'66-69 NR T bird questions

[the mojo hobo]

My first NR I bought used in 1969. After the third time the headstock broke Gene Liberty added veneer to the back of the head obscuring the serial number without writing it down. I still had the receipt from when I bought it, but it just says Gibson Bass $90.

This is a bass I bought on eBay, broken. It was painted black, but I tried sanding where the serial number should be and found it.

[Denis]

Ok I couldn't stand it, just checked my '69. The vol. pot is dated 66 and the tone is obscured. The wiring is original.

Now that's interesting. Could be a replacement or it could be original and sat around until used when your bass was built or it could be that all the NRs were built in '66?

[the mojo hobo]

No, but Gibson could have bought pots by the thousands in '66 and it took a few years to use them all.

[dadagoboi]

No, but Gibson could have bought pots by the thousands in '66 and it took a few years to use them all.

That's possible but I doubt it.  Even in the 60s manufacturers were doing timely purchases from trusted vendors.

Anyone have a '67 or later Gibby with '66 pots?  Difficult to check them on my '67 EB-2.

[Dave W]

It's possible. My '77 Tele Bass II had '73 pots. And I know it was a '77 from the s/n.

[godofthunder]

   It is possible for a bass to have pots much earlier than the year it was produced. My Dad was a manufacturers rep for many famous electronic components companies in the 50's -90's GE, Mallory, Sylvania etc etc etc. Companies would buy large quantities of parts, especially parts that were used across a product line and of course the more you bought the cheaper they were. Also inventory control wasn't what it is today I have no trouble believing that a box of '66 pots were found buried in the parts room in or stashed under someones work bench '69.

[gweimer]

I think Ford used to do the same thing.  I once had a '68 Fairlane wagon.  I blew out the fan clutch and it took several attempts to find the right part.  The catalogs were saying one thing, but when I brought the part in, we found that they were using the part designated for a '67 Galaxie.

[godofthunder]

I worked at Rochester General Hospital for 15 years when they did a purge of the tool crib/parts room you wouldn't believe what got tossed. The "new" Hospital was built in '64 and a lot came over from the old location that was built in the late 1800s. Lots of old electrical stuff, NOS tubes, tube testers, Despar switches, gem light indicators, Bakealight chicken heads and tons of pre/post war USA made screws. Just try and find a decent screw these days.

[Pilgrim]

...... Just try and find a decent screw these days.

[godofthunder]

  My work here is done.

[Denis]

Being led off topic, I used to work at a medical device company. Periodically they would hold auctions at which they'd offload old equipment. I got a small drill press for $5.25, an anvil for $15, a maple slab 3x6" workbench for $2.25 and a super nice maple slab work bench with footrest, drawers and an overhead light for $.25.

They always held those auctions late in the afternoon after manufacturing had gone for the day. Office ladies had no use for the stuff I wanted!

[Bionic-Joe]

There is some Kick ass Painter stripper that comes in a can....you can get it at home Depot..You just spray it on..waut then brush off the old paint, rather than SANDING it.

[godofthunder]

Plus 1 using stripper instead of sanding

[dadagoboi]

There is some Kick ass Painter stripper that comes in a can....you can get it at home Depot..You just spray it on..waut then brush off the old paint, rather than SANDING it.

Plus 1 using stripper instead of sanding

Plus 2 on Klean-Strip spray
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-18-oz-Stripper-ESR72/100135467

[Denis]

I never remove old paint on wood by sanding. For both the Smurf Ripper and the '75 P-bass I used naptha and scotchbrite pads. Generally works pretty well because I wanted to keep the original natural finish.