The Pedulla Club!

[Wild Rice Chris]

Anybody really familiar with the early '90s MVP Standard wiring? I've had two (maybe the same bass twice) with replaced electronics, both had dual volumes rather than a blend. I'm talking with Bartolini to get pickups and a preamp and am not sure if I should convert to a blend control or maintain the dual volumes. If dual volumes was the standard setup in the early '90s, that's what I'll do, otherwise I'll go with the blend. I have no real preference as a player.

 

[CTBassGuy]

Anybody really familiar with the early '90s MVP Standard wiring? I've had two (maybe the same bass twice) with replaced electronics, both had dual volumes rather than a blend. I'm talking with Bartolini to get pickups and a preamp and am not sure if I should convert to a blend control or maintain the dual volumes. If dual volumes was the standard setup in the early '90s, that's what I'll do, otherwise I'll go with the blend. I have no real preference as a player.

I have a 1990 Buzz "Standard" (written on the truss rod cover) with three knobs; it is a Vol-Blend-Tone

 

[Wild Rice Chris]

I've not seen many with the toggle switch, I wonder if that's the differentiator? Toggle with blend doesn't make as much sense as toggle with dual volumes.

There I go, convincing myself.

 

[CTBassGuy]

...Toggle with blend doesn't make as much sense as toggle with dual volumes...

Tend to agree. My Carvin in my avatar is single volume and tone with a toggle; toggle with a blend knob seems like it would be problematic for single pickup use (maybe?).

Personally, of all my various controls I've had available on 2 pickup basses (PJ, JJ, PP, HH, etc.), I prefer VVT; it just gives more control and variety of sounds than other configs in a simple package. If I had the opportunity to choose, I would gravitate toward VVT. YMMV, of course.

 

[seang15]

Greetings,

Hope you're all doing well!

I just acquired a 1994 MVP from Reverb.com. The price was seemingly too good to be true, and perhaps still is, even after the fact. But the bass has been played, and played thoroughly. It is surprisingly worn on the back, and the neck is partially down to bare wood! I don't recall seeing this on a boutique bass like this with thick, what I would think is epoxy or something similar.

(Ironically, I find vintage Fender basses to be absolutely beautiful when beat-up, paint wearing off, showing lots of signs of wear. They are exquisite. For some reason, boutique and custom basses - all the "big names" you can think of - I'd rather see more intact and factory-fresh. To a degree! Some wear and tear, signs of use, is important. They shouldn't be show-pieces, nor should they be locked up forever. They were made to be played. But the way my MVP looks right now, in my mind, is less than desirable.)

So, I am torn. One thing I won't (or can't) do at this point - is return to sender. This bass is mine at this point. While it's less than the 7 days that Reverb gives for buyers to return; I went ahead and wet/dry sanded the back of the neck of the bass last night. I saw no other recourse. The paint was/is literally chipping off, and I was afraid of getting splinters (seriously) playing the bass. And I know anyone else would, too. So if I am not to return it, I have to improve the back of the neck - playing-wise, not aesthetically. For now. (More on that later.)

Another caveat: Bass weighs about 12 pounds. Perhaps just shy of that, but not much. I am yet to weight it, but it's very similar to my ~12 pound Ibanez ATK. They are beasts. (This is all ironic, as my one post on TB that went "viral" was one where I was complaining about folks complaining about the weight of basses. It was taken wrong by our fellow TB'ers, and I was flamed relentlessly...the admins had to take it down. Sigh. I digress.) If I was planning on 1-hour gigs, or thereabouts, with this bass - that would be one thing. But I typically play 3-4 hour gigs, usually with one 30 minute break or (2) 20-30 minute breaks if 4 hours. So that's a long evening/night with a 12 pound axe. Likely don't have to extrapolate on this, most of y'all are aware of the caveats. (And yes, they do make great straps to off-set such things.)

So the question there, out of curiosity: How much does your EMS/Buzz/MVP weigh? Anyone have one in the area of ~12 pounds? (This is a 4-string.)

And if you'd care to give some advice here:

-If I plan to sell one day - what are the ramification of having this bass cleaned up and re-finished? Frets are perfect, I believe they had flats on it most of its life. (Shipped with flats.) Rounds are going on ASAP But I am curious if re-finishing (and that will include some wood work) will improve or decrease the potential resale price? Or would it be a "break even" scenario? I.e. if it costs $1,000 to improve the value by $1,000...likely not worth it. (That stated, the neck still needs work. I may bring it to bare wood - and then some clear coat or boiled linseed. It will look weird, but not overly worried about the aesthetics that aren't apparent to most but to me. (Audience certainly won't see it.)

