Does this bass look familiar...?

Started by eos35mm, April 16, 2006, 12:43:24 AM

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eos35mm

Do Not the Serial # of this S1.  Does anyone have any info on this bass, the types of wood etc....?

 
(Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006)

eos35mm

If a PickUp has a hiss, could the cause be related to a bad I.C. in the preamp???
How much would it cost to have the IC in the pre amp replaced?
 
Thanks.
 
(Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006)
 
(Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006)

David Houck

Roger; the neck is probaly Maple and Purpleheart.  The back body laminate might be Walnut.
 
Have you ruled out that the hum cancelling trim pots might need adjusting?

eos35mm

Thanks, Dave.  
 
I'll try that. How do I go about doing the hum canceling trim pots? Would a pickup may also be contributing to this noise? It seems as though one pickup is making a hissing noise.  I sort of remember seeing a post on these adjustments on this site. I have enclosed another pic of the body that night make identification of the woods easier.
 

 
Thanks,
 
Roger

David Houck

Nice bass!
 
Go here for the hum cancelling procedure.
 
The body is probably Mahogany.  The top might be Vermilion.
 
The serial number should be on the very top of the headstock.
 
My guess is that it is mid-70's and that the original bridge has been replaced with the newer version.  But I'm just guessing.

eos35mm

Thanks, will see if the owner can try the adjustments, i'll also see if I can get the Ser #. A/p the owner it's a 77 and the body made of Mohogany. Does it look as though it has Laminates? Also, are the 4 little knobs for intonation adjustment? Can't remember seeing these types of knobs before.
 
(Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006)

bsee

Yes, the knobs on the bridge will let you move the individual saddles forward and back for intonation adjustment.  
 
If the hum cancelling procedure doesn't make it quiet enough, then this bass might need the series electronics upgrade procedure to become quiet.  That will probably be in the neighborhood of $1500 if it needs doing.
 
Early basses typically had a core body wood and only a single laminate each for the top and back.  It was later that they started adding the intermediate laminates.  
 
Oddly, I'd say that the picture shows the fretboard as lighter than I would expect for ebony.  It could be the color rendition of the pic/computer, the ebony could be in need of some oil, or the board could be something else (rosewood?).
 
-bob

David Houck

Bob; I noticed the fretboard color too!  Intriguing.

eos35mm

Thanks guys:
There is definitely different colours with respect to the front/back and the side.
The fret board looks the same Brownish-Red colour in the smaller pics I have looked at. How does an Ebony fretboard compare to say a Rosewood, Mohogany or Cocobolo?
The upgrade would not include pickups only internals circuitry, correct?
 
(Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006)
 
(Message edited by eos35mm on April 16, 2006)

bsee

Ebony will be black, though maybe slightly pale.  If it is ebony, it looks like it could use a few drops of lemon oil.  If it isn't ebony, it is rosewood.  There wasn't as much experimentation going on with fretboard woods 30 years ago compared to what they're doing today.  
 
I believe that the upgrade typically doesn't touch the pickups unless there's something wrong with them.  If you do a little searching on the boards, you should be able to find more information about this as well.

eos35mm

Thanks, I read some of the links.  
I got a distance from the nut the 12th being 15.5. Would that make it a medium or short scale? Short being 30.5 and medium 32?
 
Thanks

kungfusheriff

That would make the bass a short-scale instrument; your understanding of scale lengths is correct.
Nice bass...does the seller have another? ;)

eos35mm

Nah that's the only one.  
 
I am still trying to figure the various woods and get a sense if anything is wrong with the bass.  He is a little reluctant to give out the Ser#
I have to ask him more about that hissing noise.  
 
Thanks.

eos35mm

Does the back pickup look higher towards the G string? Like it's set at a steep angle. Or is this an opitical illusion? Has anyone notice this?

olieoliver

Looks higher to me too Roger. If you look at the wood in the pickup cavity you can see that it is definantely higher at the first string. More of a dillusion  than an illusion  I'd say.