The Bassist and Guitarist thread

[winjim]

spend £3 at screwfix and if it doesn't work you might have to spend and extra £30. Better than spending £30 when the £3 tool might have worked. If the screwfix tool is a standard nut extractor with a left hand thread, i can't see how it won't work.

My concern is that if I use the regular nut extractor and it doesn't work, then I've already ruined any chance of the tapered tool engaging. The next option would be to dremel out a slot for a flathead screwdriver.

I should probably document this as a project. Anyone interested in seeing me try to renovate a guitar which I bought as a teenager and has since been subjected to thirty years of abuse, knocked around, setup by a drunken fool, been lent to other drunken fools, stored improperly in lofts, cellars and garages and generally neglected?

It's not a high end guitar but it is cool in its own way and I'm sentimentally attached to it. Brandoni custom Stratocaster if anyone's familiar with those. They're very silly which is probably why I like them.

 

[Oldhippy]

If you have a decent music shop near you they may have contact with a decent guitar tech near by who could assist with a small fee perhaps.

 

[MontyVeda]

Another option that I'd try is to replicate the stewmac tool with an old oversized allen key... give it a taper on a grinding thing if you've got one.

The stew mac tool is probably cheaper than a guitar tech. I was quoted £50 for a nut!

 

[winjim]

I'm happy working on it myself, same as my bikes. Particularly this one, it's a bit of a labour of love. I abused and neglected it for so long, it's only proper that I should try and put it right.

The truss rod nut is the limiting factor which is why I'm doing it first. If I can't manage that then I'll have to have a rethink. New neck or even neck and body, and transplant the hardware. Would be a shame though, and more expensive than I can afford right now.

 

[FrothNinja]

Just got this through the post. Pretty sure it has been refinished, but most of it looks original. Guess it's about '64 or '65, but would love to know for sure.
Needs a damn good clean & summat doing with the tuners. It has a ferocious case of fret sprout. I am considering pulling the buggers out. Will there be an effect on the neck if I don't put something in the cuts? Neck is currently very straight. If I do go fretless, I will mark up the quarter tones too.

 

[Drago]

Not super expensive to get it re fretted.

 

[FishFright]

De-fretted bass guitar can fun to play in slidey way

 

[FrothNinja]

De-fretted bass guitar can fun to play in slidey way

Have a fretless bas which is fun, was thinking a fretless 6 string could be too

 

[FrothNinja]

Not super expensive to get it re fretted.

Quite like the idea of fretless, want to experiment with quarter tones too. Hopefully a luthier could also put flat inserts in too

 

[ColinJ]

Quite like the idea of fretless, want to experiment with quarter tones too. Hopefully a luthier could also put flat inserts in too

If you don't already have anyone in mind, check out Jack's Guitars in Hebden Bridge.

 

[FrothNinja]

If you don't already have anyone in mind, check out Jack's Guitars in Hebden Bridge.

Cheers @ColinJ

 

[Salad Dodger]

I play bass guitar and electro acoustic guitar in a band, and we are preparing for a gig in a local pub in the new year.
I normally play a Yamaha acoustic with a built in pre-amp and under saddle pickup, which sounds pretty fair.
But at rehearsal this week, just for fun, I played my "backup" guitar, an all laminate Cort acoustic with a cheap as chips ebay magnetic soundhole pickup. We were using our full PA for the rehearsal and the Cort sounded absolutely immense. So I think that will be my weapon of choice now for playing with the band, which also means the Yam doesnt have to risk getting knocked over (again) in a crowded pub.

Anyway, this afternoon is the final full xmas pub gig of the year with the ukulele band. Its a busy pub with an enthusiastic audience. And a meat raffle at half time!

I havent asked Santa for any music related things this Christmas. Anyone else hopeful of any new music gear this year?

 

[Drago]

Pretty sure Mrs D has got me an octave mandolin.

 

[FrothNinja]

Pretty sure Mrs D has got me an octave mandolin.

You'll find out in 11 days 😁

 

[winjim]

The truss rod nut is the limiting factor which is why I'm doing it first. If I can't manage that then I'll have to have a rethink. New neck or even neck and body, and transplant the hardware. Would be a shame though, and more expensive than I can afford right now.

Here's the neck in question and you can see how the wrap is impeding access to the truss rod. You can fit a stubby allen key in there at the correct angle but nothing longer. I may need to Dremel away some of the wrap to get proper engagement but as you can see it's not exactly perfect to begin with so it's not to the detriment of the instrument. I did buy the cheapo Screwfix extractor tool but I've since had the kids all day and it's ADHDed itself out of existence so the next job is to find where I put it. The most time consuming part of any project...