Or is it better with the player wear and tear, and intact with the original paint?

I can see the beautiful grain it has, including the back of the neck. I believe a refinish will make this bass incredibly beautiful. But not sure I want to keep it, even after refinish. And if that doesn't improve resale, what's the point?

What I believe will be the bare minimum I do: aforementioned sanding the neck bare. But open to all comments, suggestions, info etc. as detailed above.

Thank you all!

Regards,

Sean G


.

 

[BargeOn]

Greetings,

Hope you're all doing well!

I just acquired a 1994 MVP from Reverb.com. The price was seemingly too good to be true, and perhaps still is, even after the fact. But the bass has been played, and played thoroughly. It is surprisingly worn on the back, and the neck is partially down to bare wood! I don't recall seeing this on a boutique bass like this with thick, what I would think is epoxy or something similar.

(Ironically, I find vintage Fender basses to be absolutely beautiful when beat-up, paint wearing off, showing lots of signs of wear. They are exquisite. For some reason, boutique and custom basses - all the "big names" you can think of - I'd rather see more intact and factory-fresh. To a degree! Some wear and tear, signs of use, is important. They shouldn't be show-pieces, nor should they be locked up forever. They were made to be played. But the way my MVP looks right now, in my mind, is less than desirable.)

So, I am torn. One thing I won't (or can't) do at this point - is return to sender. This bass is mine at this point. While it's less than the 7 days that Reverb gives for buyers to return; I went ahead and wet/dry sanded the back of the neck of the bass last night. I saw no other recourse. The paint was/is literally chipping off, and I was afraid of getting splinters (seriously) playing the bass. And I know anyone else would, too. So if I am not to return it, I have to improve the back of the neck - playing-wise, not aesthetically. For now. (More on that later.)

Another caveat: Bass weighs about 12 pounds. Perhaps just shy of that, but not much. I am yet to weight it, but it's very similar to my ~12 pound Ibanez ATK. They are beasts. (This is all ironic, as my one post on TB that went "viral" was one where I was complaining about folks complaining about the weight of basses. It was taken wrong by our fellow TB'ers, and I was flamed relentlessly...the admins had to take it down. Sigh. I digress.) If I was planning on 1-hour gigs, or thereabouts, with this bass - that would be one thing. But I typically play 3-4 hour gigs, usually with one 30 minute break or (2) 20-30 minute breaks if 4 hours. So that's a long evening/night with a 12 pound axe. Likely don't have to extrapolate on this, most of y'all are aware of the caveats. (And yes, they do make great straps to off-set such things.)

So the question there, out of curiosity: How much does your EMS/Buzz/MVP weigh? Anyone have one in the area of ~12 pounds? (This is a 4-string.)

And if you'd care to give some advice here:

-If I plan to sell one day - what are the ramification of having this bass cleaned up and re-finished? Frets are perfect, I believe they had flats on it most of its life. (Shipped with flats.) Rounds are going on ASAP But I am curious if re-finishing (and that will include some wood work) will improve or decrease the potential resale price? Or would it be a "break even" scenario? I.e. if it costs $1,000 to improve the value by $1,000...likely not worth it. (That stated, the neck still needs work. I may bring it to bare wood - and then some clear coat or boiled linseed. It will look weird, but not overly worried about the aesthetics that aren't apparent to most but to me. (Audience certainly won't see it.)

Or is it better with the player wear and tear, and intact with the original paint?

I can see the beautiful grain it has, including the back of the neck. I believe a refinish will make this bass incredibly beautiful. But not sure I want to keep it, even after refinish. And if that doesn't improve resale, what's the point?

What I believe will be the bare minimum I do: aforementioned sanding the neck bare. But open to all comments, suggestions, info etc. as detailed above.

Thank you all!

Regards,

Sean G

Congrats on your purchase Sean! It's a beauty.

Both my 87 MVP and 17 Buzz are a few ounces over 10 lb. And they are both 5ers. 12 pounds is a beast, I'm not sure what would account for the difference. Younger wood?

