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The OFFICIAL (kinda) HONDO THREAD!!
- Thread starter bluerimedeyes
- Start date
Well not 100% all good with my NBD. The jazz pickup is not original. One of the latches on the case is broken, but overall it is a super fun bass. Needs strings and a set up (action is pretty high). Couple things, it is only 22 fret, 32" scale which came as a surprise. Also, the bridges are way different than my 1982 single neck longhorn. The double neck has more of a vintage P brass bridge rather than a heavy 1980's Japanese high mass bridge. Just different.
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Greetings. 
I inherited this Hondo P from a bandmate. I cannot find a model number or information save for the stickers on the back of the headstock. The tuners have all but disintegrated. Has anyone had success finding drop in replacements? I blind attempted this set but the backplates did not align with the screw holes.
I inherited this Hondo P from a bandmate. I cannot find a model number or information save for the stickers on the back of the headstock. The tuners have all but disintegrated. Has anyone had success finding drop in replacements? I blind attempted this set but the backplates did not align with the screw holes.
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I am pretty sure it is a H-830. 1981-1984, more 1983-84 (Brass saddles). Eagle Beak headstock. Color is probably a AB (Antique Brown Sunburst). As for the tuners, not really sure what you mean by "All but disintegrated", but the ones in the pictures don't look too bad
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I didn't catch that the post was gone!! Well then.. You might be able to find one on eBay.. Usually the place to go to for these.
Sadly nothing on Ebay, I've attempted to switch out the tuners but the screw plates are all too small/narrow. I will probably have to drill new holes but I really was hoping for a drop in option.
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Is there a way to just replace the post using a different tuner? Your tuners have a screw on the back of the post holding it in. There are lots of Fender style tuners that use the same mount. Maybe just replacing the post is a possibility.. I am sure you thought of all these things.
Question for the group since apparently I have become obsessed. Has anyone ever even seen a picture of a H1183 Hondo Longhorn double neck 4/4 Fretted/Fretless? The catalogs from 1983 say all the double necks were custom order only. I have seen a few 12/6 string guitars and a couple more 8/4 string 1182 basses, but I have never even seen a picture of the H1183... Anyone??
I bought one of these Fame Hondo 871 bass guitars back in 1999 in partial working order. I replaced the non-functioning J pickup, but had to guess at how it should be wired since it is the first instrument I'd ever owned. It has two pots, one capacitor, one 3-way switch and one 2-way switch. 27 years later I'd like to wire it up properly, but I don't know what the 2-way stich is supposed to do. An LLM search says that with the components I have available the 2-way switch can either be used as a series/parallel switch or a phase inverter for when both pickups are atctive.
Does anyone know which was the original function and/or which makes more sense?
Does anyone know which was the original function and/or which makes more sense?
Well I finally got myself a Hondo bass and it was the score of the century. I'd been looking around at Squiers because i just wanted a cheap bass to record with (I'm a six-string player). I very nearly bought an Affinity PJ but it got sold the same day I went to buy it! As fate would have it, I happened to search through the Hondos on Ebay again, but didn't filter out "parts". This revealed a body to what I assumed was an H-830 in Tiger Tail Sunburst, the bass I'd had my heart on and been waiting to surface. But I was surprised when I realized the body was solid Ash, and then I noticed the bridge route was not a typical P-bass style. Then it hit me: this is not an H-830, but the bigger brother, the Bassmaster 001, which came with a Kahler 2400 tremolo!
The seller had everything but the neck listed, and he wanted $300 obo for the trem alone. I looked it up and they go for $400 brand new. Taking a shot in the dark, I asked if he still had the neck. He said yes. Then, I asked if what he would want for everything together. He said $285. F*CKING DEAL.
Now I'm just like a kid in a candy store thinking about what I'm going to do with it. I definitely want a clear acrylic pickguard so none of that flame is covered up.
