B-301 questions

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I am new to the forum and I have some questions regarding my B-301. It appears to have a pickup under the bridge ( It's a metallic disc) but the wire is disconnected from the switches and I have no clue where it goes. The head has been scratched and there is no sheen left. Is the black front of the head paint or plastic and can it be repaired? I am missing 2 faceplate/ pickguard screws and am missing 3 tuning peg screws from the head. Is there anywhere I can get these. The bass was painted when I got it. I have removed the paint but I don't know how to finish it because I don't know whether it was varnished or stained.( The wood is mahogany) Under the pickup the wood was a deep orange color. Is this polyurithane or varnish and if it is varnish, what color? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Default

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My guess is that it was lacquer. Polyurethane is a recent development brought on by "clean-air" standards and pre-Fender Guilds were all lacquer. The face of the peghead, in most cases, is a plastic inlay and might still be available from Fender.
Welcome to the forum, Kevin!

Pics would be nice, when you get a chance. :mrgreen:
 

mellowgerman

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I'm having a hard time understanding the first portion of your post... might be one of those things that is best described by a picture. Do you think it might just be a ground wire? Or are you thinking it's a some type of piezo pickup?
 

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One of these? it might be the ground wire is disconnected, but it's tough to tell without a pic.

guild1b.jpg
 
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My bass looks like the picture on the post by Default. I guess the thing under the bridge might be the ground. It was attached to either the volume or tuning. It has a smaller circumference than a dime and is about 2 or 3 times as tall as a dime. Does anyone make Guild specific knobs? My bass had guady replacement knobs when I got it.
 
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photo.php

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These are some old pics from when I was stripping the paint off.. You can see the original color under where the pickup was along with the green and some gray paint. It appeared that someone had taken the lacquer off in most place but had done a very crappy job.

The volume and tone switches (under the pickguard) are covered in a white powder. Is this corrosion? (the bass was stored for many years in non humidity controlled area.) Can they be fixed or do I need new electronics?
 

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Looks like that is the ground connection to the strings, needed when you use non-humbucking pickups. You might check with Hans or troll ebay for knobs. Electrics have been out of production for too long. :cry:

n1307790510_30057407_329.jpg
 
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these are the pics of my b-301 currently. It looks sweet! It goes really low. Does anyone know how to raise the bridge because my E-string is hitting the fretboard on the last fret?
Also, can anyone tell me how to put up images? I can never see them, I just see a red x.
 
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While Finishing my bass and working on removing the bridge, I noticed one of the screws that holds the bridge would not come out, it would turn, then make a click noise then turn again. I finally got it to come out, but the metal piece that the screw goes into came out with it. How do I reattach the thing that the screw screws into? It is still in one piece and is not broken. Also, is there a way to safetly take out the other thing the screw screws into without damaging the bass? Should I glue it in? Any assistance would be appreciated.

the hole on the right is how it should be, whereas the hole on the left, the metal thing is out.
editphoto.php

these 2 pics are of the screw in the thing the screw goes into
editphoto.php

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this picture is of just a screw ( the one not stuck)
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this picture is of the scre next to the screw that's stuck in the thing it screws in
editphoto.php


also, does anyone know how to raise the strings at the bridge, using the screws on the bridge piece doesn't seem to do anything
 

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Sorry I can't help with the bass.

Here's a thread that might help you in posting pictures. The thing that seems to get most people is you first have to upload your pictures to another site. LTG can link to a picture but does not have storage for pictures the way some other places do. (Not a complaint - someone has to pay for the bandwidth and Don already does way to much out of the kindness of his heart).

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5522&hilit=posting+pictures
 

The Guilds of Grot

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Well "Kevin the bass man" contacted me through my web site and I think I have found what his problem is.

I thought I'd also post it here in case anyone has been following along.

I believe he's missing his "star wheel" bridge adjuster.

Let's go to the pictures!

BassBridge002.jpg


I believe the "disc" he has been refering to is the threaded insert for the "star wheel" adjuster. This is also where the bridge is grounded.

If the bridge is just sitting down on the insert, that would explain why it's fretting out.

Let's look at it from another angle;

BassBridge003.jpg


The bridge doesn't even attach to the "star wheel", it just sits on top of it.

Now for a close-up;
BassBridge004.jpg


Oops! Maybe a little too close!

As for the threaded inserts for the bridge post, I believe they are just pressed in. If one came out you might have to put a small amount of glue on it to make it stay in. As for pulling out the other one. I would coble up some sort of slide hammer to yank it out. (You know, like a dent puller!)

Well I hope this solves the mystery of Kevins B-301! 8)



(Bonus points for anyone noticing that I am missing the stud and roller on my G" string. Anybody got an extra?)
 
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Just one more question, Kurt. Do you know a way to improv a star wheel? would a bunch of washers work? When I got it, it had a stack of magnets where the star wheel should be. Thanks alot for the help!
 

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It looks like one of those "stud and wheel" solidbody bridge or tailpiece studs might work. If you take the tailpiece off, you may be able to find a small hexhead bolt that will screw into that bushing. I have a couple of the stud and post in my parts box, but one looks to be 1/4-20 and the other looks to be a #8 or metric equivalents.

GB_0540-P10.jpg

GB_0540-001.jpg


TP_0400-002-1379.jpg
 

The Guilds of Grot

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I think Default is on the right track. If you can find a screw that threads into the bushing then maybe you could match it to a bridge adjuster with the same thread size and pitch. Though you might have to cut the top half of the stud off down to a little nub.

If you have any local guitar stores that sell used stuff and do repairs, maybe they'll let you look around in their "parts box".

A screw with a hex head would allow you to adjust it while assembled with a small open end wrench, but hex headed screws that small may be hard to find. I would try a hobby store that sells radio controlled cars and planes as I believe they use that kind of hardware.
 

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kevin the bass man said:
I'm kinda confused, where is this bushing? is this it? look in between the a string and the back and forth adjuster for the d string
p1010068mi3.jpg
It's on the pickup side of the bridge in the middle.
BassBridge002.jpg
 

The Guilds of Grot

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Kevin, I now see the "small screw" in the middle of the bridge you were talking about. On all of my bridges that is not there. Either somebody modified your bridge or it's of a different design. What is on the body of the bass that the end of the screw sits on? Is this the "metal disc" your have refered to?

See, no screw.

BassBridge005.jpg


There's a little nub on the top of the star adjuster and it just pushes up on the bottom of the bridge.

The bushing we've been refering to is what the star adjuster threads into to allow it to raise and lower the bridge. It is pressed into the body of the bass. You can see it here below the adjuster.

BassBridge004.jpg


Here's another angle;

BassBridge002.jpg


It's a smaller version of the bridge post bushing.

If you turn the screw on your bridge, what does it do? I'm thinking maybe it's just a different design fron bridge height adjustment.

I hope this helps!
 
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the screw on my bridge doesn't sit on anything, or even do anything. I guess at one time the screw could have touched the bushing but It was cut off flat with the bridge on both sides. I'm not sure if this was modified or not because any modification made to my bass hasn't been great by any means. As you can see in the below pictures, there is nothing between the bridge and the grounding disc.


as you can see in the below pictures, there are no threads on the grounding disc

n1307790510_30057407_329.jpg

unfortunately, my digital camera won't take a clear pic right now, so I am showing some old pics. my bushing appears to be a bit different than yours. It appears yours has a small bevel around it and it somehow threaded whereas mine is flat on top and has no bevel. I'm not 100 % sure about yours being beveled because the pic doesn't come in clearly on my computer.


Are there 2 different bridge adjustment styles, or did someone royally screw mine up (not the first thing screwed up on my bass.)
 
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