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The OFFICIAL (kinda) HONDO THREAD!!
- Thread starter bluerimedeyes
- Start date
Thanks! I'm using a 5mm hex key. The 5.5 is too big. I tried some SAE ones and the closest one was looser than the 5mm.
Yeah... I'm having a difficult time finding one that fits Mine. SAE, or METRIC. It's driving me NUTSO!!!
I know! The 5mm feels loose to the point that I was worried about it. I watched it closely and it wasnt striping. It's nice they made it so you can see/watch it
Update: truss rod is maxed out. I added a washer under the nut. I'm waiting a day or so before I crank it any more. Hopefully that does the trick
Hey fellow Hondo fans!! Looking for all info on the Hondo Alien headless bass. I don't know much. Series is XB-5 BM.. I figured out it is the X (Headless), B (Bass), 5 (24 fret) B (Black) M (Metal neck).. Or at least I think that is what I have found. Matsumoku made (I think) 1983. Vintage Axe.com is the only place I have seen a catalog, but I am not, nor will I pay for a membership. It appears Hondo copied the Kramer Duke right down to the aluminum neck for a very short period of time. Any help would be great...
This Hondo II came home with me couple of weeks back.
Need the wiring looked at so I just replaced the lot. Should put the knobs on before grabbing the camera.
Need the wiring looked at so I just replaced the lot. Should put the knobs on before grabbing the camera.
Hello gents. I'm stuck between two Hondo Longhorn Professionals.
One Bronze, heavier finish wear, script logo.
The other, nicer condition, walnut finish, OHSC, sunrise logo (indicating it was made a bit later than the other?)
I've yet to see anything to suggest either of them may be of a lesser pedigree.
Pretty much ready to pull the trigger. Anything I should be aware of?
One Bronze, heavier finish wear, script logo.
The other, nicer condition, walnut finish, OHSC, sunrise logo (indicating it was made a bit later than the other?)
I've yet to see anything to suggest either of them may be of a lesser pedigree.
Pretty much ready to pull the trigger. Anything I should be aware of?
The Walnut one is a bit more rare and odd. Check to see if it is a Professional, Hondo II, or the older Hondo. That will give you a clue as to the value and the rareness of each
picked up a Hondo II H-830 in sunburst and it’s my favorite bass. new electronics, converted to solderless, new MIM Standard bridge(old one was super corroded), original Maxon pickup sounds amazing. had an issue when i first got it and i had to pop the pickup cover off to get the second blade back in but it’s an amazing pickup.
truss rod was frozen so i soaked it with wd40 and with a hope and a prayer, it finally broke free and is ready for a setup. like an idiot, i cut the nut way to deep for thicker thicker strings and the. or
al strings sit on the fret board so i’m ordering a new but eventually.
it’s got it’s dents, dings and is heavy beast but i love her none the less.
truss rod was frozen so i soaked it with wd40 and with a hope and a prayer, it finally broke free and is ready for a setup. like an idiot, i cut the nut way to deep for thicker thicker strings and the. or
al strings sit on the fret board so i’m ordering a new but eventually.
it’s got it’s dents, dings and is heavy beast but i love her none the less.
There is something so satisfying about these old basses, especially when you can take one and bring it back to life. I’ve posted many pics of my HondoII I got in 1981, which was my first bass. I found it in my parents basement tucked in a corner, didn’t even know it was still there. It was gutted and didn’t have strings on it, but bringing it back to life was fun. It was my first bass, and has a special place with me. The best part, as I’m sure you have found out, is many Fender pieces will retrofit onto the bass. In fact, a USA pickguard will come close to fitting, and the trussrod cutout is perfect. If you wanted to turn it into a traditional P style bass, the pickguard would make a great template. Just thinking out loud.
I put the USA pickguard, replaced the electronics and pickups with DiMarzio model Ps, and replaced the corroded brass bridge with a Schaller I had (it fit the stock 3 screw holes perfectly)and it’s back to business. I would suggest taking the bass in to a seasoned luthier when you get the nut replaced, as a standard Fender but blank won’t work. They will have to form one out of stock.
Anyway, good luck and hope to see pics once it’s all done. I do love that sunburst! Very old school Japan looking! I’ll post a shot of my baby so you can see the mods.
yeah man, i live this one. the color
specifically. i have a BC Rich Warlock bass as well as a Peavey Milestone III but i much prefer my Hondo.
when you say standard fender nuts don’t fit, none of them do? i did a good bit of measuring and the MIM Standard stuff seems to line up, pretty much, spot on.
i’ll be keeping it as original as I can. the bridge was bad so it got swapped, the electronics got switched to solderless, as i do with all my instruments, the pickup will stay the stock but i need a nut. i have 1 shop local to me and he’s a prick so i’ve never taken anything to him but i guess i might have to for the nut.
how about tuners? standard MIM stuff again?
my string retainer is super messed up so i’ll need another one of those too.
overall, i don’t mind putting the cash into it since i honestly dig the crap out of it. the bridge was 20$ off reverb and the harness was another 25$(i order a couple a month from a buddy in Il).
everything about it i dig. i’m just trying to fix it’s issues and the nut, since i destroyed it.
even cane with a hardcase
Attachments
I pulled a picture off the internet of a standard fender nut blank, this way you can see what I’m talking about.
The one on your bass isn’t a simple flat piece, and quite a bit thicker.
Another option would be to have a luthier build up the slots using a mixture of superglue and filings from a nut blank to raise the strings back up in the nut. If you haven’t done this, it can be tricky, and the glue can make a mess.
Making a new nut isn’t hard, but it’s time consuming, and therefore won’t be cheap. The other route would probably be cheaper, but I can’t say for certain.
