Egmond Rambler & Typhoon bass projects

[Beej]

I can't recommend this manufacturer (they sell under different names) - or I was really unlucky. The wrong scale length was delivered, one fingerboard came off and the fretting was also bad. That's why I'm now building my own neck.

If you mean the Yinfente above, they are heavily manufactured and it was probably luck of the draw. Sellers are much better at providing accurate information compared to even a year ago - probably due to lots of returns. The best choices have a ruler or tape measure down the fretboard so you can check scale yourself.

@JIO the heels are often around 65mm wide at the end of the neck, so there's lots of room to file a neck back to fit. A guy local to me uses these necks to build short scale basses and baritone metal guitars. They are hit and miss, for sure, but mostly hit. They come 'in the white' and need lots of work to get to the end. The one's I've seen have no fretwork done at all, they've just been seated and the ends nipped and beveled.

Personally, I'd probably just build a neck and be done with it, but it may be a good cost saving option.

 

[JIO]

@JIO "Yinfente" is a Chinese manufacturer or distributor that often has tiltback paddle headstock, 24 fret, 30" scale necks with no Inlays available on Amazon or eBay. I don't see one right now, but they are usually under 100. With no binding, you can file the sides narrower to fit the edgmond pocket. It changes the scale, but something like it may be a workable option.

I can't recommend this manufacturer (they sell under different names) - or I was really unlucky. The wrong scale length was delivered, one fingerboard came off and the fretting was also bad. That's why I'm now building my own neck.

I ordered a ss bass neck once from these Chinese makers and it was 'get what you pay for' quality (not bad though). The eBay seller from China I contacted (pretty much the same as Yinfente - I looked them up) does 30", 24 fret necks for $69. (as seen in my 2nd post) Their heal is too wide. (2.5"- Fender width) The minimally grooved (three grooves per) bridge saddles will allow 2-1/4" from E-G. So the heal needs to be around 2"/56mm. Plus, no zero fret. I found another online neck maker in the US and have yet to hear back. I've only made one neck for a fretless EUB, and am not interested in making a fretted neck from scratch.

 

[JIO]

If you mean the Yinfente above, they are heavily manufactured and it was probably luck of the draw. Sellers are much better at providing accurate information compared to even a year ago - probably due to lots of returns. The best choices have a ruler or tape measure down the fretboard so you can check scale yourself.

@JIO the heels are often around 65mm wide at the end of the neck, so there's lots of room to file a neck back to fit. A guy local to me uses these necks to build short scale basses and baritone metal guitars. They are hit and miss, for sure, but mostly hit. They come 'in the white' and need lots of work to get to the end. The one's I've seen have no fretwork done at all, they've just been seated and the ends nipped and beveled.

Personally, I'd probably just build a neck and be done with it, but it may be a good cost saving option.

You posted this as I was typing. Making a neck from scratch requires a lot of specific tools and a learning curve which I'm not willing to entertain. I enjoy designing basses, sculpting bodies, finishing and setting them up but making necks isn't something I want to do. I do enjoy watching fellow LC members doing so though.

It might come down to searching for and eventually finding and buying a '60s Japanese short-scale bass or 24 fret/zero fret neck for cheap and modify the hs to a Vox paddle-like shape.

 

[13ghosts]

If you mean the Yinfente

Yes... They also sell under 99musicshop.

The replacement neck they send was also twisted and had stains on the fretboard.

 

[JIO]

Yes... They also sell under 99musicshop.

The replacement neck they send was also twisted and had stains on the fretboard.

View attachment 5291162 View attachment 5291160 View attachment 5291161

Not good...

 

[Indiedog]

I made an offer on the neck and was denied - back to searching.

Bummer! Keep searching!

This is a fun Thread, JIO!

 

[JIO]

Bummer! Keep searching!

This is a fun Thread, JIO!

They were selling a similar (used) neck with frets and ready to install for the same price. I pointed that out to explain why I offered less (lots of work needed) and they just brushed me off. No one will buy it for their asking price.

 

[Indiedog]

They were selling a similar (used) neck with frets and ready to install for the same price. I pointed that out to explain why I offered less (lots of work needed) and they just brushed me off. No one will buy it for their asking price.

There is so much of that: people asking ridiculous amounts of money for things. I think we all need to not buy things that are at crazy prices so as to “reset” the marketplace.

 

[JIO]

There is so much of that: people asking ridiculous amounts of money for things. I think we all need to not buy things that are at crazy prices so as to “reset” the marketplace.

