Complete repair from nothing.

Mozrite_Josh · #1 07-09-2009, 05:51 PM

Hello everyone. New to the forum. I have a couple questions and hopefully this is the right place to be.

Let me state that I do not know how to play bass, just acoustic Guitars and want to learn.

Okay last summer my uncle gave me a bass guitar and he had no idea what it was. He found it while cleaning out the basement in his new house.

It doesn't have, pick-ups, Mid, Low, High, Volume or any electrical components on it. The Jack input is missing, and the pick guard is missing. The finish was sanded off and its bare wood, the nameplate or name paint was also removed. And the neck has a crack in it down where it gets bolted or screwed to the body.

I took it to a local guitar shop and the guy told me it looks to be like a Mosrite Ventures bass but can't tell because the pick-ups are gone and they would make it definitive.

What I want to know is......

Since I have a body, neck, bridge, nut, tune keys and all the holes are cut should I fix it up and where to I get parts that would fit it?

I would really like to convert it into a 5 string bass for the low B, and because I plan on playing all that remains, testament, as I lay dieing, and re-finish it with a paint spatter, web, or tribal design.

Any idea on what I should do with it?

Pilgrim · #2 07-09-2009, 06:10 PM

First thing to do is to take photos and post them here. I'm a bit suspicious of your repairman's knowledge of basses if he can't classify it better than that - the Mosrite-style basses are very distinctive and anyone who knows basses should be able to ID one. Maybe his hesitation was that he didn't know whether it was a Mosrite, Univox or other clone...but the Ventures bass style is almost impossible to mistake.

Second - decide how much work you want to put into it. If you really want to make something nice of it, I suggest a lot of Ebay snooping for appropriate parts, and be ready to put a few hundred $$ into it, plus it sounds like it may need a refinish.

And if it IS a Mosrite bass, considering your TB handle, I suspect you know that you should NOT modify it or try to make it a 5-string. It has value, even lacking electronics. Also, the neck on this style is too narrow for a 5-string - IMO that is simply a bad idea. Stick with 4-string.

Mozrite_Josh · #3 07-09-2009, 07:00 PM

Its is currently at my parents house in Baltimore so I wont be able to get actual pics of it until Saturday when I got down there.

But it looks exactly like this, pick-up angle and positions are exactly the same, the screw holes for the pick guard/electric /wire cover indicate it was shaped the same, the headstock is the same, the screw holes for the bridge and cover are the same as well.

The only difference is what I circled in red, I don't think the bottom hooks or extends out farther than the top.

It has some parts on it but I will let you all decide what it is when I get Actual photos up. But the guy at the guitar store (who was like 18) said it should be valued at close to 1k if refurbished.

EDIT: The green is what is missing/only have pieces to, yellow is where the crack it located. Red circle is explained above.

OH BTW what does TB Handle mean?

ByF · #4 07-10-2009, 08:01 AM

TB = TalkBass. You are here.

It could cost you several hundred bucks to make your bass playable. The thing that worries me the most is the crack in the neck--is it cracked along the grain of the wood? just a gap under the fretboard?

Whether or not it will ever be worth $1k, I'll leave that to others. Look on eBay and see if you can find something similar.

It could be a fun project, but if you want a playable bass it would probably be less expensive to buy a MIM Fender or an Ibanez.

Or if you want to put your own finish on a project bass, a Carvin kit bass will give you a very nice bass, probably for less than it will cost to restore a possible Mosrite, and you won't spend a lot of time looking for the parts--they all come in the box.

Welcome.

Ed

Mozrite_Josh · #5 07-10-2009, 11:38 AM

I looked up the carvin Kits. There ok but I don't like the body style on that bass. I like the way this possible Mos or replica looks. And to me its not so bad in spending money. I don't really care if it is worth much or anything at all. Just the project makes it fun.

I was gonna buy some .06" 14"x14" square vinyl and make my own pick guard, that way I could make the holes for the pick-ups bigger. or move the pickups all together. That way I could get the pick-ups that I wanted and not have to worry about swapping in the future.

I will get pics of it up later. I think I am going down to get it today.

Either way it will be a nice project and keep me occupied for a bit.

joshwilkesbooth · #6 07-18-2009, 04:04 AM

The pickups are attached to the body on Ventures Mosrites. If you want to change the pickup configuration (why?) you're going to have to cut into the bass.

If you have a Mosrite and you're planning on doing a bunch of dumb **** to it just sell it to me instead. I live in Baltimore, and I'd be more than happy to rescue this bass from you.

Craig_S · #7 07-18-2009, 09:51 PM

It could be a Univox Mosrite copy:

Or an Eastwood:

There were several copies or similar designs made, way back when.

