VroomVroom
New member
- May 21, 2008
- 294
- 0
Sort of a follow up to the Guitars thread, I recently lucked into an instrument from my youth. Back in 1990, I bought my first ever five-string bass, a Peavey Dyna-Bass. Great instrument, and in many ways it was ahead of its time (three-band active circuit, adjustable string spacing, adjustable neck height). That bass was used on countless gigs and even a few albums you've never heard by artists you've never heard of. 
It eventually gave way to a pre-Gibson Tobias (my first taste of, "driving the Cadillacs"), but it certainly holds a special place in the memory bank. Roughly six years ago nostalgia hit, and I began checking the classifieds. Many were listed, some with an asking price far too rich, some in really horrible condition, and some....both. Finally, a few weeks back, I found one that seemed too good to be true. (Turns out...I was kinda' right - the preamp is toast.) I pulled the trigger for $250, and here's what arrived...
All the pieces and parts were in place, and the neck hadn't warped into a banana...plenty to work with, even if the finish was in pretty lousy condition. Ample dings and through-the-finish scratches to go along with swirls, RIDs, and years of built-up crud. Based on the value of the instrument, a re-fin was immediately off the table. But, I figured I could have a bit of fun with a mild restore/refresh. I'll give you a quick pictoral highlight, and if you're still so inclined....read on.
Prepping....
....and learning the state of the electronics...
....so, after one round of polishing, I did a complete disassemble...
...progress...
...and as good as it gets:
Products & Process
Strings yanked, neck pulled.
All hardware (bridge, knobs, strap pins, tuners, neck plate, truss rod cover, string retainer) pulled and cleaned with Meg's APC 1:4 and a nylon brush. Set aside to air dry. Pickups and pots pulled, and circuit board gently removed (pots are soldered directly to the board) to allow the buffer free reign. Pickups received light wipedown with MF towel & Meg's APC 1:4. Pickup rings and screws and bridge screws soaked in Meg's APC (full strength). The screw heads then received agitation with brass brush to remove rust and grime. Rinsed and left to air dry.
First polishing attempt: Pickups and pots pulled (front) and circuit board gently removed to allow the buffer free reign. Used PC 7424, LC Orange 3" and Meg's 105. Saw definite improvement...until my backing plate disintegrated. Hooglie. Reassembled and realized that the pre-amp was dead. I don't think
I caused this during disassembly, but suppose it's possible. So, fast forward a week.
New pre-amp ordered (Bartolini NTMB, for any fellow bass nerds), and a new 3" LC backing plate ordered as well. This time, I fully disassembled...sadly cut wires @ the circuit board, and yanked everything. Pickups & rings received two light coats of Poorboy's Trim Restorer. Bridge, tuners, and neck plate received two coats of Blackfire WD.
Second polishing attempt. Fun. Used Meg's 105 on the PC, and went to town with 4" and 3" LC pads. PFW > Yellow > Orange. Followed with Meg's 205 & white. Neck: front of the headstock got 105 w/ yellow and orange and 205 w/ white. Back of the neck got 205 w/ white. Results, as you can tell from the pics....much improved, but there's only so much that can be done following 22-ish years of neglect and abuse. My verdict: good enough. Take away harsh lighting and step back a few feet, and this thing looks terrific.
LSP. All finished areas (body, back of the neck, headstock) received Wolfgang's Spritz Sealant, followed by....it's true....Pinnacle Souveran. Hey, I had both just sitting on the shelf, and by this time I'd lent out my BFWD. Body and neck were set aside for reassembly.
Fingerboard. Back on day one I treated the rosewood board with Planet Waves Hydrate. I let it soak, wiped with some elbow grease, and then repeated. Somewhat similar to how Mr. Phillips preps old single stage finishes with Meg's 7. Using blue tape to protect the board, I hit the frets pretty vigorously with 000 steel wool. Afterward, I applied another coat of Hydrate, and went after the entire board with 0000 steel wool. This removed all traces of grime, and the board really looked brand new. Finally, I applied one last coat of Hydrate, let it soak in for 20 minutes, and then removed.
