Author Topic: Tuning Gear Question For Mica and The Club (Read 871 times)

bucky · « **Reply #15 on:** June 24, 2003, 12:20:56 PM »

Mica:

You're a Sweetheart Mica. . thanks! and I most definitely will be paying Alembic a visit with my Brown Bass in the next few months. I've located the Flitz for the brass and now I'm looking for boiled linseed oil for the finish. I've been told that that is the best for these old Alembic finishes. That is true, right?

Jeff

palembic · « **Reply #16 on:** June 24, 2003, 03:07:41 PM »

***sigh***
now you see why Mica is moder and I'm the senior clown around here.
I was just getting this idea: hey Jeff , why not contact Schaller directly and bluntly ask what you need. I've experienced them as friendly people, and speaking english!
But (aoh that but) good-ol flashy mica outsmarted me here!
Well ... there must be one in every crowd LOL

Paul the slower one

bucky · « **Reply #17 on:** June 24, 2003, 03:46:09 PM »

LOL!!! What can I say Paul. . .all that and she's cuter than anyone around here too! She truly is The Goddess Alembica. . .

Jeff

p.s. You are greatly appreciated too(-; Heck I didn?t even think of it. . how slow does that make me. .

dfung60 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 25, 2003, 10:23:53 PM »

I don't know if this will get you anywhere, but you might give Steve Soest a call at Soest Guitar Repair (www.soestguitar.com) in Orange, CA. The number used to be (714)538-0272. He's got a fairly enormous stock of vintage guitar parts. He may have other pointers as well if he doesn't have 'em.

Another guy with loads of vintage parts is Koz-Ax's Guitars (www.kozaxs.com). They have a pretty enormous stock of old stuff. They were good for a long time, then the owner left and things went downhill, but I believe he's back now. Again, if they don't have 'em, they can probably point you to someone who will.

Another stab in the dark - try calling Hipshot, the guys that make D-Tuners. They may have a line on some of this old stuff, and if they don't have one, they can probably steer you to somebody who can make the needed mods on a newer Schaller (assuming that the ratio and feel would otherwise match, which may not be the case). The guy to talk to there in the past was somebody named Dave (Borosky or something like that, I think). I've never met anybody that was more of a bass tuning head geek than him. Also, if you can't score a vintage head, you can certainly have them make you a D-Tuner which will match your existing holes so you won't need to change anything around.

Good luck in the search.

David Fung

bucky · « **Reply #19 on:** June 26, 2003, 07:36:35 AM »

David:

That is a goldmine of resources, thank you so much! Thus far I've drawn a blank. I'm going to call ol' Big Dawg back at the end of the week per his instructions and I'm not exactly excited by the prospect. Maybe one of these other leads will pan out and I won't have to. The two problems I have are this: 1. I'd like to maintain the vintage value of my instrument by only using vintage parts. For obvious reasons. And 2. The post with the anchor screw is placed differently on the older Schallers. .and there is NO WAY I'm going to drill new holes in this Baby! Thus far I have located one set of vintage Schallers that are the right type but they're chrome not gold-plated. And though I understand that Alembic did use the chrome plated gears at one point MY Brown Bass had the rarer gold-plated ones and I intend on keeping that specialness. Anyway, I will check out these two websites and because I live here in Southern Cali I'll even *drive* to Orange to Soest Guitar Repair if need be to get the right tuners!

You've been a real help,

Jeff

palembic · « **Reply #20 on:** June 26, 2003, 06:20:11 PM »

Jeff

Hi there ...old slow stupid me again but (AND his but)
can't you let thos originals get a gold plate???
I don't know anything about metas tools and their (re)-plating but .... you never know.
Seens to be cool to have 4 the same ones (in the case you can't get 1)

Paul the simple one

bucky · « **Reply #21 on:** June 26, 2003, 07:25:10 PM »

Paul:

Yeah.. you know I agree there. Here's the situation now - three of the tuners are still working fine. One was broken and instead of keeping it the previous owner, not knowing they could be fixed, lost it. So he found two Gotohs that were similar (and thank god he didn't drill any new holes into the headstock!) and replaced the two on the bottom edge of the headstock. Thankfully he kept the one tuner that was working. I guess he thought the symmetry looked better with the two Gotohs there instead of one. Go figure. So. . I will either get one that matches the other three perfectly OR maybe replace all of them with a set of 4 of the exact same tuner. As far as having the chrome ones plated. . I hadn't thought of that! Mica? Anyone. . do you know of such a procedure? Would it work? Would it devalue the bass at all?

I'm intrigued. . .all comments welcome Oh My Alembic Brothers (and sisters!)

Jeff

mnewman · « **Reply #22 on:** June 27, 2003, 08:38:37 AM »

I have a whole set of Shallers off my '82 series1,would these work on your '74?

bucky · « **Reply #23 on:** June 27, 2003, 01:09:28 PM »

MNewman:

Maybe. . Wow that would be perfect. Is there some way you could take a picture of one and post it? Front and back?

I'd gladly pay for a set to have the right ones on here. . Mica. . what do you think? Would they be the same M4s you and I have discussed, oh Queen of All That is Alembic?

Made my day,

Jeff

mica · « **Reply #24 on:** June 27, 2003, 05:00:49 PM »

We'll have to rely on Matt for this one. Are the anchor screws toward the bottom or the inside of the peghead? The basic M4 design is fairly unchanged, it's just that pesky anchor screw that's migrated over time. I know, I know... Dannobasso thought they were non-migratory!

bucky · « **Reply #25 on:** June 27, 2003, 06:29:23 PM »

Mica:

Well let's see a picture of them. That?s the only way we?ll know. I know it's a hassle but I promise you I *will* buy them if they're the right ones. As Mica mentions, it's mainly the anchor screw position. However there is one other difference I've noticed (and correct me if I'm wrong Mica, please) but it appears as if the actual shaft of the older Schaller M4 is a bit longer. Not much but a bit. And last but not least, and I know this is probably silly but in your opinion if I put '82 Schallers on my '74 Brown Bass will it make it any less valuable as a vintage Alembic? Not that I will EVER let this out of my possession again!

Jeff

dela217 · « **Reply #26 on:** June 27, 2003, 08:56:13 PM »

I think the position of that anchor screw changed sometime in 77 or 78. Hope this helps.

bucky · « **Reply #27 on:** June 27, 2003, 09:32:35 PM »

Michael:

Thanks! BTW don't know if you saw my post to you in the other threads but thanks a TON for the written material you sent. It's the greatest. Now I know how to properly care for the finish of my Brown Bass. It sounds like you have quite a collection. And I think our taste in basses are similar. I'd love to see your basses. Maybe I'll make it down your way sometime with my Brown Bass. When my band tours to support the new CD we're working on I'll lobby for a swing through your area.

Jeff

jogi · « **Reply #28 on:** June 30, 2003, 08:55:18 AM »

hi, it?s me again - I had an ?81 small standard that had M4s like those you get now - but bucky, you?re right, they?re quite different in appearance (though not in function) from those used in the mid ?70s. I checked my ?74 Pedulla Orsini which has the old M4s and in addition to the fixing screw, the housing is also different... Maybe if we try real hard, we can get Schaller to reissue them: (shout all with me!) OLD STYLE! OLD STYLE! ...

)

bucky · « **Reply #29 on:** June 30, 2003, 09:41:23 AM »

OLD STYLE OLD STYLE OLD STYLE OLD STYLE

Am I shouting loud enough(-;

Thanks for your time anyway my Alembic Bro. . the search continues. . perhaps Mica will get a positive response from Schaller. . if she can't n one can!

Jeff