It’s probably time for a short back story. I have virtually no musician acquaintances, nor do I have any experience with stringed instruments, other than adjusting a guitar trussrod for my own son. I did change out the neck on a banjo once, but they bolt together!
When I bought this bass it was missing one tuning gear. It had many other problems but I ignorantly thought the tuner was the only hurdle I couldn’t leap.
I called a luthier from the area where I live to see if he could help find a replacement. He was friendly, but didn’t seem even hopeful that I could find the part. I had visited James Condino’s Kay bass repair website several times previously, so was aware he was an American Standard enthusiast. It seemed likely he could at least have a suggestion where I might locate the gear.
I called and left a message,
“Hello James, I just bought a 1938 American Standard bass, #538 and need a tuning gear, can you help?”
I expected it was a dead end, but the call had triggered an interminable tumble into the “bass nerd” abyss. Within ten minutes James returned my call and was inquiring about the condition of the instrument and my plans. He said he might have the gear, and to please send him some pics of the bass.
Did that.
The next conversation, James said he had a gear/axle, and extended an invitation to visit the shop with the patient, for a bass nerd super session, and get the tuner gear. I live 750 miles down the abyss from Asheville NC! Meanwhile, pandemania and social desolation has ensued, negating the in-shop opportunity .
Thus the beginning of this chronicle.
