SD Curlee Bass

[phillybass101]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/13069448511...LX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1269

great early S.D. Curlee bass for sale. HAS THE COOLER PICKUP

I am looking for a S.D. Curlee guitar USA made. PLEASE HELP [email protected]

Yeah but they want just about 1k. what happened to the $300-500 range?

 

[Lo-E]

And what's up with that truss rod nut? How would that get bent like that unless there was something... um... inappropriate done to it?

 

[Immigrant]

Curlees are a little freaky. A TBer and I compared measurements (sounds weird) like neck width at nut, etc. and none of the measurements were the same. It's almost as though each one was a one-off and no actual templates existed. I've been halfway looking for another so I can use parts, but I'm afraid the part I need won't fit anyway. The neck on mine is undergoing surgery to make it more stable. The truss rod has room around it and it also suffers from a common Curlee issue- a twist.

It was a wreck when I rescued it. Mom and Pop up the street were able to order an unplated brass bridge for the retro look. I don't care for Badasses.

Birdsong's website has a link to the current SD Curlee lineup they are making.

 

[Kevin-O]

I'm slow on the uptake--I just discovered this site. Randy was once married to my sister. He was a terrific brother-in-law; especially kind to a little kid. Helped me buy my first drum set when I was 10. Randy had diabetes (type 1, I believe) and it affected his eyes, kidneys--even his bass playing (hand problems). He was an excellent bass player. He started piano lessons when he was 5 and he once told me that was his musical foundation. I remember he used to play Vanilla Fudge tunes on an organ in his parents' basement in Tinley Park. When he was a teenager, he was in a band called The Troys. They put out a single 45-Take Care (A)and Got to Fit You Into My Life (B). Both listenable songs. "Take Care" is still available on the web. Then he helped put together Zazu. Originally named Zazu Pitts (after the actress in the 50's TV series, "My Little Marjorie"), but they were called on it by the lawyers, so they shortened it to Zazu. They only put out one album, but it's great. He started Mak'n Music in Homewood, IL. in the mid-70s. Sold the business to Greg, who moved it up to the West Loop. Greg sold it about 8 years ago. Had turned it into a fantastic guitar store. I still have the guitar I bought from him in 1979. Randy made the S.D. Curlee (guitar and bass) in Matteson, IL. I think he was one of the first to actually license his guitar with Japanese manufacturers, rather than just discovering one day they copied it. As mentioned earlier, Randy stayed in the music business until his death a few years ago--complications from his diabetes. I really looked up to Randy. You couldn't find a cooler brother-in-law! Also, he was smart (had a business degree from what was then called U of I-Circle) and had a great sense of humor. He opened up the world of music to me, and I'm glad to see that he touched the lives of so many with his guitars and his music. He would be happy about that.

I'm slower on the uptake, I just saw this site, and your post was like 16 years ago, but I am looking for any wiring diagrams for the SD Curlee basses. One just came into my shop, out here in LA. We buy a lot of stuff through auctions, that I refurb and we resell. I have a small shop just north of Burbank CA. But I remember Curlee's when they first came out as I was a guitar teacher at The Music Shop in Brementowne Mall in Tinley Park, for 6 years, 1978 -1984. I think we had a few in there. And I bought my Music Man RD 50 at Makin' Music, only I didn't connect Curlee with that shop, I bought it in 1980, which I still use to this day 46 years later.

I have a 1977 single humbucker bass, 1 vol 1 tone with a mini switch one in the shop, without the wiring, or it does have the wiring but it was all unsoldered and apart. Not sure what or who made the pickup. I think it was one of their originals, or was DiMarzio making them at the time for them? It's marked A1 on the body in the back plate area and under the brass cover for the electronics on the back. So if there is any electronics info, wiring diagrams, and the like out there, it'd be a great help. I'm just trying to restore it to original. Here's some photos in progress. The body was so dry it split and even after moisturizing in a bag with wet sponge it wouldn't hydrate. I used a trick I got off of Dan Erlewine, of inserting a sliver of maple between the crack so I could glue and clamp it tight. Re-oiled with Tru Oil and sanded down all the grind marks on the neck, of who knows what. If anyone can identify the pickup that'd be greatly appreciated too.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

Solid, punchy and way under rated.
Kevin; nice job bringing that one back from the dead.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I'm slower on the uptake, I just saw this site, and your post was like 16 years ago, but I am looking for any wiring diagrams for the SD Curlee basses. One just came into my shop, out here in LA. We buy a lot of stuff through auctions, that I refurb and we resell. I have a small shop just north of Burbank CA. But I remember Curlee's when they first came out as I was a guitar teacher at The Music Shop in Brementowne Mall in Tinley Park, for 6 years, 1978 -1984. I think we had a few in there. And I bought my Music Man RD 50 at Makin' Music, only I didn't connect Curlee with that shop, I bought it in 1980, which I still use to this day 46 years later.

