look what I 'found'... partsmaster content

Bringing your older offset back to life.
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fuzzking
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look what I 'found'... partsmaster content

Post by fuzzking » Tue Nov 09, 2021 12:12 pm

this one has a weird history... so around 2010 I imported what seemed like a '66 (dots and binding) from the US, and when it arrived, the only '66 parts on it were the d&b neck, neckplate and possibly the body, the rest was aftermarket parts. sending it back was not an option, and I couldn't get along with the bound neck, so I sold it and found a mistreated '62 neck which Jerker from Sweden (I can't even remember his forum handle anymore) restored for me. the headstock face and back had to be refinished to match the original worn in lacquer on the back of the neck, and the enlarged tuner holes had to be fitted with conversion bushings, which took forever due to unforeseen circumstances.

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^ transition from refin to original lacquer

meanwhile, the body was confirmed as a pre-cbs of some year on here (due to dowel holes, I believe?), and I found a matching 11-hole tort guard. when the neck arrived, it still needed a re-fret and a new nut. I took it to a guitar service guy in the local area, and the guy messed up the nut and installed jumbo frets, even though I told him not to. I was so upset and tired, I just paid the guy and stashed the guitar away at my family's place. I moved house quite a few times over the years and kind of forgot about the guitar. well, sometimes I remembered it, but I'd rather not think of it. it was all such a frustrating mess.

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fast forward to a few weeks ago: I went to my family's place to pick up some stuff, went through the guitar cases, played some guitars and 'found' this guitar again. it sat stashed away in a cheap case, behind the bed. I took it home with me, stared at the case in frustration over the weeks and last weekend found my rudimentary fretting tools in one of the gazillion moving boxes in the basement, sat down with the frets for an evening, and I'm super happy with how the frets turned out.

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it plays as well as the others, and while it's not a 'pro' fret job, I can't see how it could play any better.
sorry for the rant, I just had to share.

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so, what's original on this one (to at least some degree): body, neck and guard.
hardware is re-issue / aftermarket, and since I can't be bothered opening it up atm (I didn't even remove the neck for the fret work), I can't even tell whether there's possibly any original electronics or brass tub shielding. I simply can't remember. pups are antiquities or of such some sort.

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however, I'm so glad to have finally given the frets the overhaul. what a joy to have nice frets.
and I've been playing again occassionally, which in itself was worth the effort. yay!
Last edited by fuzzking on Tue Nov 09, 2021 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PorkyPrimeCut
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Re: look what I 'found'... 62-63 partsmaster content

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Tue Nov 09, 2021 3:40 pm

Jerker's forum name was olderbrother. He's not posted here for years.
He put some cool solo acoustic stuff on Facebook a few years ago. That's the last I saw of him.

You bought that 11-hole guard from me :)

It's great to see it being put to use.... but, it's a '59-'60 pickguard.
You should probably change your thread title to "59-63 partscaster content..." ;)

Great to see you back here, Mike.
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.

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fuzzking
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Re: look what I 'found'... 62-63 partsmaster content

Post by fuzzking » Tue Nov 09, 2021 4:34 pm

Hey Mark! Good to see you! Hope things are good in Berlin (in case you're still there)? How come you recognize your ex-pickguard? Did you spot the repairs?

And, of course, J used to be the olderbrother!!! :derp: funny, I can remember some actual names better than forum handles. Sadly, I lost all my old pm's / e-mails, so it's hard to trace back some of the foggier memories.

Maybe I should dissect the guitar some day and ask you guys for some input on dating several parts again. I seem to have forgotten all I knew about dating old stuff... I haven't touched my parts bin for years, and digging through it last weekend I had a real hard time even telling the vintage bridges and saddles and trems from the aged re-issue parts... dammit :fp:
Nobody exists on purpose.

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PorkyPrimeCut
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Re: look what I 'found'... 62-63 partsmaster content

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Wed Nov 10, 2021 2:44 am

fuzzking wrote:
Tue Nov 09, 2021 4:34 pm
Hey Mark! Good to see you! Hope things are good in Berlin (in case you're still there)? How come you recognize your ex-pickguard? Did you spot the repairs?
I'm in Leipzig, in the end Berlin was too big & expensive.

As soon as you said it was an 11-hole guard I knew it was my old one.
I had 2 (the other one is on my '59) and I've not seen another one since. They're very rare, it seems.
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.

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fuzzking
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Re: look what I 'found'... partsmaster content

Post by fuzzking » Wed Nov 10, 2021 3:26 am

Oh, Leipzig, I used to like it so much more than Berlin... good choice! About the guard: now I remember! I sold a 63-64 guard to Zai, and bought this one from you! Seems like a lifetime ago, and constantly mix things up... you had a '59 jm, no?

I'll need to open the guitar with the next string change and try to date that body and innards... this one must be the weirdest guitar I've ever owned. :D
Nobody exists on purpose.

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