Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Owning an Alembic => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: Artgeckko on April 14, 2025, 09:09:33 AM
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Hello Club -
Hope all is well!
Recently got started refurbishing my new acquisition of 1976 Series 1, SN 412.
Played for a few days prior to tear down and stripping.
Plays awesome, a bit of fret buzz at 2nd fret, but pretty smooth all the way up the neck. Intonation was right on, and the action is very low.
In addition to the finish checking, the pickup switch has some hum, and possible cold solder joints at pickup selector which cause noise, (possibly something spilled into switch?) Its mostly 'frying sound" you would find on an failing op amp, but seems contact driven...Neck pick up mostly...
The checkered finish I did consider keeping. It was fairly unform, and had an interesting quality.
Then I picked off a chunk from the 5 pin jack, and decided it had to go.
Pictures coming...
But I digress...
One of the most interesting things is a (walnut, dark hardwood?)wood base to the tail piece of the bridge, covered in brass plate?
Is this normal for a series 1 from that period?
Also, any tips for removing the hum cancelling "dummy" pick up? seems to be no mount, and not wanting to remove?
Also, the truss rod cover was MIA, but on closer inspection, there seems to be no plate screw inserts or screw holes for such a plate?
Lots of kudos again for Alembic for how well these are made.
Any help or suggestions are very much appreciated!
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Sounds like an interesting project.
The wood wedge under the tailpiece would be typical for this time frame as is the lack of a truss rod cover.
I don't have any suggestion on the electronics without hearing/seeing the bass. It is likely it has the original electronics so might be susceptible to electronic interference once the other stuff is sorted out. Upgrading the electronics to be hardened for the modern world is a custom thing so would need to be discussed directly with Alembic. You can also send the electronics in to Alembic for them to test and give you a quote on what it would take to repair them. The testing is free but you need to pay for shipping. Since you are talking about refinishing the bass it might be worthwhile having them check things out since you have have to remove them from the bass anyway.
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Hello Keith,
Thank you for the info.
I am learning somewhat as I go and if not for the help of this club, I would certainly be somewhat in the dark.
The bass is completely apart now and the finish has been removed and all parts have been bagged and labeled.
I believe the switch had something spilled onto it, not real sure, but something is off there.
May send off to Alembic, but will try to clean up solder joints after I get through body work.
The rest of the bass is in amazing shape, some dings here and there, and there is the couple of holes / repairs from rear mounted straps button, but the wood is in great shape. will try to make holes look better - tough one -?
Not sure if the dummy pickup is meant to be removed from bass, but leaving in for now and is masked up.
Also, I assume a single truss rod is inherent to 1976 Series 1?
Again thanks for all the help.
Ed Carr
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That's a really beautiful purpleheart back!
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Thanks for sharing!
This looks fun. Gonna keep an eye on this thread.
Bet Gregory has an idea for patching holes.
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Looks like another great project you got there Ed. As Keith confirmed, the wood/brass tailpiece is what we expect up into later '76, when a solid 'bird' came along. Likewise, the single truss-rods (at least in basses) continued into 1977 about mid year. My older bass still has a single rod at 77-621. Some other things you may note about yours are the channel-type bridge and the old hand-cut logo. Those are both tells on a vintage Alembic. FWIW, Alembic will still to this day reproduce those features for you on a custom basis... it's just that they improved on those designs and moved on. Actually the wood/brass tailpiece is still a standard feature of the Brown Bass I think... it was a couple years ago when I last considered a custom guitar based on a Brown Bass.
That flaky old finish is making the stripping part easy! That purpleheart is going to be stunning when you get through with it. I have a suggestion for you on those unfortunate screwholes in the neck beam. If you want, we can take it offline, or I'll post it here. Since you're refinishing, I'd definitely fix those, and now's the time. I had an early Distillate with the same holes... they were all but invisible after the work was done.
Excited to see you're fixing up 76-412. That bass has bounced around here for a while now... good that it found you.
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One of the things I love about folks here is things you don't say.