Reassembly. Installed the pickups and bridge, and the back cavity cover. Installed the tuners and string retainer, and then mounted the neck. Tossed on a set of strings (D'Addario nickels, medium gauge...my sacrificial first set after any fingerboard treatment...they'll be replaced by DR Sunbeams in a couple of weeks) and began the setup process. Straightened the neck a bit, let things settle, straightened a bit more, and then began adjusting the neck height and bridge saddles. The good news is that this thing really plays great. I've got the action set VERY low, and while I'm still playing around with a bit of buzz here and there, this thing is GREAT. For what was originally a < $600 instrument, the neck and fretwork are absolutely terrific.
To be done: electronics install. This is where I bow out - my soldering skills are weaksauce at best - and turn to the pros. The preamp will arrive late this week, and I'll be delivering the bass to SF Guitarworks for their typically outstanding work. Controls will be as follows... Top Row: Volume (push/pull active/passive) > Blend > Three-way toggle switch for midrange frequency control (250, 500, 800hz). Bottom Row: Low > Mid > High Active EQ.
Finally.... Overall, I'm quite pleased. I would've liked to have a finish in better condition, but I feel I've maximized what I had to start with, without going to any extremes. I'm really happy with the playability. I didn't expect this thing to set up so nicely, at least without crowning the frets, or worse, a re-fret. (Again...extremes. No sense fiscally to sand & refinish, or to spend money on fretwork.) While I'm semi-bummed to miss out on the full Peavey sound, I do recall that original preamp being very noisy. I'm hoping to have the best of both worlds - Peavey's growly/aggressive Super Ferrite pickups, with a top-notch Bartolini pre-amp that offers a bit of warmth and fatness....and no extra noise.
Whether it's a keeper remains to be seen. I've got instruments of much higher quality that see my live and studio work these days, and I'm not sure I'd be tempted to use this one in that capacity. It'll be fun revisiting the old days, and if that vibe wears off I'll probably sell it, with expected value at roughly what I've got into it (minus labor, of course...imagine that). If you've stuck around this far, thanks very much for reading!
It eventually gave way to a pre-Gibson Tobias (my first taste of, "driving the Cadillacs"), but it certainly holds a special place in the memory bank. Roughly six years ago nostalgia hit, and I began checking the classifieds. Many were listed, some with an asking price far too rich, some in really horrible condition, and some....both. Finally, a few weeks back, I found one that seemed too good to be true. (Turns out...I was kinda' right - the preamp is toast.) I pulled the trigger for $250, and here's what arrived...
All the pieces and parts were in place, and the neck hadn't warped into a banana...plenty to work with, even if the finish was in pretty lousy condition. Ample dings and through-the-finish scratches to go along with swirls, RIDs, and years of built-up crud. Based on the value of the instrument, a re-fin was immediately off the table. But, I figured I could have a bit of fun with a mild restore/refresh. I'll give you a quick pictoral highlight, and if you're still so inclined....read on.
Prepping....
....and learning the state of the electronics...
....so, after one round of polishing, I did a complete disassemble...
...progress...
...and as good as it gets:
Products & Process
Strings yanked, neck pulled.
All hardware (bridge, knobs, strap pins, tuners, neck plate, truss rod cover, string retainer) pulled and cleaned with Meg's APC 1:4 and a nylon brush. Set aside to air dry. Pickups and pots pulled, and circuit board gently removed (pots are soldered directly to the board) to allow the buffer free reign. Pickups received light wipedown with MF towel & Meg's APC 1:4. Pickup rings and screws and bridge screws soaked in Meg's APC (full strength). The screw heads then received agitation with brass brush to remove rust and grime. Rinsed and left to air dry.
