Balance K Tribute repair & major MOD

[Rôckhewer]

Greetings.
I promised to share.. (warts and all)... so here we go.
My full evaluation/ explanation of the problem that resulted in the broken rod... will be revealed forthcoming in this thread.
As will the cool modifications that are happening to this bass. (So... this is also kind of a build thread.)
But for right now?
I'd appreciate anyone of my "tribe" of friends and associates here.... who are so inclined to throw out a prayer/ chant / dance/ or voodoo spell of well wishes? To please do so now.
This wenge board is coming off.
Pretty sure I'm equipped.... got the karambit ready just incase poop gets hairy.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I am beaming out all the good Karma I can muster, which will explain that itchy-tingly spot on the back of your neck. I have no doubt you will crush this repair as thoroughly and artfully as all your other bass related endeavors. Curious to see how this is done, in hopes I never need the knowledge.

 

[Dean N]

I love seeing rebuilds and heavy duty modification! Hoping all goes well. I have no doubt that it will.. I've seen your work.

 

[RichterScale]

Sending good juju.
But I'll need it back when I do mine.
I only have the one juju.

 

[Beej]

Hoo boy! Thoughts and prayers... isn't that what Americans say?

I'm so sure you got this, we have a pool going here at work.

 

[dwizum]

That knife to the right end of your tool bench looks like something a Klingon would carry.

I suppose that's fitting, since your basses look like something a Klingon would play.

 

[charlie monroe]

I'm so sure you got this, we have a pool going here at work

IDK, I hear Canucks are pretty tight. Is it a pool or a puddle?

Also, like I'm literally in the "thoughts and prayers" camp

 

[kesslari]

Voodoo spells coming your way. Shall I build a doll-model of the bass and stick a truss-pin into it?
Also, what do you use the kerambit knife for?

 

[Slidlow]

Wanting to know what the major mod will be?

 

[mapleglo]

All my skulls are sending magic your way.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Personally, I hate it when the poop gets hairy. That's when I put on the bunny suit and double rubber gloves, and grab the heavy tools.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

When you are faced with a stubborn-looking bass neck, you have to use some intimidation on it. The right large tools help. Bring over your 36" pipe wrench and 36" crow bar and lay them on the bench within arm's reach. The neck will know that you mean business and that fingerboard is going to come off. It'll cooperate. It's all about the attitude you project.

 

[dwizum]

I like to get a nice fire going in the nearby fireplace, fueled by scraps of wood that are the same species as the neck.

 

[RichterScale]

I always like to sneak up and surprise it when it's not expecting it.

 

[Rôckhewer]

...I love you guys.

That knife to the right end of your tool bench looks like something a Klingon would carry.

Also, what do you use the kerambit knife for?

When a warrior dies in battle...(stress heart attack during this procedure?)
He needs a weapon in hand, to be admitted into the Halls of Stovokor... where the Great Kahless greets you with a flagon of Blood Wine!... QAPLA' !!... GLORY! TO THE EMPIRE!

.... OK not really. It was more something like this:

The neck will know that you mean business and that fingerboard is going to come off. It'll cooperate. It's all about the attitude you project.

 

[charlie monroe]

@Bruce Johnson and @dwizum that's pure gold right there

 

[Rôckhewer]

(MOD #1) Method of Destruction.
First I took a cabinet scraper to the finish either side of the fingerboard...thinning to raw wood so maybe it wouldn't chip weird.
Then I cut/chiseled the nut slot...clean all the way through the board to the neck beam.

Then chiseled down at an angle to get a bite on the board via the slot... (little wedge against peghead veneers to be chiseled out later...acts as a fulcrum)

Then heat.... and patience.
(It was a well glued fb)
I relaxed the first two posts on my neck jig to allow me to flex the neck back a bit... whilst giving a rap to the nut-chisel......
.....annnnnd pop.... (uhhh!)...slip the palette knife in.
....gently now....(mmmm that's it)... not too fast. ...more heat!.... yeah baby...

It took about 2 hours. The wenge ? Didn't survive.
I never liked that board anyway.

Here's a tip. Don't over torch heat the cheap knife you're using to slip in intermittently for a little accelerated glue melt.
(Duh...Red hot= scorch wood...break tool.)

All in all it was a very successful amputation.
And... I had a nice lunch of Shredded Fiber-O's !

Anyone remember the tricolor optics in this fingerboard?
... yeah... they don't work any more.

 

[Slidlow]

How thick was that fretboard!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

The suspense is killing me , whats up with the trussrod?

 

[Rôckhewer]

How thick was that fretboard!

The suspense is killing me , whats up with the trussrod?

More on that later...my friends.
I'm having a drink now...