I belong to another forum dedicated to Orville's progeny, and it is common to get things like "Show us pictures of your beautiful checking!" and "Just bought a new Les Paul; how can I speed up getting it properly checkered?"
Alembic folks don't seem to place a higher value on mistreated instruments, or want to mistreat them in such a way that it looks like decades of abuse.
My kind of folks!
Peter (who can't wait to see this one brought back to its proper glory)
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That flaky old finish is making the stripping part easy! That purpleheart is going to be stunning when you get through with it. I have a suggestion for you on those unfortunate screwholes in the neck beam. If you want, we can take it offline, or I'll post it here. Since you're refinishing, I'd definitely fix those, and now's the time. I had an early Distillate with the same holes... they were all but invisible after the work was done.
If you post how to fill the holes offline, please include me in the correspondence, Greg.
Thanks,
Bill, tgo
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That flaky old finish is making the stripping part easy! That purpleheart is going to be stunning when you get through with it. I have a suggestion for you on those unfortunate screwholes in the neck beam. If you want, we can take it offline, or I'll post it here. Since you're refinishing, I'd definitely fix those, and now's the time. I had an early Distillate with the same holes... they were all but invisible after the work was done.
If you post how to fill the holes offline, please include me in the correspondence, Greg.
Thanks,
Bill, tgo
Or maybe just post it here. Some enjoy the ‘tinkering’ details. ;)
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Scrape neck wood from the battery compartment and use to fill the holes? Would be the same wood species.
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Here's a before and after picture of my old Distillate. The screw hole was filled and then a thin veneer of maple exactly the same width as the center of the neck beam was inlaid over it like a patch, then touched up. After done, it was virtually invisible unless viewed from just the right angle. Here's a picture of that too.
Ed's job will be easier, since his patch will be finished over completely during the rehab here. He'll need some purpleheart veneer too... (I can help with that...) ;)
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As always. Many thanks for all the input!
That is a brilliant idea! the thin veneer! Also the scraping idea is very good as well.
Good options! Thanks
Did an overall 400 grit sand, then a 600 grit sand( both lightly) don't have to sand out any real problems.
I have to go back over the thread and check up on Alembic serial for these basses.
Headstock is stamped 73 412?
I plan to darken the number( love the history) did it once but the acetone removed it.
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Nice work! That is definitely 76 :)
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Here's a before and after picture of my old Distillate. The screw hole was filled and then a thin veneer of maple exactly the same width as the center of the neck beam was inlaid over it like a patch, then touched up. After done, it was virtually invisible unless viewed from just the right angle. Here's a picture of that too.
Ed's job will be easier, since his patch will be finished over completely during the rehab here. He'll need some purpleheart veneer too... (I can help with that...) ;)
Well, yeah, but you're a freakin' magician.
Peter
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Happy Tues!
Still trying to make out the 6 from what I see on the headstock. Look like a 73 to me???
The build card does seems to match the bass, and it is definitely the bass from the 76-412 posts. I recognize the pattern in the checking, and the odd dark inlay.
Going to give the thought of trying to skim a thin layer off the body to serve as a patch for the screw hole? This idea scares me a bit....
Edwardofhuncote, you have some serious game with refurbishing! On that same note, and despite being very slow and meticulous removing the logo, one of the pins remains in the headstock. Thoughts on how to remove ?
The logo is very thin and very fragile(compared to my other basses) So I have it carefully put away in a foam box.
Is it brass like others or different metal, it appeared more silver in tone.
Have my wife's bday to plan the the next few days so have to take a break from the refurbish( I will be constantly thinking of next steps though!)
Welcome any and all input!
Talk soon
E
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Ed, hit my contact button (the little envelope under my avatar to the left there...) and I'll send you a couple sheets of veneer for your project. No need to whittle any off your bass! You'll have some nice uniform thickness pieces, you can trim to whatever size/shape is needed. If I didn't think you could do it based on your last Spoiler project, I wouldn't offer. If you take a little time, and practice first, the repair will be very hard to see. At worst, it'll be way better than what you have.
