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Finally got around to finishing the visual changes on my 4003AC

H K

H K

Jun 18, 2021
1,804
2,927
Norway
#1
I could never really get over the green inlays, so I had this planned for the start. But with everything thats been going on, I didnt really get around to it...

UNTIL NOW!


Whatcha think?
received_647763290095802.jpeg

Fella went from investment to main player right fkn quick:laugh:


A little off topic; but I just picked up this ELK 212, and there's a tear in one of the speaker in this cab. I'm looking for reasonably priced 12" speakers with slightly more fokus on highs and mids, as this cab sports no tweeter. Pref around 250w each. Any suggestions?
 
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#5
winston said:
Groovy, any “before” pix?
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Definitely! It's a gorgeous looking bass stock, too, but tricky to play with the covers on. And allthough the green in the inlays is stunning itself, in my eyes they missmatched with the rest of the bass, especially after taking off the covers and exposing more black.

Anyway heres what its like stock:
Screenshot_20221022-215556.jpg

Pretty sure this photo was taken the first time I opened the case:D
 
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#7
jxj said:
Did you paint the inlays? Well done! I f-ing love weed, but I hate the green inlays!
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Hehe, HELL no. Naa, I tried shopping around for inlay stickers, but there were none that fit, even jazz blocks.
In the end I ended up paying the same for a giant roll of self adhesive vinyl wrap, intended for cars. But it's basically what they make the inlay stickers out of anyway. So,I got the roll, and after about 30 mins with scissors and a scalpel I was done. They stick on there great, and can be removed any time, leaving no residue.
I feel a bit silly putting "stickers" on a 4000$ instrument, but hey.
All in all it turned out great imo, cant tell at all, not even close up.

I've also got loads of vinyl left, tryna think of something fun to do with it:)
 
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#9
H K said:
I could never really get over the green inlays, so I had this planned for the start. But with everything thats been going on, I didnt really get around to it...

UNTIL NOW!


Whatcha think?
View attachment 4850786
Fella went from investment to main player right fkn quick:laugh:


A little off topic; but I just picked up this ELK 212, and there's a tear in one of the speaker in this cab. I'm looking for reasonably priced 12" speakers with slightly more fokus on highs and mids, as this cab sports no tweeter. Pref around 250w each. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Me likey! How did you do it - replace the inlays?
 
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#16
jamro217 said:
Yay!!!!
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Calm down, it's not a 4001 autumnglo:p But one day i'll post a NBD of that damn unicorn!

sleddogn said:
I had always thought the TRC and pickguard should have been green too
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Yeah that would have been the other way to go. Considered that too!

denton57 said:
I agree...the green is just so out of place on this bass. I would have done the same thing if I had one. That said, I love my Mapleglo 4003s, and I’m digging the dots at the moment
Click to expand...
Yeah that's the thing with signature basses eh, it's rarely YOUR signature:p When I bought this, I was actually looking for a 4003SW to do a similar change to, but couldnt find one. Now I'm glad tbh, this one was just meant to be.
I'm still gonna do a 4003S in a "natural" finish, some blend between golden maple and dark walnut, albeit then with the laquered rosewood board:D

Spidey2112 said:
View attachment 4851407
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Familiar with tolex'ing, I guess?:D
 
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#19
markjazzbassist said:
What is that amp head?
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A japanese "copy" of an early fender bassman. 60s/70s. Fairly rare, made by one of the larger factories of the time and distributed under various names, but they all had ELK on the label in the back. Can't remember specifically which on the fly. It's a transistor amp, so not a proper "copy", but they do sound really good in the right setting. Not very loud tho. IIRC it's only 60w or something. I think there was a tube version too, and some other cab options.
This specific model with the 212 has had a few different names, I know of ELK-BASS/Elk bass fdb-61, and Stage Master. (oddly enough they still kept the ELK logo on the silver and specsheet, but replaced the logo on the grillcloth)

Interestingly; I think it's wired in stereo, both the cab and the amp, but it's extremely hard to find info on these, so I wont know for sure until I start replacing the speakers I guess. There is some slight hum to it, but it's likely just the old capacitors. (according to the internet, they used oil caps at the time and those start "leaking" electricity at around 60 yrs or so. But don't quote me on that, cus I really don't know sh!i about electronics. Im just repeating what I read:laugh:)



Bought it because I've been looking for a cheap 212 to mod for a while. I probably shouldnt tho, just because of the rarity/history and aestethic. Guess I could just copy the cab instead...

Don't get me wrong, it's not valuable or anything, just rare and (to me) interesting:p

By the way, do you guys think it's worth trying to track down a matching speaker to the one thats still ok?
Or getting it repaired if possible? It'd probably be wise to keep it original but, I really really really want a purple 212 @ 500w @ 4ohm....:D

Could there be any potential issues with the intergrity of the cab itself if I pretty much 10x the wattage it was built for? I'm talking full re-wire aswell ofcourse.
 
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