I have a 1977 single humbucker bass, 1 vol 1 tone with a mini switch one in the shop, without the wiring, or it does have the wiring but it was all unsoldered and apart. Not sure what or who made the pickup. I think it was one of their originals, or was DiMarzio making them at the time for them? It's marked A1 on the body in the back plate area and under the brass cover for the electronics on the back. So if there is any electronics info, wiring diagrams, and the like out there, it'd be a great help. I'm just trying to restore it to original. Here's some photos in progress. The body was so dry it split and even after moisturizing in a bag with wet sponge it wouldn't hydrate. I used a trick I got off of Dan Erlewine, of inserting a sliver of maple between the crack so I could glue and clamp it tight. Re-oiled with Tru Oil and sanded down all the grind marks on the neck, of who knows what. If anyone can identify the pickup that'd be greatly appreciated too.

This may not help but Birdsong Guitars resurrected the SD Curlee series at one time. Perhaps they have access to the original specs & schems.

Riis

 

[Kevin-O]

Solid, punchy and way under rated.
Kevin; nice job bringing that one back from the dead.

Thanks a lot!! It's getting there. We find wrecks all the time, they just take a while. I haven't seen a Curlee in decades though. It'll get there real soon and be nice once again.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I’ve got one with double P pickups that are definitely DiMarzio. That looks like some version of the model 1. Try finding the diagram from the DiMarzio site. I like series parallel for a humbucker and one switch.

 

[Kevin-O]

This may not help but Birdsong Guitars resurrected the SD Curlee series at one time. Perhaps they have access to the original specs & schems.

Riis

Thanks I'll check it out.

 

[Kevin-O]

Solid, punchy and way under rated.
Kevin; nice job bringing that one back from the dead.

What scale strings are you guys using on the Curlee bass? The scale length is 32.5" and on the Rotosound chart, Mediums are 30-32. Long are 32-34, so probably safe with the longs I guess? I'm not a bass player, I just happen to fix them more than occasionally, but mostly Fenders, a few Harmonys, Guilds, Gibson, Gretschs.

 

[Kevin-O]

Solid, punchy and way under rated.
Kevin; nice job bringing that one back from the dead.

 

[gwangi]

Is Birdsong even still producing S.D. Curlee basses?

 

[Kevin-O]

Do you know what is the order for the saddles? I did this. They didn't think out the math on these obviously... just make them narrower fer Godssakes. But I have one slotted one, I'm guessing is the D string, as that's usually the case intonation wise, the D is further towards the neck. There are two thick saddles and 2 thinner ones. The slotted one being one of the thinner ones. I was just given a bag of parts. The wiring was like some amateur builder did it, and the pickup wires didn't quite fit to the switch and pots. I had to make extensions just to make it easier for whoever next has a wiring fix.

 

[Rich-Cincy Kid]

I'm slower on the uptake, I just saw this site, and your post was like 16 years ago, but I am looking for any wiring diagrams for the SD Curlee basses. One just came into my shop, out here in LA. We buy a lot of stuff through auctions, that I refurb and we resell. I have a small shop just north of Burbank CA. But I remember Curlee's when they first came out as I was a guitar teacher at The Music Shop in Brementowne Mall in Tinley Park, for 6 years, 1978 -1984. I think we had a few in there. And I bought my Music Man RD 50 at Makin' Music, only I didn't connect Curlee with that shop, I bought it in 1980, which I still use to this day 46 years later.

I have a 1977 single humbucker bass, 1 vol 1 tone with a mini switch one in the shop, without the wiring, or it does have the wiring but it was all unsoldered and apart. Not sure what or who made the pickup. I think it was one of their originals, or was DiMarzio making them at the time for them? It's marked A1 on the body in the back plate area and under the brass cover for the electronics on the back. So if there is any electronics info, wiring diagrams, and the like out there, it'd be a great help. I'm just trying to restore it to original. Here's some photos in progress. The body was so dry it split and even after moisturizing in a bag with wet sponge it wouldn't hydrate. I used a trick I got off of Dan Erlewine, of inserting a sliver of maple between the crack so I could glue and clamp it tight. Re-oiled with Tru Oil and sanded down all the grind marks on the neck, of who knows what. If anyone can identify the pickup that'd be greatly appreciated too.

I have 2 Curlees…. Both built in the 70’s .
Both single -Dimarzios -P , one a light mahogany body and one dark mahogany .

Great Basses , especially useful for when My fingers are achy & stiff…..