Sometimes the stamps went a little bit deeper or not deep enough, but your bass is 1976 issue. The last 1973 serial number was 40-something... 73-47 I think... it's early. ::)
*correct about the logo; hand-cut silver until the cast bronze ones appear later in '77. Here's mine.
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Greg is much more professional in his work than I would be. My thoughts were getting some small pieces of matching wood to mix with some epoxy to make a filler. Since you are sanding the bass you will be removing the oxidized layer of wood so a match should be pretty close. You will be able to see it but it should hide the repair somewhat. I would also consider going bold and making a highly visible repair with an inlay of some type.
The serial numbers on instruments are hand stamped so aren't always perfect. From the picture it looks like a 76 to me and 412 would fit with that year as well.
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Wow, only 6 numbers away from my long-lost original 5-string 76-418. Ask him if he knows where his brother might be?
Great that you are bringing this one back to spec! We wish you the best of luck with the rebuild. The hum canceller is glued in place and I believe a rubber mallet is involved in its removal. (Yikes!) I also think you should take the opportunity to simply ship the electronics to HQ to be refurbished and brought up to modern specs. They can't do the full noise reduction tuning when it's not in the bass but they could certainly get it all working properly. Just my opinion, and only if you want to invest the time and $$ into that part of the revival. You could also just order a pre-wired pickup selector switch if that original Grayhill is failing, or has been spilled on. Unless there have been previous-owner modifications you are unlikely to find any cold solder joints. The factory work has always been NASA-spec stuff. Individual components can fail but I'd bet the wiring itself has never been an issue. Like, ever.
Carry on. Keep this thread going as we cheer you on.
Jimmy J
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Ed,
That looks great!
Gregory is a friggin’ wood wizard. That’s some high-level skill sets happening there.
Scraping the battery compartment seems reasonable (says the guy who has an exposed strap-location hole on his Distillate and swears it doesn’t have a negative impact on the tone nor playability of it). :o
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Hello!
Edwardofhuncote,
Thank you! I will certainly reach out to you!
Many, many thanks for all the input from the stalwart 'Alembic ambassadors'- Edwardofhuncote,JimmyJ,Pauldo, Keith...
You guys are really an amazing resource! I know I've leaned on you all before! I'm still a novice for these instruments, but its been a fun journey learning, and damn they sound great!
I have a few days pause in this project, which is good, but I feel as my dogs do when I grab the leash for a walk...Want to work on it!! Patience is not my strong suit.
JimmyJ, I think I will keep the hum canceller in place as opposed to a rubber mallet. That sounds potentially hazardous.
Do think the selector switch has been done post Alembic (via Alembic thread and from inspection...don't mean to cast any shade if member is lurking, heaven knows I've done worse solder joints, but the Alembic work is pretty self evident and spectacular)
Will send an email to Alembic an get an idea of the cost of updating electronics.
Do they need the hum canceller, or for that matter all the pickups for refurb?
Will get back to it over the weekend.
Heres another shot of the finish removal of the back of headstock (Zebrawood)...Heat gun technique worked very well. very light lifting of grain thankfully!
Thanks again for the chats and the encouragment! Talk soon.
Ed
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My idea was born out of the old "stick a toothpick and glue in the hole" method. I thought taking the wood out of the battery compartment was the closest match. I'm no where near the level of Greg but I see I'm not at your level either.....I wouldn't be able to get that finish off with my skillset. Keep the photos coming.....Love a good Alembic restoration.
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Update -
Happy Easter!
Been a busy weekend. Hope you all are well!
Here is a few shots of the finished sanded body(600 grit) and a few of the pickup selector switch.
Please let me know if it is original equip? Seems to have some serious oxidation or?
Did some cleaning of the wires and switches and its not budging on the switch...
Did put an email into Alembic regarding getting the electronics checked out, but it was a holiday weekend...
Edofhuncote sent you a email message from this site hope you received it?
I did have a piece of maple in garage that I used a spoke shave on for some very thin ( curls..)pieces of maple for veneer of strap scar. Think your idea will work!
