NBD - Rivoli with restomod.

[Pilgrim]

If it works! I killed the Artec pickup somehow, so back to the drawing board!


What annoys me slightly is the huge pickup route in this bass. The route is bigger than the pickup cover, and very deep. You have to coke bolt the pickup right down. The pickup wire route exists the pickup cavity right by one of the mounting screws.

The '60s basses didn't have this daft big route??

Be calm; you're the only one who will ever notice the difference.

[Dave W]

It had a low output and just felt a bit brittle and underpowered in the way it translated playing into tone from the amp. I was thinking about recycling the flatwork but installing new coils, or something else like that.

I was wondering if there was a lower output problem on the E and G strings. That can be solved with the "Nail That Tone" mod, as described in this old thread: http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=3047.0

[Alanko]

Yeah I think the theory is that the magnets aren't wide enough to capture the full excursion of the outer strings.

I'm using La Bella short scale strings on this bass. They were installed by the previous owner. I think the E is a little quieter acoustically anyway, regardless of the pickup's capabilities. 

[hollowbody]

Nice job cleaning it up!  The 90's reissues are such great instruments.

In one of my Rivoli IIs I put in a modern SG bass neck pickup.  Keep an eye out for a loose one.
The other one got a 60's pickup, and the "baritone switch" works much better with it than the stock pickup.

[Pilgrim]

Yeah I think the theory is that the magnets aren't wide enough to capture the full excursion of the outer strings.

I'm using La Bella short scale strings on this bass. They were installed by the previous owner. I think the E is a little quieter acoustically anyway, regardless of the pickup's capabilities.

The Labella flats should be perfect for that bass.

[Alanko]

I imagine the baritone switch in the reissue would work better with a higher impedance pickups? That is the grey area of guitar electronics for me.

My plan to get the pickup sitting about 3 mm higher is finished!



I plugged the stock screw holes, which were all over the place and pretty worn out. I also plugged the cavity for the inductor and tidied up the pickup cavity floor with a router. To do so I made a router template from an A4 sheet of MDF, designed to register and anchor from the middle bridge mounting stud and the sides of the neck.

I then fitted wooden inserts into the pickup cavity and painted everything black. Matt black aerosols and heat shrink tubing can make any old nonsense look semi professional!




In fitting this all out it is pretty clear the factory pickup route isn't very square or even. It is wider on the treble side!

[Dave W]

Very clever work on the pickup cavity.

You ought to see the cavity rout on my slothead EB-0.

[Pilgrim]

Very clever work on the pickup cavity.

You ought to see the cavity rout on my slothead EB-0.

Looks like Berlin in June, 1945??? 

[Dave W]

Looks like Berlin in June, 1945??? 

Just odd.

Busy with visitor, will take a pic in a couple days.

[Alanko]

Reassembled! My cheats Baritone switch does the job!

[morrow]

Makes me regret selling the one I had.

[Alanko]

It has made me consider selling my Dearmond Starfire!

I grew up in a household that listened to classical music. My inroad into popular music was a Saturday morning radio show that played '60s hits. I think this is subconsciously what I think a bass should sound like?!

If I turn down the tone knob it sounds like my neighbour is practicing bass. You feel it as a subtle variance in air pressure!

[Alanko]

A cheeky one-ply tort pickguard.








I made one in the conventional Rivoli shape, but I don't like the shape as much.

[gearHed289]

That's really nice looking material.

[Alanko]

It is Incudo acrylic material. 3 mm thick, and basically a slab of brown acrylic with darker material swirled through it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193333005058

I went for 'bronze'.

You can get 3 mm thick celluloid tort material by Incudo, but I didn't fancy burning down my house battling a flaming A4 sheet of the stuff!