**Joshua** · #8 07-19-2009, 06:23 PM

Rule #1 people. This ain't the way we work here in S&R...

Pilgrim · #9 07-19-2009, 07:30 PM

You really, really need to post photos - including close-ups of the pickup area.

Seems to me that you need to make a decision about whether this is worth fixing yourself or not. If not, a good set of photos will help re-sell it.

IF you want to learn a lot about bass setup and finishing, this is a nice opportunity for you as long as the neck is OK. Everything else is something you can do yourself.

Note about pickups: I don't know aboue actual Mosrites, but I have one of the Aria-made pre-Univox Hi-Flyer basses, and the pickups can easily be removed - they're a standard screw-in type. I got pickups from Eastwood and they're a perfect fit.

And as usual, I recommend reading ALL the info available online at http://www.Reranch.com and buying Dan Erlewine's latest book on guitar repair. Between those two, you can refinish a bass and do the electronics. Also be aware of the resource available at Stewart-Mcdonald.com for refinishing supplies.

Mozrite_Josh · #10 07-21-2009, 05:59 PM

Ok sorry for the late response. It looks to be a univox replica based on the above photos.

EDIT: If you want to buy it make an offer. I can meet up with you somewhere. Depending on my work schedule.

But here is what I have taken. Crappy camera phone pics so bare with me.

HEADLE · #11 07-21-2009, 06:12 PM

I'd agree from the pics. Looks to be a Univox copy. I'd be damn sad to see you hack it up.

H

Mozrite_Josh · #12 07-21-2009, 06:16 PM

How old it this guitar though? I decided not to start playing or to try to repair it.

My work interferes with anything other than work and my wife and daughter. Wake up at 3. Leave at 4am get home at 8:30pm. Too tired to do much other than relax with my family.

Pilgrim · #13 07-22-2009, 09:16 AM

The pix are indeed pretty weak, but much better than nothing!

From the limited detail available, it looks pretty easily repairable to me. I can't see the crack and I don't know what the circled pic of the neck indicates - can't see anything. All I can tell that it needs is a refin (Reranch.com rattle cans will do that), electronics and a pickguard. You can get those pickups from Eastwood.com or on Ebay (they sell extra pickups on Ebay) for less than $80. The pickups I bought for my Aria Diamond cost less than $50 via Ebay.

I know how the long hours can get to you - but if you put in a couple of hours a weekend, you can do the refin in a month or two. The rest is parts acquisition and assembly. Of course, the crack you referred to is the wild card. I can't estimate whether that's a problem or not.

If you don't want to tackle a repair, I'd put it on Ebay. My guess is that it will sell for $80-$125.

Mozrite_Josh · #14 07-22-2009, 06:37 PM

Ok. The crack on the neck is what is circled. It goes from one end of the orange circle to the other. Along the grain.

I will eventually keep it and restore it. Thanks for all the help guys.

ByF · #15 07-22-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mozrite_Josh

Ok. The crack on the neck is what is circled. It goes from one end of the orange circle to the other. Along the grain.

I will eventually keep it and restore it. Thanks for all the help guys.

The crack is repairable. I would keep it, too. Should be a fun project.

Ed

walterw · #16 07-22-2009, 11:34 PM

i use to have a working one of those.

a neat bass, but forget about 5-string, low B, modern metal or any of that. it's a little 30" scale instrument that wouldn't work well at all with low tunings.

Pilgrim · #17 07-23-2009, 09:21 AM

Right on, WalterW. That will be a light, fun, great-sounding piece of history when it's all together. Hey Mozrite Josh, most of the PG makers should have a PG template for that. If not, email me direct and I can make you a tracing of the Aria Diamond PG I have. I can't swear that it will fit, but it's the predecessor of the Univox Hi-Flyer and should be close enough that you can adjust it to fit.

Here's a photo of mine - and I haven't gotten any further with it, but it's coming around on the "to do" list. You can also see that the pickup cavities in it look similar to yours:

As for that crack, I think I'd try working it by rotating the neck gently with the base of the neck carefully clamped in a vise with padded jaws. If the crack opens and closes, I'd thin some Titebond glue slightly with water, inject it into the crack with a tiny syringe, then clamp it. If the crack doesn't move, I don't think I'd worry about it.

Mozrite_Josh · #18 07-23-2009, 12:19 PM

I just re looked at it. The crack starts about 1/4" below the nut and goes to about midway between 1st and 2nd fret.

I tried to spread it open and it will a little but not much. With the strings tensioned up to tune it will not open.

I will work with this and post updates as I go. A guy from work asked me to play rythem for his band and we were talking about the bass and he said his bassist might have some parts for it.

He said his bassist has 5 4 strings, 2 5 strings and a 6er.