Did some epoxy filling of the pickup ears / screw holes which were cracked and had some serious chucks missing out of the bottoms?
Also, had a jeweler fill in a gap on the bridge saddle piece. Will see how that turned out this week. Think he used silver instead of brass, so might be a redo.
Did a lot of polishng and cleaing of parts, and didn't want to take out the hum canceller pick up, but I couldn't get to the wood cleaned up well between, so out it went---NOT easy at all!
Coming together little by little.
All that said, did get a little playing time in today...Good to have a reward!
Talk soon
Ed
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One more...
The build card says core mahogany. It looks very tan/brown compared red. Different kind of mahogany?
Its has has the streaks like you would see in Ash, but seems softer, like alder...
Neck is birch opposed to maple? Think side grain maple will work for screw hole patch.
The other interesting thing is the cracks in the original finish were "printed" on the wood(as grey lines) this took a bit of aggressive sanding to reduce.
Didn't get rid of all of them, but definitely reduced.
Trying to not remove the history, just refresh it a bit!
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Lookin' like a good start Ed... I expect Jimmy J will have some say about that switch. I agree, corrosion there from something. It does look like the right switch, but admittedly it's been a few years since I looked at one removed from a bass. For sure they can get you another if needed.
The "printed" lines you saw were most likely the result of oxidation. The unprotected wood sorta' got a little burned where the varnished parts didn't... no real harm done there. I bet when that purpleheart receives a coat or two of finish it darkens right back up and the oxidized lines won't show much, if at all. Likewise, the mahogany core will redden up... it's naturally a kinda' tan/brown. For whatever reason, it still is on my Custom fretless... the body core so far has stayed a kinda' orange hue. I probably have some birch veneer strips too, I'll dig around in here today and look for some. Alembics in those earlier years would often have different woods used for necks than what we think of as a standard now. It's just one of the reasons I find them so fascinating and individual. My older Series bass has a center laminate of beech, with purpleheart laminates on either side of it, and maple to the outermost. There's not a huge difference between them visually, until you see them side-by-side.
*I haven't gotten anything from the Clubmail... it's known to be glitchy. Try it again, and if it doesn't work I'll message you my contact.
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You're making fine progress there, it's looking good!
That does indeed appear to be the OEM p/u selector switch but it looks like it's been through a hurricane! Here are a couple pictures of one of mine from an 1982 Series I. Note the tight solder work, no bent lugs, and general cleanliness. What does the cavity under that switch plate look like? It should be silvery and clean. If I were you I would place an order for a new pre-wired switch. I believe the color coding of the wires has remained consistent over the years so it would just be a matter of matching the other end of the wires to their original destinations. That would definitely clear up any issues with that switch.
Keep going, you're doing great!
Jimmy J
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So glad you made the decision to refinish. After a couple of coats of spray that purpleheart is going to look as amazing as the refurbished Hyak that was done by Alembic.
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So glad you made the decision to refinish. After a couple of coats of spray that purpleheart is going to look as amazing as the refurbished Hyak that was done by Alembic.
Oh wow, I remember that one... now that was a restoration for the books! Weird coincidence; I just rotated my Hyak into the on-deck stand this weekend. I'm experimenting with B-E-A-D tuning on it. I gotta' get back on that project too, one of these days. I'm just not motivated to mess with things that work! 😄
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That's a beauty of a bass!
Can't say I've seen one of those before. (Hyak)
Always a new discovery on this club!
Learned a valuable lesson regarding purple heart and danish oil...it darkens the purple heart a bit brown...Backpedalling...one step back...ugh.
Seems a water based poly and shellac a better option?
Edofhuncote...Sent another message but I think possibly not making the jump( outtage at Alembic?)
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Nah, nothing in my inbox yet, so I sent you a message using the Club messaging system. It's the little 'thought balloon' lookin' thingy there next to your icon... the message should appear in the upper bar under "messages".
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Hello Club
Update and a question.
First the question.
Bottom of hum cancellation pickup shield wire is a bit frayed right at pickup epoxy.
Wiggle it a bit and huge hum…not a lot of room to fix.