I can't advise on the refin. I'm not a purist though the prevailing wisdom is to leave the player wear. I've seen a few Pedulla refins, they go for less but were still above 3K or 4K. They were all solid colors. None of Michael's transparent bursts. Demand is still high. I suspect you would at least break even.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[churchplayer]

I bought my Buzz in '86 and my MVP in '87 and they've been with me since. They're both solid colors (black and blue, the blue was Mike's road sales sample) and both weigh at about 9 lbs. I've had 4 or 5 other Pedullas over time, including an MVP 5, and none of them were over 10 lbs, so that's a bit of a beast.

I saw that one on Reverb and when I saw the condition and price the first thing I thought was "I'd save enough for a decent refin". The only reason I thought that would be because it would be what I'd want to see every time I picked it up and not because I was thinking about resale. Had I messaged the seller and learned of the weight that would have ended the conversation then and there (i had to sell my 13lb Alembic because of shoulder issues). Otherwise my next step would have been to contact the guy I want to do the refin and have him look at it and quote a price. If that worked for me it would have been dropped shipped to him for a once over and potential return if he saw anything.

But that's me.

In your boat? You've already sanded the neck so it's yours. Do you do finish work? If not, stop, do not pass go, and get it to someone who can help you out. I know there used to be a couple great luthiers in the Cary area but that was 20 years ago (Terry McInturff is in Siler City, but I don't know if he'd take something like that on). Maybe reach out to the folks at Sound Pure in Durham to see if they'd recommend someone. You got it for a great price, no reason to turn it into sawdust. Just my 2 cents

 

[WayneP]

Since everyone else is saying the haven’t seen one over 10 lbs, gotta wonder – is your scale accurate? It’s generally accepted that measuring devices often aren’t accurate at the fringes of their range. So, you might get on the scale and weigh yourself, then weigh again with you holding the bass. That might get something different than putting the bass on the scale by itself.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45

 

[JEDI BASS]

Since everyone else is saying the haven’t seen one over 10 lbs, gotta wonder – is your scale accurate? It’s generally accepted that measuring devices often aren’t accurate at the fringes of their range. So, you might get on the scale and weigh yourself, then weigh again with you holding the bass. That might get something different than putting the bass on the scale by itself.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45

I bought a scale that’s designed to weigh items from grams up to around 25 pounds. That’s the key to getting accurate weight readings. That being said, I still can get a ballpark weight, using your method, that is accurate to plus or minus a half pound or so.

My ‘89 MVP 4 string might weigh 9 pounds. I’d be shocked to see any that accurately weigh more than 10.

 

[CaptainLeisure]

I'd leave it alone, short of smoothing out the back of the neck. The front looks fine, and as you say, the audience can't see the back.

 

[BlacksHole]

Either do minimal refinishing on the back or find someone to do it for you. I'd try not to spend too much. Make it a "player" rather than a showpiece especially since the hardware looks quite worn as well

 

[graphics1988]

Greetings,

Hope you're all doing well!

I just acquired a 1994 MVP from Reverb.com. The price was seemingly too good to be true, and perhaps still is, even after the fact. But the bass has been played, and played thoroughly. It is surprisingly worn on the back, and the neck is partially down to bare wood! I don't recall seeing this on a boutique bass like this with thick, what I would think is epoxy or something similar.

(Ironically, I find vintage Fender basses to be absolutely beautiful when beat-up, paint wearing off, showing lots of signs of wear. They are exquisite. For some reason, boutique and custom basses - all the "big names" you can think of - I'd rather see more intact and factory-fresh. To a degree! Some wear and tear, signs of use, is important. They shouldn't be show-pieces, nor should they be locked up forever. They were made to be played. But the way my MVP looks right now, in my mind, is less than desirable.)

So, I am torn. One thing I won't (or can't) do at this point - is return to sender. This bass is mine at this point. While it's less than the 7 days that Reverb gives for buyers to return; I went ahead and wet/dry sanded the back of the neck of the bass last night. I saw no other recourse. The paint was/is literally chipping off, and I was afraid of getting splinters (seriously) playing the bass. And I know anyone else would, too. So if I am not to return it, I have to improve the back of the neck - playing-wise, not aesthetically. For now. (More on that later.)

Another caveat: Bass weighs about 12 pounds. Perhaps just shy of that, but not much. I am yet to weight it, but it's very similar to my ~12 pound Ibanez ATK. They are beasts. (This is all ironic, as my one post on TB that went "viral" was one where I was complaining about folks complaining about the weight of basses. It was taken wrong by our fellow TB'ers, and I was flamed relentlessly...the admins had to take it down. Sigh. I digress.) If I was planning on 1-hour gigs, or thereabouts, with this bass - that would be one thing. But I typically play 3-4 hour gigs, usually with one 30 minute break or (2) 20-30 minute breaks if 4 hours. So that's a long evening/night with a 12 pound axe. Likely don't have to extrapolate on this, most of y'all are aware of the caveats. (And yes, they do make great straps to off-set such things.)

