Wood tail piece on 1976 S1 bridge? and other questions..

[edwardofhuncote]

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.

[Artgeckko]

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.

[jazzyvee]

I have a small stash of those IC's in the last picture if you find a need to replace any of them.

[edwardofhuncote]

Will the brass sustain block not come out? (it should... might just be tight in its rout)

[Artgeckko]

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.

[cntrabssn]

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


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.

[Artgeckko]

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!!

[edwardofhuncote]

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


*you may wind up sending at least that preamp card back to them for some repairs.

[Artgeckko]

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!

[JimmyJ]

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

[hammer]

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.

[edwardofhuncote]

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. 😉

[Artgeckko]

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

[Artgeckko]

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

[edwardofhuncote]

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