Have to do fix prior to reinstalling. Suggestion?
Considering allowing a drip of solder to splash at the spot solidifying the shield, then applying small amount of plumbers epoxy (putty) to reinforce the join? It’s a little weird of a fix, but think it would do job?
Appears that with a bit of contact cleaner on the four trim pots on circuit board, the noise (bad on the right most trim pot(bridge pu), was the main offender.
Btw, most of the plastic slotted screw on those trim pots broken or stripped. Ugh.
But after re-soldering the 5pin to check seems to have diminished? Fingers crossed.
Here’s where S1, 76 stands.
New tuners ordered.
Brass parts cleaned and polished.
Bridge saddle filled…looks okay(jeweler silver brass filled), I think.
Body stripped, sanded, danish oil applied, then removed(purpleheart gets brownish with oil)
Oil removed, re- sanded, lesson learned…
Frets leveled and cleaned.
Electronics, 5 pins- less noise than with 1/4” and batteries.
Pickup issue(help?!)
Edofhuncote to the rescue! He’s sending veneer of birch and purpleheart on way…many thanks!!!!
(That part of repair will be tricky!)
Picked up new wood carving chisels…for this fix
Pictures to come soon. Playing today! Been a bit.
Huge thank you to Edofhuncote!
Any suggestions or words of advice very welcome!
Talk soon
E
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I can't see any harm in trying a a band-aid fix on the wire shielding for the humcanceller... I mean, worst-case it'll do what it was going to anyway, right? If it's me, I'm looking for a replacement right now while in rebuild mode. If it wasn't destroyed, and if they can find it, (both of which are pretty low-percentage) you are welcome to the one from my other Series bass that's at Alembic for pickup replacement (and some other stuff I forget...). My understanding is that they don't make much effort at saving those dummy-coils when replacing them. You should be able to get a replacement, and I would.
What you're describing about the trimpots doesn't sound good. You need those to work in order to dial out the hum. I can't think of a reason why it'd be worse with the 1/4" jack from the 5-pin... there shouldn't be any. Poor contact with shielding paint maybe?
I can't really help you sort out these electronic issues, as I am right much of a Wire Dunce. These guys are sharp on this stuff though. I'll try to put together a pictorial for filling and covering those screw holes... email on that coming later.
*regarding finish; not sure if it is even available to you in CA. but I use, and love Deft. They have recently changed the product name to ProLuxe, but they swear it's the same formula. It's an acrylic lacquer, and it's crystal clear... absolutely will not corrupt the natural color of the wood, but will definitely enhance it. Think: grain *pops* when this stuff seals it. But you have to get all that oil offa' there. Wipe it down with lacquer thinner first.
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Good morning!
That is exactly my thought. If the hum canceller pickup works in a given position, hopefully a somewhat carefully placed splat of solder will help stabilize, will apply the epoxy after if hum is doing its job. Was kinda wondering what folks do if the wires get yanked from pickups...Not really a way to address like in a fender, etc...
The trim pots are a concern for sure. seems like I was able to adjust to remove most of the noise, but very slowly and carefully. They were very brittle and kinda stuck in place.
Did a fairly liberal dousing in contact cleaner prior to turning again, and it did a huge help.
Hope to make it work and leave well enough alone. Pictorial will be a huge help!
When contacting Alembic, do you use the technical email address, call, or ? - any tips on the best way to reach them?
Here are some photos of work in progress.
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I have a small stash of those IC's in the last picture if you find a need to replace any of them.
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Will the brass sustain block not come out? (it should... might just be tight in its rout)
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Thanks Jazzyvee!
Will see after I jump in with the Hum canceller pickup, what the outcome is. If it goes south, the whole thing will probably go to Alembic.
Thank you again for the IC offer!
My soldering is not nearly to the level of what comes out of Alembic, and dealing with printed circuit boards gives me pause.
You guys rock!
