This poor thing.

[H2okie]

View attachment 812910 I picked up this modded t-40 a few years ago for $75 us. Body was routed pickups duct taped in. Frets rattle and is border line fretless. Electronics fell apart more than once. Neck is cracked down the middle starting where it joins the body.

But god damn it sounds good.

Nothin like a well worn t-40. I like the look sans pick-guard. Will have to give that a try on one of mine.

 

[Eilif]

Nothin like a well worn t-40. I like the look sans pick-guard. Will have to give that a try on one of mine.

That's not a stock body. A T-40 sans pickguard has alot of exposed routing.

 

[H2okie]

That's not a stock body. A T-40 sans pickguard has alot of exposed routing.

Yeah. The typical t-40 doesn't lend itself all that well to no pick guard unless ur willing to do some funky stuff. Certainly some ideas for a project bass.

 

[songwriter21]

I've been thinking about doing something along those lines trying to get the weight down.

Boulder or not, don't make her lose weight...the big gals wear ya hard, but DAMN they put out!

 

[Eilif]

Yeah. The typical t-40 doesn't lend itself all that well to no pick guard unless ur willing to do some funky stuff. Certainly some ideas for a project bass.

I've seen a couple of pics of T-40's or 60's that have been lightened by completely chambering the body and putting a new top on them. Chip (T40/60 designer) was known to do this and other T series work in his shop and even later in retirement. Here's him and a T-60 body midway through the process and look what's in the background...

The T-series have such large bodies that major chambering is almost the only way to lighten it without drastically changing the body shape. I tried to carve away every bit of wood that I could under the pickguard of a T-40 once and there was barely any noticeable difference.

 

[H2okie]

I've seen a couple of pics of T-40's or 60's that have been lightened by completely chambering the body and putting a new top on them. Chip (T40/60 designer) was known to do this and other T series work in his shop and even later in retirement. Here's him and a T-60 body midway through the process and look what's in the background...

The T-series have such large bodies that major chambering is almost the only way to lighten it without drastically changing the body shape. I tried to carve away every bit of wood that I could under the pickguard of a T-40 once and there was barely any noticeable difference.

Yup. Mine are all heavy. But I love them. I can usually get a tone I like. They always seem well received ... and apparently they are now "old school" cool again.

 

[lukatch]

Some after-market manufacturer should offer light weight replacement T40 bodies. That could give new life to so many old T40s. I'd love to own one again, if it was under 9 lbs.

That's me in 1981... 35 years ago. The Peavey was my first "decent" bass.