the neck at the nut, which I sincerley hope is just "paintwork" - she is littered with them across her body...

Mark... Professional help... hmm care to recommend any shrinks...? Canadian Navy...? "What a Grey Day..." is there something re Cannucks I am missing here from living the wrong side of the Pond...? (but as an aside, my late mother was born in the first big city north of the border from you, and I have some "Cannuck Cuzzies..." maybe a big maple leaf... seriously tempted by an attempt at a "tartan" style finish... "Hoots Mon..."
Replacements for "working components" are a strict no-no at present, although I believe I may still have the original replacement "chrome" parts for my Schaller tuners... 

George... who makes pup rings to fit RD pups...? as above, maybe the "quilt" idea would work with a "surreal tartan..."  - I'll keep you up-to-date and keep watching the cafe for a "tribute" which will be entitled "CRUSADE", which you might dig...
I'll be testing the "Mud" asap...         

Chris...! as one mutation to another... welcome back...! digging the LLL's... ... If "Doug" is still lurking in your "soul", I may have a 1981 AC/DC "T" that may fit the bill - discreet on the front - AC/DC on one breast, with "Monsters Of Rock" on the other, but the best bit is the "BIG" logo on the back declarin it to be "D DAY"... D for "Doug"...?, now an AC/DC shirt would suit your life in all sorts of ways - is it METAL, or a "life-statement" (Loes and/or Veronica)... and it's in black, and your size... worn, but not forgotten...
Re your ideas...
The cover for the RD pup would not fit (protrudes nearly 10mm-5/16th) - may blend in with the paintwork... again, cashflow, re parts...
As-above re the Schallers...
The intonation is SPOT-ON, so may get the bridge refin'd too, or do something savage like "spray to match..."
Still got the original "Strat", colour-matched, but as posted previously, no room to fit a decent socket in the limited space within...
I'll be fitting an additional volume pot and re-instating the pup-selector...
No holes will be left that are not supposed to be there..

And before Uwe notices I'm on the loose... (hand on heart) "I promise to refin her tastefully..."

and ps
Wouter... most of the comments, over the years, have definitely been "WOW"... 

[OldManC]

Ah, I didn't catch that a refin was already planned... I'd imagine you can mod the routes to fit the pickups when you plug the toggle holes, but if a ring was needed I'm sure one could be cut out of some b/w/b pick guard (scratch plate  ) material. As for the bridge and tail piece, if you decide to replace gold with chrome I could probably scare up what you need and just trade you for the gold parts. One of these days I need to get a bunch of pickup rings dipped, so I could just re-plate those as well with no added cost.

With all the custom and rehab projects going on around here we're becoming the last bass refuge, where old basses (and bassists) go to get a new lease on life. I approve!

[clankenstein]

i had active and passive pickups in my eb4l for ages.you need a mixing resistor so they dont short each other out.i had a kent armstrong mudbucker type pickup on a 350 k pot and a emg j pickup on a 25 k pot.i used a 100k resistor between them.another way to describe it is mudbucker wired as normal to output then 100k resistor over to the pot for the active pickup-there you go,clear as mud. .worked very well.

[Freuds_Cat]

 

[Chris P.]

Two short comments. I need coffee first.

- The squirrel has won an award yesterday as most populair wild animal in Holland. Yeah, really!

- A D-Day shirt... Man, I need that for visiting Uwe again!

I still think the bass is a piece of history, but of course there's the money thing. And your daughter is much more important. She looks like a great girl!
But I think some repairs can be done fairly cheaply. An Epiphone mud-cover is maybe easy to find? A chrome Strat input or some knobs too. Maybe you can get in touch with a car painter or a hobbyist who refinishes instruments?

[TBird1958]

Ken,


 Seek professional help.......................................

 I meant for the bass, not your brain 

Failing that option, a loving refin undertaken by you should do the trick. 
And pink is the color of the Canadian Navy....................
Goes well with chrome parts, all in good time.


 

[exiledarchangel]

And pink is the color of the Canadian Navy....................

Those canadians never cease to amaze me!

[uwe]

Good Friday is already over, but this Bird would have no issue getting a starring role should Mel Gibson ever care to produce "The passion of Christ II". It should be in all our prayers. As should those who did what they did to it! 

[TBird1958]

Amen.....Herr Moderator!

[Highlander]

Father Hornung, it is many minutes since my last confession...

Go on my son...

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned, my Tequilabird...

STOP...! No More...! You need an EXORCIST, not a Priest...

Uwe... or is it somewhat like "The Rhyme of the Ancient Bass-Player" cursed to carry his mutilated T'Bird around his neck for all time... 

George... I'll keep that in consideration... Yep, the refin was booked before I came through the LBO doors, in fact it was booked years back, but I was not planning to get back on stage at this time... very much a future project, only the future is now...

Mark... do you know about the "Golden Rivet", tradationally fitted in a ships keel...? just ask any Canadian (or American) seaman... 
"Pink...? PINK...!"
"All the nice boys, like a sailor..." oops...
"Oh I'm a Navy boy and I'm oh-kay, I sail all night and I sail all day..." 
Never really understood how my dad ended up in the Army in WW2, with everyone else in the family at sea...?
psssttt.... what about the shrink...?
oh yeah... I could always "colour-code" the "Mud..." 

Chris...


AMERICAN invaders have pushed the REDS too far...

Some positive news is that some reds are showing resilience to the virus carried by the grey, so there is hope... those in the Highlands should be safe as there is almost no chance of them crossing the hills...

Do you want to see the T first, or shall I just post out...? pm...
I won't have a problem with the spraying... trust me... 

Tony... definitely staying passive...

btwwhat is the wiring spec for an EB3, out of curiosity... diagram anyone...?

Bret... don't hog the popcorn... 
ps cool track - completely surprised me ("Ironhorse" - Motorhead... no more assumptions...) - more junk coming your way soon...