Edofhuncote, when I worked on the 5 string spoiler, the block just fell out. On the S-1, I noticed the clear ( somewhat soft and pliable) material ( looked same as the poly) that held the hum canceller pick up elevated and (slightly tilted) in place was possibly under the block? maybe some very thick poly? Block didn't seem to want to come out...Will take another look. Rubber mallet dislodge attempt?
Currently the bass is sitting in sun catching some rays to help purple up the purpleheart. Saw and read on youtube? Giving it a shot 30 mins front and 30 mins back.
Figured I would do that while upgrading (then debiugging) Protools / Eucon software at home.
I also have to do a through cleaning of my exploiter after my guitar players diet coke exploded all over me, the bass and my pedal board!
Thanks again gents!
Always welcome your insight and input.
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Depending on how bad the frayed hum canceller shield is, you might be able to patch it with shielding tape. This tape has a conductive adhesive, so you won’t have to worry about soldering. You may have to strip a bit more insulation to from the hum canceller cable get a bit more coverage with the tape. Here’s an example of the tape:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/316706237544?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338590836&toolid=10044&customid=2380cab8335918ff8334a2b7ccaac49e (https://www.ebay.com/itm/316706237544?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338590836&toolid=10044&customid=2380cab8335918ff8334a2b7ccaac49e)
You can also find tape which uses copper foil with a conductive adhesive. Try searching around to find what might work best for your application.
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Hello and Thanks cntrabass.
That’s a good looking product.
May come back around to that.
Just a quick note - all the electronics are removed from bass and testing is done without being installed in bass.
I’ve set up the Location of pickups in roughly same place as it would be in bass… but on a piece of cardboard.
All that said, I tried the solder drip. Nailed the spot first shot!
however it just became a larger moving and humming piece, and doing the fix while being amplified(to determine if shield is open(hum) was a bit tricky. Solution became hot glue.
Got the wire in place so that shield is correct (and hum reduced) and hot glued it in place.
Wiggled it to check, seems to be stable.
Bigger issue…noticed on PF 6 board trim pot #1 (left to right) makes intermittent noise when touched, and the circuit solder joint above trim pot #2 has a touch issue as well. Kept touching this spot (while amplified) and could get intermittent noise (sometimes noticeably quieter)by tapping on it.
Not sure what is happening there - it’s a solder joint? At best, the noise generated is low mostly high freq - still above 240hz with a few harmonics above that which get increased with eq…
Getting bleary. Calling it a day. Will see what other trouble I can get in tomorrow!!
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You might find some helpful clues, and definitely some inspiration in this restoration thread on a 1976 Series bass Alembic took on a few years ago. (high purpleheart content)
https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=7000.0 (https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=7000.0)
*you may wind up sending at least that preamp card back to them for some repairs.
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Hey!
Good afternoon!
I had a Steve Martin in 'The Jerk" moment when I saw a package from Edofhuncote with some wood veneer in my mailbox.
Very similar to "The new phonebook is here!" scene....
Also, thanks for that link to the restoration of that bass. Very unique instrument for sure. Came out beautiful, not surprised sending back home for TLC...
Going to attempt to make some space for veneer to cover up the screw holes in back of neck / body. Gonna be a interesting challenge, I'm a little scared...
Regarding the electronics - Yeah, I'm sure the electronics will need to make a trip up north for a check up and possible piece replacement. Going to investigate that latter this week.
For now, I'm gonna stay with exterior challenges and attention.
Not sure if the sunbathing changed any real color on the bass, but was worth a try.
Heres a shot of the PF6 with arrows showing where it responds to tapping. Doubt that's a good thing and the sunbathing beauty...
Thanks again Edofhuncote!
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Things are moving along nicely! Good work.
I would definitely see if you could send the card and harness to HQ for a once-over - if they can squeeze in the service call. Those trim pots look like they've been through a lot! Those are not terribly hard to replace but the flat-pack chips require a whole 'nother level of soldering skills.
I believe that 2nd spot you point to is where the center wire from the humbucker cable is connects to the board. It's possible that connection would benefit from being reheated to reflow the solder. But it's also possible the FET on the other side has become microphonic. And as I said before I've never tried to replace one of those and would probably overcook it if I tried.
