Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

  1. #1
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Posts
    437

    What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    This intent here is to show us what you have done or have had done and by doing so may encourage questions that will benefit someone else.

    I'll start it off with a little guitar (literally, little) I got years ago. I've had this hanging in my shop for 3 or 4 years and decided today was the day to getting playing and turn it into Tiny Freak 63. Had a set of Stew Mac Tuners in my tool box, that didn't fit another project, and put them on it. Humbucker was missing an adjustment screw. Have a ton of screws for single coils but not one for a HB. What does one do? One superglues 5 pennies together, puts double sided tape on the bottom of them and then sticks them to the guitar body. Then one installs the HB, tapes down both ends, for symmetry, and moves on. Interesting wiring; has a 3 way switch with a 4 wire HB which gives it 3 different tones. Gave the pots and switch a couple shots of Deoxit and buttoned it up. Did a fret polish and put a set of EB 8's on. The nut slots are cut way wide and it should be making some weird noises when played but it doesn't. This little thing stays in tune and I was able to set the intonation. I put on the white stripes (see what I did there) and Tiny Freak 63 was a go. Bought a box of guitar parts a while back and during negotiations I said throw the little guitar in and I'll take it.

  2. #2
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    8,163

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    And voilà, you have a nice guitar.

    Good work.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  3. #3
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    The Deep North
    Posts
    2,346

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    Not a guitar, but a motorcycle clutch. A one hour job has turned into a multi week job as I wait for parts from Germany.

  4. #4
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    1,174

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    As far as guitars go, my MIM Tele is down looking at the jack.
    The kiddo yanked the cable out of it, breaking the cable, and I think doing something inside. Hoping it's just a solder joint off on the jack, but it doesn't give any good sound, and does give out a horrific squeal.
    Also have to look at my Boogie Rocket 44. Same kiddo was playing with the switches and did something. Now it buzzes when on.
    Hoping it's a tube - but I don't know.
    ********************************
    "Do you call sleeping with a guitar in your hands practicing?"
    "It is if you don't drop it."
    - Trent Lane, Daria, Episode 1-2.

  5. #5
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,717

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    I've got about 7 guitars that I want to polish the frets on, at least 6 that I need to give a full set up to because I never did it after getting them (or when I finished building it). One I want to try a TE59 Florance pickup in. a couple of the new guitars I want to work on the nuts, smoothing the edges. Some of the necks need a little fret end dressing and fingerboard edge rolling.

    I've got a custom cab that's been waiting 5 years for me to put the '71 Champ chassis and the '60s Jensen C12N speaker into. I've got a 12" baffle for the '69 Princeton and a Weber Blue Dog that I bought from Ted (RIP). I've got some tubes to do some tube rolling in my Princeton Reverb and to retube some rack gear for my recording setup.

    Lots of cleaning, removing plastic from pick guards, etc. Then there are parts for two more guitars. Some of those parts need holes drilled and to be finished with either stain or sprayed.

    not a shortage of things to do, that's for sure
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  6. #6
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Bloomfield, CT
    Posts
    6,774

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    Changed the temp sensor in my stove a couple days ago and swapped out the WiFi card on my Dell laptop. OF course I gashed my index finger on the metal frame in the back of the stove so my guitar playing is limited until it heals. It looks like I also need to change the baking element.

    I also had a fun time with the laptop. The card is actually really easy to replace, but the tab that attaches the antenna broke off when I tried to remove it, so I had to fish out the metal tab. IT was really tiny and the wire like a hair so I played with it for about an hour. I did get the tab out and it all went back together, but I got scared for a bit. Now it has Wifi 6 and BT 5.1. I have a wifi 6 router so there was an advantage to the upgrade.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

  7. #7
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    8,163

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    I recently put flats on my Ric 4001. With that and real horseshoe and toaster pickups, I've got everything I want in that bass.

    Except the ability to use the built-in damper / mute, foam attached to the top of a little metal piece that has become bent, therefore muting only two strings. To fix it would require taking the bridge off, and I always hate these jobs because I have fumble fingers and doubt what I'm doing. Still, I want the mute to work so I can use it often.

    It gives the bass a pizzicato sound.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  8. #8
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    11,288

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    No repairs or work going on right now, though I still have a couple of pieces of gear belonging to other people in my basement months after repair! They're friends so it's ok.

  9. #9
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,717

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    I recently put flats on my Ric 4001. With that and real horseshoe and toaster pickups, I've got everything I want in that bass.

    Except the ability to use the built-in damper / mute, foam attached to the top of a little metal piece that has become bent, therefore muting only two strings. To fix it would require taking the bridge off, and I always hate these jobs because I have fumble fingers and doubt what I'm doing. Still, I want the mute to work so I can use it often.