In this case, it wasn't expensive - they were just asking more than what it was worth.

 

[JIO]

I'm still looking in to have one of the China makers make the neck to my specs, but if that doesn't pan out I think I'll go this route. ($51.89 free shipping) There's enough overhang on the fb heal-ramp to slice off a piece to add to the top of the fb with a zero fret in-between. I'll trim down the sides to the narrow neck-pocket, address the fret-ends, add larger fb dots and cut the Vox-like paddle hs shape. I'm waiting to hear back from an eBay China maker before I pop for it.

 

[Reedt2000]

Cool project

What's the spacing like? Are you gonna have to make a typical modern bass neck narrower to fit and work with that bridge? (The whole thing, not just for the pocket)

 

[JIO]

Cool project

What's the spacing like? Are you gonna have to make a typical modern bass neck narrower to fit and work with that bridge? (The whole thing, not just for the pocket)

Yah, it's a pretty cool little bass. All of these China necks have a 65mm heal (Fender width) and I need 55.8mm. So yes, I'll need to taper/trim the neck sides (4.6mm per side) from the nut to the heal. I've done it before but on a fretless neck. I think my band saw should be able to cut through the frets. Then I'll do some neck reshaping and address the fret ends. Seems pretty doable as it's a raw/unfinished neck and that way I can create as close a match as possible to its original neck. I can contact them as see if it can be sent w/o fb dots and mimic the Egmond.

 

[rickwrench]

All of these China necks have a 65mm heal (Fender width) and I need 55.8mm.

The Chinese baritone guitar necks are 56mm. Some are 30" scale, some are 27" (but only 22 frets).
30" scale would mean moving the bridge back a fair bit.
27" with only 22 frets would be pretty close, might be within saddle adjustment range.

Rick

 

[JIO]

The Chinese baritone guitar necks are 56mm. Some are 30" scale, some are 27" (but only 22 frets).
30" scale would mean moving the bridge back a fair bit.
27" with only 22 frets would be pretty close, might be within saddle adjustment range.

Rick

I don't want to touch the body (move the bridge) so will try to have the 710mm/28" scale neck made one way or another.

 

[JIO]

Batting -100 on getting someone to make the neck affordably. Meanwhile I determined the hs based on the pics I posted of the Rambler. Got it pretty close by comparing measurements to the body. Push comes to shove I'll talk with Dan Ransom to see how much it would cost. I just sold one of my custom basses so I have some money to work with.

 

[JIO]

I gave up on finding a 'make do' solution and earlier today put a deposit on Dan Ransom making the Egmond neck to spec with a couple differences; instead of 28", it will be 28-1/4"* with a short last-fret ramp over the pg, and a set-back created by a scarf-joint instead of one-piece. Before he installs the frets, I'll install the fb position-markers and side dots.

*I think this is because 28-1/4" is a guitar-neck scale which he's set up to build. 28" is not common. The ramp would only be about 1/4" and cover the heal center pg hole. No biggy.

Once it's done and set-up, I'll do the finish which could be matching the orange original colour found in the neck-pocket and cavities, or the green colour they also came in. Both are cool. I found these two examples with somewhat exotic finishes. Without seeing them in person or in more high-def pics, I'm going to guess they are Decorative Art finishes which is right up my alley. Not necessarily faux marble, but a textural art finish that alludes to stone/marble. I'm not certain this was 'from the factory' or refinished later. Pretty cool though... In the meantime I'll see if I can dig up more info related.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I think Egmond may have used pickguard type material, maybe the same plastics used for accordions on their bodies. I’m pretty sure Hagstrom did and I know some of the Italian makers did.

 

[Reedt2000]

I think Egmond may have used pickguard type material, maybe the same plastics used for accordions on their bodies. I’m pretty sure Hagstrom did and I know some of the Italian makers did.

Yeah, it wasn't uncommon to see funky celluloid stuff like they use on accordions on top of guitars. I suspect that's what we're looking at. At least in the 2nd and 3rd photos.

 

[JIO]

I think Egmond may have used pickguard type material, maybe the same plastics used for accordions on their bodies. I’m pretty sure Hagstrom did and I know some of the Italian makers did.

Yah, could be. It would be an easy wrap because it's pretty much a thin slab w/no contouring.

 

[JIO]

I sent Hans another email asking about the marbled finishes and in his return email I got the impression he didn't know. He just said it was probably a factory finish, which wouldn't rule out an accordion plastic covering. There just doesn't seem to be much information on this brand.