Repair: Harmony H22 Bass Ebay Disaster

[Auspuff]

Well, I'm impressed.

As for the workbench photos, no worries. It just shows real work gets done, there.

 

[dwizum]

I could see someone being ignorant of the fretwork. Maybe if they had bad eyes or something, or had never needed fretwork done on any prior instrument, and as such had no frame of reference.

But that nut? Really??? Someone actually thought that was original? The slots aren't even spaced out correctly.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

In a total tool geek, made my own leveling jig from the Vinson plans. Is yours home made or a Stewmac? Photos of the jig? I did exactly the same thing, fretwork in the jig, if nothing else, keeps the neck from flexing under pressure.

 

[Stewie]

Very cool

 

[bearhart74]

this is definitely a zombie thread cause that bass started off dead as a door nail.

 

[vid1900]

In a total tool geek, made my own leveling jig from the Vinson plans. Is yours home made or a Stewmac? Photos of the jig? I did exactly the same thing, fretwork in the jig, if nothing else, keeps the neck from flexing under pressure.

I built it from pinball parts and heavy guage Uni-Strut, a long time ago.

I did a how-to on another site, but they banned me, and I don't think it's up there anymore.

I'll post pics.

 

[Ostie]

The fretboard is wider than even a Gibson bass, so I made a new nut totally from scratch.

Even the **unbleached** bone seemed alarmingly white, so I soaked the finished nut in a cup of coffee overnight.

I like to see half of the string diameter standing above the finished nut.

You know the nut is cut correctly if you don't hear any pinging or ticking as you tune up with your ear to the headstock.

Here you can see:

Piece of neon plexiglass **nut**, unbleached buffalo bone nut blank, and finished/installed nut.
View attachment 3633536

The real nut is the guy who made that plexiglas thing in shop class.

 

[micguy]

I would say nice restoration, but...that's not accurate.

Nice Resurrection!

 

[kesslari]

Well done. I hope you made clear to Guy what the costs would be, because he seems to be the ... questioning type...

 

[dwizum]

because he seems to be the ... questioning type...

He also seems to be incredibly gullible and easily separated from his money, if he was lead to believe that those frets were salvageable and that nut was original.

 

[mikeoso]

another case of confirmation bias. Buyer wanted to believe he was getting a rare original specimen with all original parts, making it priceless, for short money. Seller told him that. He believed it. Evidence doesn't work in those cases.

 

[gln1955]

He also seems to be incredibly gullible and easily separated from his money, if he was lead to believe that those frets were salvageable and that nut was original.

another case of confirmation bias. Buyer wanted to believe he was getting a rare original specimen with all original parts, making it priceless, for short money. Seller told him that. He believed it. Evidence doesn't work in those cases.

Yeah, but the original strings!

 

[Freekmagnet]

G: You can't just **make** a new one!
V: It's just plastic, not unicorn horn.

LOL

 

[HubbardsFate]

Vid1900, your post(s) of your conversation with the guy had me in stitches...

 

[vid1900]

Well done. I hope you made clear to Guy what the costs would be, because he seems to be the ... questioning type...

Of course, he is informed about the costs involved.

And I understand when people finally find that rare instrument that they have spent years looking for, their mind is open to many ideas....not all of them mine.

 

[crazyBassClown]

Is it wrong that I now have a desire for a fluro plexi nut?
it would go great on the bass in my avatar

 

[vid1900]

He also seems to be incredibly gullible and easily separated from his money, if he was lead to believe that those frets were salvageable and that nut was original.

Gullible might not be the correct word.

Most players, even many pros, seem to have no idea of the physics of a Fretleveling.

"You can't fret level a Compound Radius neck!!!! You need a sander that is a 10 radius on one end and a 16 on the other - they are $1200" I hear stuff like that every week, and it shows that it's hard for many musicians to 'think in 3D'

Or many people think a Fretlevel is a Fretjob.

Or that I can't just replace the first 6 frets, I have to replace them all "They would never match!!!"

 

[vid1900]

Is it wrong that I now have a desire for a fluro plexi nut?
it would go great on the bass in my avatar

OMG, please don't start a trend!

"I know, I know...but you can't fault a man for wanting that guttural, low end tone that only can come from a plexi nut! It's my bass, install what I want. "

(if you do install a plexi nut, remember to flame polish it when you are done shaping it. It will look like a pink jewel)

 

[crazyBassClown]

It would look cool.
But seriously, would it really sound bad if made properly?
It couldn't be all that different than a white plastic nut could it?

 

[vid1900]

The wiring inside the body, runs inside a metal spiral tubing to shield out RF interference.

The tubing is soldered to each pot

There was no evidence that a ground was ever attached to the bridge/strings.