The Last Bass Outpost

I no longer have access to my cozy heated paintbooth and I must go back to painting outside.  Will be using the Preval  system as in the past before I had access to a proper paintbooth.  Next best thing, and have gotten great results with the Preval.  It is  winter in Ohio now and will have to finish the color/clear on my Epi Embassy Deluxe outside.  What are the temperature limits for painting nitro?   Always had a nice temp controlled booth. Advice needed! Will make it work. Will high 40's-low 50's work?  Any perameters temp wise that I should adhere to?  Thanks for your input!

     Scott, it must have been pretty impressive if you were impressed by it!  You are an esteemed '60's T-Bird guy' and for you to give your approval is a glaring 'thumbs up' in my eyes!  Working on a '64 Epi Embassy Deluxe total restoration right now and will seriously look at the Epi T-Bird Pro as a backup. Tony

    Just like TBird1958 said earlier, it would behoove them to offer the T-Bird Max in more colors.  Maybe not the whole 60's color chart., but some colors more 'stock' than black, white, and the standard 'burst.  And to offer some cool colors for the Embassy might go a little ways towards making up for the 2+2 headstock. Why did they do that?  Nice bass, but the 4 on a side headstock is the proper con-figuration if you are trying to 'reissue' a classic piece like the Embassy . IMHO. Tony

     Thanks for your input!  You are right about the 70's T-Bird necks.  The neck on my 76 Bicentennial was fantastic.... nicer than any of the 60's Birds I have ever owned which were many, many. It (that particular one) was tonally a total dud though.  Not even close to the signature tone that tells you that it is a T-Bird.   The sound clips I have heard of the Epi Pro sound pretty damn good with 'the tone'.  Will be nice to just own one and let my buddy Dave use it in his killer studio. Any other comments/ opinions are appreciated!

     Got a pretty good 'woody' checking out these Epi Vintage Pro 'Birds especially after hearing the clips online. The GC here in town doesn't stock them (or the Embassy with all the right stuff EXCEPT the 2x2 headstock! ) so I would have to order it in without playing it. Any feedback or impressions? Multi ply neck, sounds like a freekin' Steinway like the '66 NR I toured with for years (or close). Like I really need another  stringed instrument, right?  Would probably do something like strip the resonance sucking poly off of it and do it in a correct 'color chart' custom color like Heather Poly in  nitro and do a realistic light relic on it.  Can only make it a better natural sounding bass!  Steinway,Baby!! Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!   Love my old Jazz Bass, but when you hear a good T-Bird, you KNOW it is that classic round, resonant, unmistakable 'you know it is a T-Bird' tone.

     Yup, my hard Italian head is determined to do a first rate job on it as I have done in the past. Only now, with the Preval setup instead of my killer paintbooth at home. Bought the Stu-Mac nozzles and anxious to check 'em out.  They always only stock first rate stuff.  Gotta adapt to my new circumstance and situation, and I'm pretty damn persistent..  This Embassy will be A KILLER with the all chrome hardware, and that gorgeous Frost Blue correct 'color chart' custom color.   Same color as the '67 T-Bird in my avatar.  I only work on it when I can. I have good and bad days. But my great optimistic attitude and goals when (and if) I can walk again gets me through. BLESSED with all the support!  Will post pix as this sucker gets to full resto status. Hope you will like my sharing with you the 'rescue' of this rare (they only made 400, in Kalamazoo!) classic instrument. Can't wait to hear it thru my killer bass rig!   

Got the correct headstock logo thru  a link my buddy sent me.  Vintage correct. Thanks Joe!  Hard to work on it here at the retirement facility but damnit I'm gonna get this thing done.  Got it before I got sick. Got a Preval spray setup and got some Frost Blue left over from my resto  (in my avatar)  of my'67 to shoot thru it.  Got the ok to spray it in the far corner of the parking garage. Can hang it and do a first rate paint job on it with the Preval!  The Preval setup is great.  Used it before I built my paintbooth in my house.    Will keep you current on the Embassy restoration if you are interested.  This thing is going to be a beautiful first rate restoration like the guitars I have built and restored in the past.  A '64 Epi Embassy Deluxe in Frost Blue?   Foogettaboutit!!   This thing is going to be a stunner. Looking forward to sharing it with you if you would enjoy my sharing it with you as I did with a few of my restorations in the past.  You guys here RAWK! Thanks! Tony.