Great that you're bring this axe back to life. You're gonna enjoy it!
Jimmy J
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Following your restoration process with interest. If your still looking for more purple in the Purple Heart, a friend of mine who is a former air traffic control supervisor turned master woodworker has done considerable work with the wood. He suggests that prior to using the UV method you should put some acetone on the purpleheart. Another approach he has taken is gentle heating of the wood. As Greg has indicated, use of a lacquer (e.g., deft/proluxe) that provides UV protection will help keep the purple hue.
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Acetone will also help remove any of the residue from the Danish oil, that would most certainly lead to a lot of swear-words 🤬 when the first wash coats of lacquer hit.
Good to hear the Post Office is on the ball. Sent you some pictures and ideas this morning. 😉
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Good to know.
I have been using acetone for a while as a clean up after sanding, work etc...
Didn't know that it had the effects on the purpleheart, but since I have removed the danish oil applied, going over it a few time with acetone is a given.
A few updates;
The sustain block is out...took a little pry bar under screws (not original) and gently got it out.
Needed to increase the diameter of tuner holes from 11mm to 14mm for new tuners (schaller m4 180's)
been doing demos of the patch for the screw holes. kinda sketchy so far with not great results, will keep at it.
Once that is done, I will probably use the same shielding paint for inside ( stewmac ) not tradition Alembic silver...its black, and then mask off that space well...that paint gets everywhere like a fine powder...Even the original silver comes off pretty easily.
After doing some reading (Thanks for suggestions)The finish will probably be a wax free shellac, then a water based poly. By most accounts this is the most true to color, non yellowing combo...Thoughts?
Left a message at Alembic regarding electronics. Will follow up with another next week.
Thats it for now. Time to practice some patches.
Talk soon
E
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Hello Club!
Update-
Did the patch, after not until after some extensive practicing.
Came out ok, but not as clean as I would like. Not sure how happy I will ever be with it.
Ended up with a maple patch, which looked like a great match with grain and color, but seems to have lightened a bit too much after application?
Ordered some additional birch veneer to see if I can find a better match.
Debating redoing it. Not sure where I am at with it...
Many thanks to Edofhuncote for your veneers! much appreciation for your work. This is challenging.
Did breakdown the electronics and had a chat with Mary at Alembic to send electronics back to home for assessment and recovery.
Will get that out today sometime.
Painted the shielding paint in cavity, and did some slight finish sanding on the body / headstock.
Will hold off on this project for a while until I hear from Alembic...
Some pictures of the progress
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That patch looks pretty darn good from here Ed! 🧐 It looks a sight better than those screw holes... nice work man! Here's what you can do to help it blend; there are these marker pens made for touching up furniture. The ink is alcohol-based, not oil-based. (this detail is very important) You may have to buy the set to get the one you need, but there's a full array of browns, ambers, and reddish-brown hues. I would try the lightest one first, it'll say something like "oak" or maple"... swipe it a couple times and then buff with a little 0000 steel wool. If it goes too dark, take a little denatured alcohol and wipe it out. When you hit the right shade of beige, finish right over it.
*these are the ones I have, but there's a bunch on the market. https://www.rejuvenatecleaning.com/products/wood-repair-markers/brown-wood-repair-markers
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Excellent patch. Wouldn't see it if I wasn't looking. And I still can't see it.
And I love the cardboard mounted electronics. For a minute I thought somebody had made a Series I Cigar Box Bass. HA! I carry an extra wiring harness on the road in my emergency parts kit and have it mounted in a similar fashion.
Carry on with the strong work!
Jimmy J
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What screw hole? 😉. Looks really nice.
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Really good work on the screw holes! I had to go back to the original photo to find the locations. It looks like normal wood / grain variation now.
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Hello Club
Thanks!
As with the spoiler refurbish project, I'm learning a ton along the way.
Many thanks for all the help and tips.
Really takes a village!
I think the pictures do some justice to the actual work, but even my son asked if I had redone it, because he thought it looked " better".
I guess one always focuses on the problem...?