So the question there, out of curiosity: How much does your EMS/Buzz/MVP weigh? Anyone have one in the area of ~12 pounds? (This is a 4-string.)

And if you'd care to give some advice here:

-If I plan to sell one day - what are the ramification of having this bass cleaned up and re-finished? Frets are perfect, I believe they had flats on it most of its life. (Shipped with flats.) Rounds are going on ASAP But I am curious if re-finishing (and that will include some wood work) will improve or decrease the potential resale price? Or would it be a "break even" scenario? I.e. if it costs $1,000 to improve the value by $1,000...likely not worth it. (That stated, the neck still needs work. I may bring it to bare wood - and then some clear coat or boiled linseed. It will look weird, but not overly worried about the aesthetics that aren't apparent to most but to me. (Audience certainly won't see it.)

Or is it better with the player wear and tear, and intact with the original paint?

I can see the beautiful grain it has, including the back of the neck. I believe a refinish will make this bass incredibly beautiful. But not sure I want to keep it, even after refinish. And if that doesn't improve resale, what's the point?

What I believe will be the bare minimum I do: aforementioned sanding the neck bare. But open to all comments, suggestions, info etc. as detailed above.

Thank you all!

Regards,

Sean G

View attachment 5111317 View attachment 5111324 View attachment 5111327 View attachment 5111329 View attachment 5111330 View attachment 5111331
. View attachment 5111319

ME personally, I’d tape off the volute area and the body area, use green 3M scrub pad, get it smooth and perfect, seal it and rock it. Sounds like you got a great deal on it, so if the weight isn’t an issue…just make it yours. Nobody reeeeeally buys a bass for increased resale…I don’t think? So if ya love it, just enjoy it and play the daylights out of it. (Looks sweet too)

 

[seang15]

\

Congrats on your purchase Sean! It's a beauty.

Both my 87 MVP and 17 Buzz are a few ounces over 10 lb. And they are both 5ers. 12 pounds is a beast, I'm not sure what would account for the difference. Younger wood?

I can't advise on the refin. I'm not a purist though the prevailing wisdom is to leave the player wear. I've seen a few Pedulla refins, they go for less but were still above 3K or 4K. They were all solid colors. None of Michael's transparent bursts. Demand is still high. I suspect you would at least break even.

Good luck and enjoy.

Thanks so much for the reply, and great info! Really appreciated! Cheers.

 

[seang15]

I bought my Buzz in '86 and my MVP in '87 and they've been with me since. They're both solid colors (black and blue, the blue was Mike's road sales sample) and both weigh at about 9 lbs. I've had 4 or 5 other Pedullas over time, including an MVP 5, and none of them were over 10 lbs, so that's a bit of a beast.

I saw that one on Reverb and when I saw the condition and price the first thing I thought was "I'd save enough for a decent refin". The only reason I thought that would be because it would be what I'd want to see every time I picked it up and not because I was thinking about resale. Had I messaged the seller and learned of the weight that would have ended the conversation then and there (i had to sell my 13lb Alembic because of shoulder issues). Otherwise my next step would have been to contact the guy I want to do the refin and have him look at it and quote a price. If that worked for me it would have been dropped shipped to him for a once over and potential return if he saw anything.

But that's me.

In your boat? You've already sanded the neck so it's yours. Do you do finish work? If not, stop, do not pass go, and get it to someone who can help you out. I know there used to be a couple great luthiers in the Cary area but that was 20 years ago (Terry McInturff is in Siler City, but I don't know if he'd take something like that on). Maybe reach out to the folks at Sound Pure in Durham to see if they'd recommend someone. You got it for a great price, no reason to turn it into sawdust. Just my 2 cents

Greetings! Thanks for the reply.

I have built a few Warmoth/Allparts basses, and came out great. I usually buy the factory seconds from Allparts, and spend about 30-40 hours sanding and re-finishing...and then paint in nitro (yes, nitro)! The most finicky paint on Earth!

