Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
- Highnumbers
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
From this point, I wasted no time in reassembling. Spent most of this weekend cleaning old parts and doing setup work. Here you can see how nice the color match was for the original headstock. This is a really difficult color to photograph under florescent lighting, you can see it changes a lot from photo-to-photo.
Everything went back on pretty easily, I cleaned up a number of solder joints. Unfortunately, I discovered that at least one (if not two) of the pickups is dead and will likely need rewinding. The middle one works but has very low output compared to the healthy neck pickup. I'll unplug these after Christmas and send them in to get checked out or even rewound. Pretty common on old Fender pickups, no big deal.
Gotta admit, I had some anxiety about the already tight guard not fitting back on the guitar, despite taking immense caution mounting it to poly carbonate WITH the thimbles, pickups and switch plate in-place. There is more going on with a Bass VI pickguard than probably any other Offset model, and that's more opportunities for shrinkage. It took a bit of coaxing but everything fit back on, and the pickups adjust fine.
I spent the most amount of time this weekend messing around with the bridge. It was missing three saddles (and came to me as a four-string with one replaced saddle). Of course, everything on a Bass VI bridge is unique to this model, even the length of the 4-40 saddle screws and taller adjustor screws. And the longer springs, compared to a JM/Jag bridge.
My local hardware store barely had anything, so there was plenty of fudgery to get it functional for now (while I find correct hardware for it). I did have some original 60s saddles though. The taller adjustors are allen key thumbscrews from a Rickenbacker bridge mounted upside down and trimmed to size. It actually works great, though it's a pain to set up the height of course. Ironically all of this is just for "finished" photos and posterity because I'll be putting a Mastery bridge on this thing right away.
Speaking of "leave no trace," scroll back a few pages and check out this area that was hogged out for lazy truss rod access. The repair is totally invisible, quite proud of that.
Everything went back on pretty easily, I cleaned up a number of solder joints. Unfortunately, I discovered that at least one (if not two) of the pickups is dead and will likely need rewinding. The middle one works but has very low output compared to the healthy neck pickup. I'll unplug these after Christmas and send them in to get checked out or even rewound. Pretty common on old Fender pickups, no big deal.
Gotta admit, I had some anxiety about the already tight guard not fitting back on the guitar, despite taking immense caution mounting it to poly carbonate WITH the thimbles, pickups and switch plate in-place. There is more going on with a Bass VI pickguard than probably any other Offset model, and that's more opportunities for shrinkage. It took a bit of coaxing but everything fit back on, and the pickups adjust fine.
I spent the most amount of time this weekend messing around with the bridge. It was missing three saddles (and came to me as a four-string with one replaced saddle). Of course, everything on a Bass VI bridge is unique to this model, even the length of the 4-40 saddle screws and taller adjustor screws. And the longer springs, compared to a JM/Jag bridge.
My local hardware store barely had anything, so there was plenty of fudgery to get it functional for now (while I find correct hardware for it). I did have some original 60s saddles though. The taller adjustors are allen key thumbscrews from a Rickenbacker bridge mounted upside down and trimmed to size. It actually works great, though it's a pain to set up the height of course. Ironically all of this is just for "finished" photos and posterity because I'll be putting a Mastery bridge on this thing right away.
Speaking of "leave no trace," scroll back a few pages and check out this area that was hogged out for lazy truss rod access. The repair is totally invisible, quite proud of that.
- Highnumbers
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
And..... the moment you all have waited patiently for... it's done!!
Well, mostly. I have the aforementioned pickup readings to sort out, and there are a couple dead spots on the frets (which I think a dressing will solve), but it's done enough for photos.
Plays great too! What a fun and totally unique instrument, it really is neither bass nor guitar and that's the best part about it. 5th to 12th fret is the sweet spot on these, with rich sounding chords and even lead runs.
I also need to do some repairs inside the original blonde case, fixing the accessory pocket that somebody shortened and also replacing the missing neck rest. Easy repairs, ideally if I can get my hands on some original worn orange case liner from a salvage Fender case.
