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SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

#6,663
JIO said:
Quite frankly, neither would I... but I wouldn't spend any money on it either.
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I'm glad to see this, as I would not want to run afoul of you. Too much respect. It also saves me having to concoct some story that might make this bass more palatable to you, like this is all that remains of the Gretsch bass that the Japanese bought at a NAMM show in 1969 so they could take it home and dissect it like they did so many other American guitars and basses. But once they discovered they could never figure out the electronics, they abandoned the project.

But the reason I am attracted to this husk is because it is a husk -- entirely too far gone to make a credible and affordable restoration project. But that does not mean it cannot be revived and put back into a rotation. I've got some Maxon pickups I've been itching to put into something, and I think they would be a perfect drop-in fit for this bass.
 
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#6,664
GretschWretch said:
I'm glad to see this, as I would not want to run afoul of you. Too much respect. It also saves me having to concoct some story that might make this bass more palatable to you, like this is all that remains of the Gretsch bass that the Japanese bought at a NAMM show in 1969 so they could take it home and dissect it like they did so many other American guitars and basses. But once they discovered they could never figure out the electronics, they abandoned the project.

But the reason I am attracted to this husk is because it is a husk -- entirely too far gone to make a credible and affordable restoration project. But that does not mean it cannot be revived and put back into a rotation. I've got some Maxon pickups I've been itching to put into something, and I think they would be a perfect drop-in fit for this bass.
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If their copy is true, it doesn't have cracks which is good but I'd want to make sure the neck was good also. They claim it's good but I've fussed with necks if the vintage project bass was cheap enough - but for that kind of money a warped neck or needed fret-job or tr replacement would be a definite deal-breaker for me. But if no cracks, good neck/tr, and frets - you have a good chance of restoring it to at least make bass sounds.
 
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#6,665
JIO said:
If their copy is true, it doesn't have cracks which is good but I'd want to make sure the neck was good also. They claim it's good but I've fussed with necks if the vintage project bass was cheap enough - but for that kind of money a warped neck or needed fret-job or tr replacement would be a definite deal-breaker for me. But if no cracks, good neck/tr, and frets - you have a good chance of restoring it to at least make bass sounds.
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Ah yes. And this is where the rabbit hole at last reveals itself through the undergrowth. The conventional wisdom -- which is more than adequately supported by evidence -- on these basses is that the two most commonly-occurring flaws are binding rot and neck warp. This is as common knowledge for 60s Gretsches as is the dead spot for Fender. So I know this already when I consider buying one of these basses; in fact, I expect it. So I go into each transaction with my eyes open -- no running crying to Mommy when I get binding rot or neck bow, sometimes demanding nothing short of a neck reset.

The mischief is that there seem to be so few (as in almost no) knowledgeable, qualified Gretsch repair specialists.
The only "Gretsch whisperer" I know of is up in New Jersey and I have no idea how old he is. I would hate to send him one of my basses and then he dies and I cannot get my bass back, and then the mob lists it on Craigslist.

But I am aware going in of the risks of buying an old Gretsch.
 
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#6,667
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#6,669
Marlin Idol PB-26 Warlock Klingon Hollow-body - most likely early '70s. One of my favorite quirky basses. Tail-piece is not original, lower finger-rest is missing and the neck-plate not original. Control knobs may or may not be original. Considering that, it's a bit pricy - I'd want it to be stock for what they are asking. (over $1k) It does appear to have been a player judging from the neck-wear which is cool.

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#6,670
JIO said:
Marlin Idol PB-26 Warlock Klingon Hollow-body - most likely early '70s. One of my favorite quirky basses. Tail-piece is not original, lower finger-rest is missing and the neck-plate not original. Control knobs may or may not be original. Considering that, it's a bit pricy - I'd want it to be stock for what they are asking. (over $1k) It does appear to have been a player judging from the neck-wear which is cool.

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My 68 MIJ National has those same crack lines. Mine line up with all the screws in the PG, but none in the back.
 
#6,671
Stealth57 said:
My 68 MIJ National has those same crack lines. Mine line up with all the screws in the PG, but none in the back.
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I'm not so concerned as those are clear-coat checking, not cracks. At least there's no discloser that they are cracks in the Reverb ad.
 
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#6,673
JIO said:
Marlin Idol PB-26 Warlock Klingon Hollow-body - most likely early '70s. One of my favorite quirky basses. Tail-piece is not original, lower finger-rest is missing and the neck-plate not original. Control knobs may or may not be original. Considering that, it's a bit pricy - I'd want it to be stock for what they are asking. (over $1k) It does appear to have been a player judging from the neck-wear which is cool.

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That’s all groovy ghoulies Saturday morning cartoons for me!
 
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#6,678
JIO said:
Well, not so much graduated - but immersed in art school owning no TV! :D When I taught art at university level in the '80s - my students were all about Scooby Doo!
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I lost track of the years but also tossed the television in the early 90’s after reading Jerry Mander’s Four Arguments For The Elimination Of Television.

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#6,679
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