| Author | Message | ||
| edwin
Senior Member Username: edwin Post Number: 1594 Registered: 5-2002 |
Ah, I thought Pierre's neck was in the background. My mistake. Nice to see a view of the shop, in any case. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 171 Registered: 12-2004 |
Thanks for the photo. It's good to know its at least moved a little bit. :-) | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 174 Registered: 12-2004 |
It's a beautiful, sunny day | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 175 Registered: 12-2004 |
Thanks for the chat today... I really appreciate it. Really glad to hear you are doing so well. I look forward to seeing the fingerboard + :-) | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8013 Registered: 6-2000 |
Any chance you can send me the original bridge? We're just being annoying about the scale length issue here. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 176 Registered: 12-2004 |
Done! You should have it in a couple of days. I also included a CD from a few years ago, just cuz. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8014 Registered: 6-2000 |
Super duper! | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 177 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hey Mica, Did the bridge make it down there? | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8016 Registered: 6-2000 |
Yup! Safe and sound. | ||
| edwin
Senior Member Username: edwin Post Number: 1620 Registered: 5-2002 |
Any further pictures of this build? It's been on my mind recently. | ||
| pace
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 946 Registered: 4-2004 |
The clamp on Pierre's neck looks off center to me.... | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 180 Registered: 12-2004 |
Um, maybe we could leave inside jokes of other builds out of the Factory to Costumer thread for my bass :-) K, back to the build at hand: Mica, did you happen to receive my email about potentially changing the neck inlay from silver bound black MOP to silver bound abalone? I hope this isn't asking too much, but I would love to see what you might have for either option. I sure look forward to seeing how this project is going. I saw Further last night in Seattle and it got me all excited again! | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 181 Registered: 12-2004 |
Could we please chat sometime soon? I hope everyone is well and happy. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8031 Registered: 6-2000 |
Sure. I'm a little overbooked today, and tomorrow I'm off with the school for a field trip. I might be able to talk tomorrow late afternoon or Monday at the latest. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 182 Registered: 12-2004 |
Monday is fine if that works best for you. Thanks. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 184 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hey Mica, Did you happen to get the email with the pics of the old bass with abalone/silver inlays? Could you please do me a huge favor and measure the nut width on the starfire? I think I'm remembering it much thinner than it is and I'd like to compare it to my basses at home. Thanks. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8038 Registered: 6-2000 |
Measures out exactly at 1.50 inches. Got the ab pics! I will let you know when we are prepping to chop shell in your honor. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 186 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hmmm... That is tiny. My Les Paul Triumph bass is 1.50 and that's what I grew up on, but lately I've been playing basses with a wider width. As we discussed on the phone, anything you can do to magically add to the width would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks Mica. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8039 Registered: 6-2000 |
We can only flare it out a little bit unless we replace the neck entirely. We'll add what we can! | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 187 Registered: 12-2004 |
How much for a new neck? | ||
| edwin
Senior Member Username: edwin Post Number: 1645 Registered: 5-2002 |
"Wow! So, a whole new neck?"- Edwin on June 24th. Am I psychic or what? Actually, I'd go with the original neck, but that's just me. Once you have a whole new neck, you're a hop, skip and a jump from a completely new bass. At which point you have the new bass and then you look at the Starfire sitting around and say "I wonder how this would sound if Alembic got to work on it…." and then you're back where you started. Anyway, I have found myself having no problems with the size of the neck at the nut on my Starfire, even going back and forth to basses with much larger nuts. I'm excited to see this moving forward! | ||
| hammer
Senior Member Username: hammer Post Number: 425 Registered: 9-2009 |
I'd suggest going with the new bass and then selling the Starfire in its current condition to me so I can have Alembic finish it for me (haha!). Been looking for one to refurbish for some time now and recently blew my chance to pick one up in pretty nice condition for $800 because I was in Europe, got time differences mixed up, and didn't call the guy to confirm the deal in time. Listen to Edwin. You can always have Alembic build you a new bass at a later date if that's what you decide you want. That Starfire, however, is going to be special. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 188 Registered: 12-2004 |
Yeah, I should leave it be. I grew up on super thin necks, so it should be fine. I'm just getting a bit wiggy with all this waiting... too much time to obsess and re-obsess! K, leave the neck but add some fat if at all possible. :-) | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8050 Registered: 6-2000 |
Yeah, I talked with Jack and Bob about it, and Bob is making the fingerboard a scunch wider to give Jack a chance to slightly flare that out. If it works, awesome. If it doesn't we'll carve it to the regular size and no harm done. 21 frets, 30.75" short scale. Here's how the fingerboard lines up:  Normally we'd saw off the end of the board at the next fret, on yours it will be just a little less so it won't overhang. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 189 Registered: 12-2004 |
Exciting update, thanks Mica. So it will be cut just shy of the 22nd fret? Sounds like a good plan. I know you've been working on it theoretically for quite some time, but it's really exciting to see physical work getting done. Thrilling! | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 191 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hi Mica, I'd like to confirm black MOP bound in silver for the inlays. I was curious if you were ever able to locate any pictures of the tail piece on Phil's bass. The pic on the Long History page is fantastic, but it's too small to get any detail. Thanks! | ||
| edwin
Senior Member Username: edwin Post Number: 1659 Registered: 5-2002 |
I'd like to be in on the loop for any tailpiece information. My guess is that it was a one-off lost wax casting, but it's pretty cool. | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 3096 Registered: 5-2009 |
I would concur with Edwin .My favorite tail piece would be the one on 72-01 or "number one " as it is sometimes called. | ||
| moonliner
Intermediate Member Username: moonliner Post Number: 193 Registered: 12-2004 |
I talked to Rick Turner about it and he says it was bronze welding, not cast. The same thing is on David Crosby's 12 string, but Phil's looks more globular. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8054 Registered: 6-2000 |
Yup, you've got the fingerboard plan correct, Keith. OK on the black mop with silver binding.  Yeah, Rick did the bronze welding freeform on those tailpieces. This is the best picture I had handy - I adjusted the levels some to get to see in the shadows. Hope this helps! |