That's it for now, thanks for following along.
Well, mostly. I have the aforementioned pickup readings to sort out, and there are a couple dead spots on the frets (which I think a dressing will solve), but it's done enough for photos.
Plays great too! What a fun and totally unique instrument, it really is neither bass nor guitar and that's the best part about it. 5th to 12th fret is the sweet spot on these, with rich sounding chords and even lead runs.
I also need to do some repairs inside the original blonde case, fixing the accessory pocket that somebody shortened and also replacing the missing neck rest. Easy repairs, ideally if I can get my hands on some original worn orange case liner from a salvage Fender case.
That's it for now, thanks for following along.
- OffYourFace
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Excellent! The checking is a bit odd but I have seen somewhat similar types of cracking.
Hopefully the pickups can be saved by unwinding them a bit. I've saved a few vintage pickups like that. I've also saved a 59 JM pickup and a 64 Mustang pickup by just using a heat gun to reflow wax and I assume 'unshort a short'. But if your pole pieces are rusty there's nothing you can do (but they don't look like they are).
Hopefully the pickups can be saved by unwinding them a bit. I've saved a few vintage pickups like that. I've also saved a 59 JM pickup and a 64 Mustang pickup by just using a heat gun to reflow wax and I assume 'unshort a short'. But if your pole pieces are rusty there's nothing you can do (but they don't look like they are).
- Highnumbers
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Thanks! I'll poke around in there over the holidays and see if I can get a signal warming it with a heat gun. I've never had luck with that in the past, but maybe this time. I'm also in the camp that believes if you have the right pickup winder using the right materials, there is no impact on the tone. And no big deal on a guitar like this with 24% of the body replaced!OffYourFace wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 9:39 pmExcellent! The checking is a bit odd but I have seen somewhat similar types of cracking.
Hopefully the pickups can be saved by unwinding them a bit. I've saved a few vintage pickups like that. I've also saved a 59 JM pickup and a 64 Mustang pickup by just using a heat gun to reflow wax and I assume 'unshort a short'. But if your pole pieces are rusty there's nothing you can do (but they don't look like they are).
The checking in the earlier photos has been sorted out. They were just a little abrupt and needed to be softened carefully, the "finished" photos above are more accurate to how it looks now.
- MattK
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Absolute stunner, beyond all expectations. Thank god it went to you instead of some well meaning but less skilled practitioner. Take it to Gruhn's and see if they can tell it's a restoration!
- zhivago
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
This is just stunning!! What an amazing result!
This thread is a treasure, well done!
This thread is a treasure, well done!
Resident Spartan.
- sal paradise
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
This is a work of art from start to finish. Amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us
I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?
- tequila_in_teacups
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
How do you go about 'softening' the checking?
- JVG
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
I was wondering this too.
Beautiful guitar.
- Fiddy
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- Highnumbers
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Thanks everyone, much appreciated!
I tried a few different things, and the combination of them seemed to work well including some liquified dark shoe polish, naptha and finally 3M rubbing compound (applied by hand only). The checking is still there but it's not as pronounced. The process seems to close the checking lines slightly and looks more realistic IMO.
- jasonpetzold
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Amazing! Thanks for sharing
- BoringPostcards
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Holy smokes. Good job. It looks incredible. You plan on keeping it around?
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.
- Highnumbers
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Thanks!BoringPostcards wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 11:16 amHoly smokes. Good job. It looks incredible. You plan on keeping it around?
That’s the plan, or at least I would like to spend more time with it and decide if I’m a Bass VI guy. It’s super cool, and does sounds nothing else can make, but I want to make sure I’ll actually use it frequently enough.
- HNB
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Re: Restoring a Lake Placid Blue '63 Bass VI
Awesome work! Wonderful to see the guitar saved and brought back.
Christopher
Lilith Guitars
Lilith Guitars