That stated, still not a pro Not to the level of Pedulla basses. So yes, your point is well taken. However, I couldn't even play the bass without the threat of getting splinters from the finish on the back of the bass. Wish I was exaggerating...I had a gig last night, so I didn't want to risk the discomfort of an dang injury from chipped paint lol. That would be horrible. (Even with a light wet/dry sanding at 1200, there are still some paint flakes falling off when I play. It's hard NOT to play a bass you just bought! I can tell you that, but I do have to refrain at this point. Will also refrain from further (as I mentioned, light) sanding.

Terry McInturff is a long-time Facebook friend and I was in contact with him a few months ago for other matters. But that's a great idea, if he has the cycles to take on a refinish. I know he has been running a bit behind for various reasons, some road-bumps. So he likely won't have time to work on basses made by other luthiers for a while. But I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

And yep, I do know the good folks at Sound Pure as well. Another solid idea and lead!

Thanks again -SG

 

[seang15]

My apologies all! Truly sorry for starting down that dark, murky road of weight.

I just weighed it, using a scale that goes to 10 pounds. It may not be the most accurate method (putting on a (lightweight) strap, and weighing it from the strap) - but it comes in at less than 10 pounds! Just under, including strap. It felt beastly when I first got it, but I am more and more becoming accustomed to the weight. And/or I have been spoiled by some light basses, ironically - as it was never an asset I shopped for or worried about. Well, when I was under 50 LOL. (A few years into my 50s, and longer gigs = a lot more important haha.) But I've never asked about weight, not ordered a bass (or put one together) based on this factor. I've gotten fairly lucky with lighter basses I reckon, but have a few heavier ones that have served their purpose.

I am thinking just the thickness and solidness of the Pedulla, was the weight-equivalent of an optical illusion If that makes sense! Seems to, to me at least haha.

Thanks again!

 

[seang15]

I bought a scale that’s designed to weigh items from grams up to around 25 pounds. That’s the key to getting accurate weight readings. That being said, I still can get a ballpark weight, using your method, that is accurate to plus or minus a half pound or so.

My ‘89 MVP 4 string might weigh 9 pounds. I’d be shocked to see any that accurately weigh more than 10.

I am going to agree here, now! Again, apologies for my oversights.

 

[seang15]

I'd leave it alone, short of smoothing out the back of the neck. The front looks fine, and as you say, the audience can't see the back.

Great advice! Thank you!

 

[seang15]

Either do minimal refinishing on the back or find someone to do it for you. I'd try not to spend too much. Make it a "player" rather than a showpiece especially since the hardware looks quite worn as well

Refinishing on the back - if this is possible, is a method I'd love to pursue. Thanks for the thought! And info.

 

[seang15]

ME personally, I’d tape off the volute area and the body area, use green 3M scrub pad, get it smooth and perfect, seal it and rock it. Sounds like you got a great deal on it, so if the weight isn’t an issue…just make it yours. Nobody reeeeeally buys a bass for increased resale…I don’t think? So if ya love it, just enjoy it and play the daylights out of it. (Looks sweet too)

Excellent advice! Side note: even with an English Degree, I had to Google "volute" :-D Time to get a 3M scrub pad. I really do appreciate the (prior, from others) advice to leave it alone - I do mostly agree, but it's just not playable right now. And short of spending hundreds (and hundreds, potentially) - having some full or partial (still a future consideration) re-fin, just to get it giggable - I will have to smooth out the back of the neck. I like the idea of the 3M pad, but I'll be all kinds of careful.

Thank you all! Enjoy your respective Pedullas, as well!
Cheers -- Sean G.

 

[WayneP]

Speaking of Pedulla weights, here’s something kind of related.

I have two Thunderbasses, one with a cocobolo top and one with bubinga. The bubinga bass has always had a strange problem, that the case lid had a good deal of separation with the bass in it, making the lid a bit hard to latch. The latches actually force the case closed. (The cocobolo T-bass has the same problem as well, but to a much lesser extent.)

This morning I tried switching the bubinga T-bass to the cocobolo case, and low and behold the problem followed. Thus the problem is the bass, not the case.

Here’s where it gets curious. I got out my calipers, and determined that the bubinga bass is fully 1/8” thicker than the cocobolo bass! 1-5/8” bubinga vs. 1-1/2” cocobolo. So that explains the lid-latching situation. Upon weighing the two, the bubinga bass is 10 lbs. flat, while the cocobolo is 9.6 lbs.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Pedulla Club #45 Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Administrator, Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
Pedulla Club #45