    Thanks for the input!  That decal pic you posted is just what this bass needs.  I'm an old f***er so I'm pretty challenged on computer stuff but I will attempt to post pix of the resto as it progresses. Maybe I can find a young kid who can guide me through it!  >Like my son says...  ' Dad, if you spend as much time trying to learn this stuff as you do bitching about it, you would already know it!!'  Hard for my dinosaur ass to argue with that!! 

Do you mic, or line out to the PA?  I found that even with just the DR103 and the SVT cab that the stage volume got pretty loud. Of coarse you just MUST get the tubes working to get the amp showing it's true character, we all know that.  That is not only with cranked Marshalls, it applies to tube bass amps too!  Have been fiddling with a SVP-PRO with an an old old Altec power amp bridged 150x150 to 300 watts mono.  THE BEST bass amp I have ever had, hands down!  You can crank the FIVE 12ax 7s and still get a driven tone without the overwhelming stage volume even with the SVT cabinet! In all my years of touring with Acoustic 360's and 371's, I only wish we had that technology back in the 70's!
But, NOTHING like a tube amp for bass like a Hiwatt or an SVT if it works with the stage volume that you can live with. Scott, your bass rig sounds AWESOME!  As a fellow 60's T-Bird fanatic, and I want to commend you for all the repro parts and your enthusiasm for us fanatics of the old T-Bird!  Your playing is KILLER BTW!!!

Quote from: dadagoboi on April 01, 2019, 10:11:13 AM
That kills, Scott!

Sounds like a 60's Bird to me!  What head and cabs are you using Scott? I had a 72 DR103 with an SVT cab and with my NR T-Bird IV it CRUSHED it. Sounded like a freekin' Steinway!

     Hey guys!  Long time not here (health issues) but I'm still kickin!!!  Decided to dig out my 65 Embassy that I got from my great bud Bionic Joe before I got sick. Needs a total resto (I got it as a bare body, no parts) but that is right up my alley!  Have all the parts now, and have decided to do it Kerry Green or Frost Blue like the 66 T-Bird that I restored in my avatar. Any other suggestions?
     Also, since it is going to be a solid color, should the headstock match the body color like a T-Bird or should it be black with a gold decal?  Looked all over the net and couldn't find any info.or pix of an original that wasn't cherry red.  Having a hard time sourcing the gold headstock logo with the proper font and style also. Any info appreciated!!!!  Tony

     Hello..... Haven't been around in a while. Bionic Joe and I are always in touch, and he hooked me up with a '65 Embassy project bass.  No parts, needs refin. Have all the parts to totally restore it except the pickguard and one knob.     
      Have the original guard, but has the usual shrinkage and missing corners.  Searched the net, and couldn't find somebody who
makes that guard in the proper W/B/W  .060" .  I could always send the original guard template in, but who even has the proper guard material?  Thanks ahead of time.     Tony
             

Quote from: Dave W on May 09, 2011, 09:54:13 AM
Just get yourself a trashed entry level 80s Pacific Rim import bass, add a Gibson neck plate and a possibly working Gibson pickup, and voilà! Instant Gibson!

This guy listed it in the wrong category....Do they have a 'firewood' category?  BTW, where can I find a Gibson neckplate? I don't think I have ever seen one......LOL

     With the demand they must be aware of for a NR longscale T-Bird, you would think they would have put their R+D money into a Historic Reverse or NR T-Bird like the Firebirds they were dead on with. With a two point bridge, CHROME pickups and 60's specs!!!  

I spoke to Jason and he said the internals for the Lull T-Bird pickup is from TV Jones.