Edofhuncote, I did grab a set of markers will double check for alcohol based or other. Good to check. I like to learn by making mistakes, so any help to avoid is appreciated!
speaking of mistakes...
I was watching a video of the 'Driftwood Guitars' luthier talking about mistakes he had made...Where he put inlay on 13th fret instead of 12th...Suppose we all prone? Even those far more accomplished than myself.
Have this week off (kinda) so I'm trying to get my plan of action for next steps.
Did a test of the shellac finish next to the danish oil, very, very little darkening / difference on a small piece of purpleheart.
Think I will stay with the shellac ( alcohol based ) and water based poly for topcoat...
Also looking up small metal number stamps for the headstock to re stamp the 76...
Electronics are headed north...so the pause button for a while...
Always looking for any comments and suggestions along the way.
Talk soon
E
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Update -
Feel like I've turned a corner with this bass.
Electronics made their was safely to Alembic, confirmed with Mary, so now just to wait on a verdict / call?.
After much debate, and during some small spot repair, ding clean up, and sealer coats, I re, re, re-did the patch on back of neck.
This time after making some birch spokeshave slices from top grain of hardwood boards.
Problem was the original maple patch seemed to get lighter as I applied finish to it, was a little obvious, and it was nagging at me that it didn't look as good as I think it could.
I've included some new pictures of the fix. looks much better, IMHO.
Will start cleaning that up and re-applying the sealer(wax free shellac) Top coat( water based Poly) probably in a week or so.
With any luck, maybe playing it by July?
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Hello -
Hope all is well...
Couple more shots to update, showing the fix, and the multiple coats of sealer / shellac.
If you have used it, its a bit tricky. Stays tacky far longer than anticipated, and shows everything drips, prints, sags, etc...
The process is like this...coat, dry, sand, coat...in infinitum!
That said its coming along.
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That's going to look fantastic, Ed. 😎
My only tip here; a clamp-lamp or two and a fan speeds up the curing a little. Warm, dry air moving across it... still takes 4-ever. On the other hand... it ain't a race. 😄
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That is a nice project! If i remember right, the Alembic refinish offers more than one look. It gives you the choice of a vintage look or a new look, depending on how much tint they add to the finish. However, it's been a while so I might be wrong.
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I love the look you are going for. Purpleheart should look purple and yours looks great.
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Hello -
Thanks for all the encouragement!
The odd thing is that despite being treated the same, and applied with the same shellac and top coat, the front and back have different looks
The back is far more purple and the front more brown. Not sure why.
Bit of a delicate process with the shellac.
Not sure I will use in future. Seems to apply okay, but when dried, it’s often streaky and uneven.
Hope you all are enjoying a nice weekend.
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Forgot to post the picture...Top coat started.
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10 coats and starting to sand down to make smooth...
Getting there!
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Hello Club,
Hope this finds you well!
A bit embarassed to ask this question.
In my excitement to get started a few months back, I never noted the bridge height or at what level the nut, which I believe works as a stop for string height adjustment, was originally set?
Still awaiting the electronics from Alembic, but starting to put 76-412 back together...kinda a dry fit.
Any help would be appreciated. Granted I haven't put on strings, nor has any nut or truss adjustments have been done, just getting the parts together.
Btw, The 1980 is coming along nicely too, the wood (padauk?? has a very open grain quality, and there has been many, many coats to make smooth-not quite there yet, but close.
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76-412 looks great Ed!
I wouldn't worry too much about pre-setting the bridge height... it's easy enough to run the screws on either side up or down as needed when you are setting it back up. Likely as not, you'll need to adjust the intonation on each string some too. Same for the truss-rod if you slacked it off for the restoration. Just do all that in your final setup.
Looking good man. 😎
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Thank you Edwardofhuncote!
Little tricky to make adjustments on that bridge design. Maybe I will string it up and start on some preliminary adjustments - minus electronics.
Will put another call into the mothership today and see if I can get an idea of when the repair will happen for electronics.
Couple of better pictures catching some sun.
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That's a beautiful thing. :D