want to fix my ripper

poomwah · February 17, 2009, 07:04:24 AM

my ripper has been sitting for years, unplayable. I have ALMOST everything to put it back together... pickups and electronics, bridge, tuners, misc hardware. what I don't have is a fretboard. and I don't have the skill, experience, or tools to make a new one. Since its a set neck, finding a donor neck is not going to work. Unless its possible to cut a set neck off and route out a pocket for a bolt on, but even if that is possible, I don't see it working on the ripper as thin as the body is. The reason the board is shot, is because a LONG time ago, I defretted it, and then wound up not liking fretless, so, in my stupidity, I tried to re-fret it, and that didn't go well at all. I've since steamed the old board off the neck.
Should I try to steam a fretboard of another neck to put on there? I'm on a super low budget, so sending it to a luthier is not an option. I have a shot at picking up a "new" epi-bird neck. The guy pulled it off of a brand new bird last spring, been sitting in his closet ever since. He said its got a bow in it now. He doesn't want much for it at all, What do you guys think of using it just for the fret board?

sniper · February 17, 2009, 09:10:37 AM

this is available:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-Grabber-Ripper-Project-Parts-Bass_W0QQitemZ140301828897QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item140301828897&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

or you can go this route: one would have to put frets in it, but, the fretboards Randy sells are reasonable, new and you would have to level the frets anyways?

http://www.allenguitar.com/sale.htm

poomwah · February 17, 2009, 04:21:49 PM

Quote from: old puppy on February 17, 2009, 09:10:37 AM
this is available:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-Grabber-Ripper-Project-Parts-Bass_W0QQitemZ140301828897QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item140301828897&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

or you can go this route: one would have to put frets in it, but, the fretboards Randy sells are reasonable, new and you would have to level the frets anyways?

http://www.allenguitar.com/sale.htm

thanks old puppy... I sent an email to Randy :]

poomwah · February 17, 2009, 04:42:29 PM

just heard back from him... 60 bucks for JUST the board ... OUCH :[

drbassman · February 17, 2009, 09:23:23 PM

Do you want a maple or rosewood board?

poomwah · February 17, 2009, 09:26:55 PM

my first choice would be ebony, but beggers can't be chosers

the donor epi bird neck I was thinking of picking up for 35 bucs has a rosewood board

sniper · February 17, 2009, 09:28:55 PM

yeah 60 bucks, but i directed you to the sale page. scroll down to the pre-slotted boards section and you can find some a lot less expensive, like in the neighborhood of 19-30 bucks. he will tell you what is wrong with them. the ebony one i got was very usable with only one pinhole for 25$.

good luck on finding what you need, maybe i was lucky.

how about this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Luthier-Wenge-Bass-Guitar-Fingerboard-Slotted_W0QQitemZ250373379127QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item250373379127&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

poomwah · February 17, 2009, 09:42:00 PM

thanks old puppy.. I'm not sure which one on the sale page to order... thats why I emailed him, he said they didnt have any that would fit and it would have to be custom made :[