First polishing attempt: Pickups and pots pulled (front) and circuit board gently removed to allow the buffer free reign. Used PC 7424, LC Orange 3" and Meg's 105. Saw definite improvement...until my backing plate disintegrated. Hooglie. Reassembled and realized that the pre-amp was dead. I don't think
I caused this during disassembly, but suppose it's possible. So, fast forward a week.
New pre-amp ordered (Bartolini NTMB, for any fellow bass nerds), and a new 3" LC backing plate ordered as well. This time, I fully disassembled...sadly cut wires @ the circuit board, and yanked everything. Pickups & rings received two light coats of Poorboy's Trim Restorer. Bridge, tuners, and neck plate received two coats of Blackfire WD.
Second polishing attempt. Fun. Used Meg's 105 on the PC, and went to town with 4" and 3" LC pads. PFW > Yellow > Orange. Followed with Meg's 205 & white. Neck: front of the headstock got 105 w/ yellow and orange and 205 w/ white. Back of the neck got 205 w/ white. Results, as you can tell from the pics....much improved, but there's only so much that can be done following 22-ish years of neglect and abuse. My verdict: good enough. Take away harsh lighting and step back a few feet, and this thing looks terrific.
LSP. All finished areas (body, back of the neck, headstock) received Wolfgang's Spritz Sealant, followed by....it's true....Pinnacle Souveran. Hey, I had both just sitting on the shelf, and by this time I'd lent out my BFWD. Body and neck were set aside for reassembly.
Fingerboard. Back on day one I treated the rosewood board with Planet Waves Hydrate. I let it soak, wiped with some elbow grease, and then repeated. Somewhat similar to how Mr. Phillips preps old single stage finishes with Meg's 7. Using blue tape to protect the board, I hit the frets pretty vigorously with 000 steel wool. Afterward, I applied another coat of Hydrate, and went after the entire board with 0000 steel wool. This removed all traces of grime, and the board really looked brand new. Finally, I applied one last coat of Hydrate, let it soak in for 20 minutes, and then removed.
Reassembly. Installed the pickups and bridge, and the back cavity cover. Installed the tuners and string retainer, and then mounted the neck. Tossed on a set of strings (D'Addario nickels, medium gauge...my sacrificial first set after any fingerboard treatment...they'll be replaced by DR Sunbeams in a couple of weeks) and began the setup process. Straightened the neck a bit, let things settle, straightened a bit more, and then began adjusting the neck height and bridge saddles. The good news is that this thing really plays great. I've got the action set VERY low, and while I'm still playing around with a bit of buzz here and there, this thing is GREAT. For what was originally a < $600 instrument, the neck and fretwork are absolutely terrific.
To be done: electronics install. This is where I bow out - my soldering skills are weaksauce at best - and turn to the pros. The preamp will arrive late this week, and I'll be delivering the bass to SF Guitarworks for their typically outstanding work. Controls will be as follows... Top Row: Volume (push/pull active/passive) > Blend > Three-way toggle switch for midrange frequency control (250, 500, 800hz). Bottom Row: Low > Mid > High Active EQ.
Finally.... Overall, I'm quite pleased. I would've liked to have a finish in better condition, but I feel I've maximized what I had to start with, without going to any extremes. I'm really happy with the playability. I didn't expect this thing to set up so nicely, at least without crowning the frets, or worse, a re-fret. (Again...extremes. No sense fiscally to sand & refinish, or to spend money on fretwork.) While I'm semi-bummed to miss out on the full Peavey sound, I do recall that original preamp being very noisy. I'm hoping to have the best of both worlds - Peavey's growly/aggressive Super Ferrite pickups, with a top-notch Bartolini pre-amp that offers a bit of warmth and fatness....and no extra noise.
Whether it's a keeper remains to be seen. I've got instruments of much higher quality that see my live and studio work these days, and I'm not sure I'd be tempted to use this one in that capacity. It'll be fun revisiting the old days, and if that vibe wears off I'll probably sell it, with expected value at roughly what I've got into it (minus labor, of course...imagine that). If you've stuck around this far, thanks very much for reading!