    It gives the bass a pizzicato sound.
    does it have a lever? There's a guy in Germany who makes a bass mute that's highly regarded at Talk Bass. I got one of his and that reminds me of yet another project I mean to do. I'd offer it to you if it would work lefty but I don't think it will. But you can try emailing him and ask if he makes a lefty version for a ric bass. I got to warn you though, it was like 5 or 6 months before he said my order was ready and then it sat in NYC for almost 2 more months.

    bert@hotwire-bass.de
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  10. #10
    Forum Member FrankJohnson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Bad JuJu Blues - Its Good for your Soul!
    Posts
    3,935

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    I have a bass I put together from parts a few years back. Has a GREAT Neck - but there are 1-2-3 high frets and some that need dressed/crowned/leveled. I bought the neck used and those issues were there then, but are worse now.

    I am taking that to be "worked on" and anticipate it being great again!

    It has a Reggie Hamilton Neck like a AVRI Jazz neck, with old tuners since it came stripped. A Hwy 1 body, Roadworn Pups, threaded saddle Bridge from my Jaguar, US Std Wire Harness. I think I have about $250 into it. Its a nice instrument.
    Kenny Belmont
    >:^{I)>

  11. #11
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    SW New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    1,658

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    I'm just about finished with a PJ bass project for my beautiful bride. A friend gave it to me years ago, his kid had stripped it, and painted it black. I cleaned it up, and painted it an almond color, (a nice contrast with black hardware), but my original plan to finish with clear polyurethane didn't pan out. I remembered it a couple of weeks ago, and started over, this time using clear enamel, looks pretty good. It's close now, just need the pickups and controls installed, strings, and set up. I hope to determine the pickups phase now before assy. but we'll see how it sounds!

  12. #12
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,717

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    another thread reminded me of yet another project I have. A bass mute that I got from a guy in Germany. I think I had been on the trail of this for 2-3 years, finally got a hold of the guy and then it was another 10 months before I finally got it (Covid delayed it quite a while, it wasn't all on him).
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  13. #13
    Forum Member FrankJohnson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Bad JuJu Blues - Its Good for your Soul!
    Posts
    3,935

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    another thread reminded me of yet another project I have. A bass mute that I got from a guy in Germany. I think I had been on the trail of this for 2-3 years, finally got a hold of the guy and then it was another 10 months before I finally got it (Covid delayed it quite a while, it wasn't all on him).

    Did you say "Mute"?
    Kenny Belmont
    >:^{I)>

  14. #14
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,717

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    Quote Originally Posted by FrankJohnson View Post

    Did you say "Mute"?
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  15. #15
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    SW New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    1,658

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    I finally finished with the bass, had a time trying to figure out how to determine phase of the pickups. As it turned out, I got it right! Took it to my friend Russell who set it up, and gave it to my beautiful bride Saturday. She spent a couple of hours with it, and said the scale length wasn't a problem, and she is exploring sounds from the controls. She has has Gibsons since the late 70's, but her first bass was a Mustang I traded a guitar for.




  16. #16
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    8,163

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    Bill, gracious what a great looking bass! I love to hear a little back story like this one about your wife and her basses. She's lucky to get this bass, and I bet you're lucky to have her.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  17. #17
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    SW New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    1,658

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    I'm certainly lucky that she's with me! We went together in high school, and married in '68.
    I had a Mosrite MK? Ventures model when I was in the service. When we got home Frank, a guitar player I worked with before cornered me to play drums in a band he was in. The bass player and I were talking, he had a spare bass, a Mustang, so we traded. My beautiful bride, pregnant with our oldest decided to play around with it. Frank found out, and started coming by on the weekends, buying her Mel Bay books, and generally encouraging her. I was tied up with other bands in the 70's, but was always booking jobs. Val and her sisters started getting together, and found a lead player and drummer, so I started booking them when my band was busy. We finally got to play together in the late 70's, and have been playing together since then!
    As far as basses, I found her an EB-3, and then an SB 350 that I hot rodded with Dimarrizos, and a BassAss bridge. On a whim our guitar player picked up a matching headless bass and guitar thinking they would look cool onstage. After a few gigs, the novelty wore off! A few years ago, I ended up with an A/E guitar boot from a trade. I took it over to a friends house to jam, and he fell in love, so I came home with an A/E bass for my bride. She likes the sound, except when I plug the soundhole to keep feedback down, and says it is just a little more difficult to play.

  18. #18
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    8,163

    Re: What gear is currently on your work bench getting fixed by you or someone else?

    There's nothing much better than playing music with someone you love.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •