Gregory,
I agree- structurally it looks to be in decent shape. The one are of concern for me is the control cavity threaded insert that is closest to the strap button on the bottom of the bass. There is a little wiggle in that insert and the wood surrounding the insert seems a bit soft, but I might have just been scraping gunk off of the mahogany at that point. I didn't really do anything more than try to scrape whatever funk was gunked up along the routed shelf edge where the control cavity sits.
At this point, the plan is Essence electronics for this. I'll have to dowel one of the holes for the epic pots and then redrill the dowel for Q switch install, but everything else appears to be in relatively decent shape. I have a LOT of work to do practicing my finishing technique, but if I pull off what I hope to pull off, this should look pretty decent when all is said and done.
First step will be to look into the finish originally used on the Epic and to start the process of removing the damaged finish. Assuming the maple top is stained permanently around the holes for the pots, the plan is to mask off the maple top and shoot it an opaque orange while leaving the mahogany natural. There is a whole lot of sanding and prep to be done and I'll have to shoot dozens of practice pieces to get to the point I can execute my vision properly, but eventually I'll get it right. I'll be picking away at it an hour here and there, so this will be a project that more than likely takes me an extended time period to complete, but even with the new wiring harness and bridge rehab kit, I should come in well under normal market price for a used Epic once done (my labor/time/efforts being free of course).
