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Ok, I may have picked up a project that is a bit beyond my current skill level. 1973 Gibson SB-450 with a "broken" truss rod. I've emailed the seller asking if it is indeed broken or just stripped. If its stripped, the Stew Mac kit is probably the way to go.

If it really is broken:
1) Where's the best place to acquire a replacement rod?
2) Do I really need to remove the entire fret board or just the part that covers the pinned end? I saw a Keith Holland vid where he simply removed the 5th fret from the end, sawed the FB in the slot and removed only that small part. At first blush it looks like much less hassle. That's assuming the piece would go back in good shape, you could get the slot placed correctly with filler for the material the saw removed, etc.

While it isn't in bad shape for a 40 year old git, the finish is totally absent in all the usual places, and it could use some freshening up. I'm considering stripping it and putting a true oil finish on it. It's blonde, so it will really show nice with a new surface. I'm sure this will ignite the usual uproar about "ruining" a classic, and I have sympathy for that, but I also envision it looking brand new again.

Thoughts?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/old-Gibson-Bass ... 7675.l2557

You're not planning to flip it, are you Allan?
I'll call ya....

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I'd wait until you have it In your hands for first hand evaluation. Until then there's little sense planning on what can only be speculation. Could be a snapped rod, a stripped nut, or complete misevuation by the seller. Waiting is painful (especially once you're committed), but you'll know more once you have it.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

No Chris, I'm not planning on flipping it. I haven't owned a Gibby bass since I sold my EB-3 in the early 70s. Something about it just appealed to me. There aren't many Gibson blonde basses. I plan on putting it in the collection. There are several collectable 6 stringers in the rack, but the closest bass would be my MIM 90s Jazz. It's nice, but I cut my teeth on Gibson basses, and I really need another one, if only for sentimental reasons.

David, you're right. I should wait until I see it first hand. The seller says the neck is straight as it sits, but it "rattles when you shake the bass". Chances are I can plug it in and play it as it is. But the OCD engineer in me is already planning for the worst. That way anything less is a plus.

Allan Your going to have to retire so you have time for projects like this.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

OK, it showed up today. Didn't take long to figure out why it rattled. The rod is broken just behind the nut. The burn probably means someone used some heat to get the nut to move. It looks like a job for the Stew-Mac rescue kit. Not something I want to undertake at this point in my learning process. Besides I can probably get it done for about the cost of the kit. Judging from the shinny surface of the break it didn't happen that long ago. I'm not sure why it was tweaked. The neck is fairly straight, with a some relief around the 7th to 9th frets. There may be a bit of twist to the high side but I can't tell for sure until I get the strings off. And Freddie G. has a simple way to cure neck twist. The frets need a level and dress. Whoever owned it had a bad thumb hangover issue. The FB is actually rounded a bit on the low side. All of the electronics work as they should. Considering it's age, the finish on most of it is really in pretty good shape. It needs a good cleaning and the FB needs a scrape and oil. Short story, I could change the strings and go play a job with it as it sits.

Good luck with it, and keep us apprised....

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Does anyone have experience with the Stew-Mac Truss rod Rescue Kit? My concern is that with a 40 year old truss rod, will the torque required to thread it be great enough to break the rod loose from the retainer? What is the trade off between pulling the fret board to replace the rod vs. the rescue kit? Obviously the FB pull will be a lot more work and has the twist/warp potential. But if I buy the Rescue kit and break the retainer anyway, I'll have a $250 workbench decoration.