Number one will be getting tuners, the only part he sold before I got to it. This originally had Grover Titans, which go for over $100 a set these days?! Jesus Christ. I'll probably be going with Wilkinsons or Gotohs, I've had good experiences with both in the past. I'm shocked how little variety there is in bass tuners though. You only have like three button styles? Crazy.
The original pickups may end up going, but I'll give them a fair shot. I've never liked ceramics, but maybe just swapping the magnets to alnico would bring them to life. I was really hoping to find a PJ setup for that Duff Mckagan tone, but maybe the right split P pickup could get me close enough. That's something I could use some advice on, not being a bassist.
I was hoping to find gold covers for the pickups, but that seems to be another thing there's not many options for with basses. I guess I'll go cream instead.
The seller had everything but the neck listed, and he wanted $300 obo for the trem alone. I looked it up and they go for $400 brand new. Taking a shot in the dark, I asked if he still had the neck. He said yes. Then, I asked if what he would want for everything together. He said $285. F*CKING DEAL.
Now I'm just like a kid in a candy store thinking about what I'm going to do with it. I definitely want a clear acrylic pickguard so none of that flame is covered up.
Number one will be getting tuners, the only part he sold before I got to it. This originally had Grover Titans, which go for over $100 a set these days?! Jesus Christ. I'll probably be going with Wilkinsons or Gotohs, I've had good experiences with both in the past. I'm shocked how little variety there is in bass tuners though. You only have like three button styles? Crazy.
The original pickups may end up going, but I'll give them a fair shot. I've never liked ceramics, but maybe just swapping the magnets to alnico would bring them to life. I was really hoping to find a PJ setup for that Duff Mckagan tone, but maybe the right split P pickup could get me close enough. That's something I could use some advice on, not being a bassist.
I was hoping to find gold covers for the pickups, but that seems to be another thing there's not many options for with basses. I guess I'll go cream instead.
Well, the neck came in first. She's not been babied, that's for sure. Lots of dings and scratches and gunk. The skunk stripe is separating but apparently that's not a stability concern, according to some googling. It barely registers to the hand but maybe I'll glue and sand it at some point.
The neck had some backbow and when I went to adjust the truss rod it wouldn't move.
I grabbed a pipe for leverage and prayed I wouldn't hear a crack. It did loosen though, somebody had just tightened it to an absurd degree. After that, it looks nice and straight.
The frets are probably about 80% still there, with some indents on the low end as you'd expect. What's strange are the string indents on the fretboard itself. I suppose the backbow may have caused this? I've never seen it before, and it occurs randomly as high as the 8th fret.
For some reason, the tuner holes were filled and re-drilled slightly closer to the edge.
Luckily it's covered by the washers.
The Fame logo is turning a bit green, which I was bummed by at first, but it's growing on me as natural aging of a 40 year old guitar.
Overall, I think it will be a good neck once it's all together. Slimmer than I prefer, but I can live with that for such a neat bass. The headstock shape is my favorite pseudo-Fender design, and was unique to the Mastercaster series.
The neck had some backbow and when I went to adjust the truss rod it wouldn't move.
I grabbed a pipe for leverage and prayed I wouldn't hear a crack. It did loosen though, somebody had just tightened it to an absurd degree. After that, it looks nice and straight.The frets are probably about 80% still there, with some indents on the low end as you'd expect. What's strange are the string indents on the fretboard itself. I suppose the backbow may have caused this? I've never seen it before, and it occurs randomly as high as the 8th fret.
For some reason, the tuner holes were filled and re-drilled slightly closer to the edge.
Luckily it's covered by the washers.
The Fame logo is turning a bit green, which I was bummed by at first, but it's growing on me as natural aging of a 40 year old guitar.
Overall, I think it will be a good neck once it's all together. Slimmer than I prefer, but I can live with that for such a neat bass. The headstock shape is my favorite pseudo-Fender design, and was unique to the Mastercaster series.
