This is the second post in an ongoing series concerning the restoration of a vintage '70s Aria 1820 Short-Scale Bass. In this post we will look at hardware removal, tuner test-fitting; and also headstock finish repair.
We'll start off with the bridge, then. Everything was frozen in place, the twin saddles, the slotted height adjustment screws; as well as the intonation screws. To make matters worse, the heads of the six screws securing the bridge were so rusty that they had disintegrated; making removal with a screwdriver virtually impossible.
The only alternative was to drill off the screw heads using my drill press, remove the bridge, and then utilize a hollow punch drill bit to drill around the embedded screws. This would create isolated wooden "plugs" around each screw, which could then be pried out.
Everything went along as planned, and the embedded screws were successfully removed without too much fuss. Following this, the gaping holes were plugged with wooden dowels made from sawed-off sections of drumsticks. Oh yes, maple makes for a good plug, I tell you. These plugs were then trimmed flush with the surrounding wood.
The next task was removing the neck so I could i) work on the body separately, and ii) adjust the neck pitch. To my dismay, the neck mounting screws would not turn at all despite my using a T-wrench screwdriver. I tried and tried, but only succeeded in breaking the screwdriver.
Left with no choice, it was back to the drill press. The mounting screw heads were all drilled off; and the neck plate removed. Now I was left with headless rusty screws that were still refusing to budge. It seemed that they had rusted off inside the wood and were permanently stuck in both the neck pocket and heel.
Out came the hollow punch bits, and eventually the neck was separated from the body. The screws were still stubbornly embedded in the neck heel, so the hollow punch bits were once again used to create plugs around the screws; as had been done while removing the bridge mounting screws.
Sure enough, these stubborn neck mounting screws were finally removed, leaving gaping circular holes that needed to be plugged. And plugged they were, with wooden dowels and wood glue. The oversized holes in the neck pocket were also plugged in a similar manner; and trimmed flush.
Meanwhile, I was also working on fitting new tuners as the stock ones were unusable. Every few turns, the gears would slip. Besides this, the tuner posts were awful "wobbly," for lack of a better word. They had to be replaced, no doubt about that. Unfortunately, generic Fender-style open gear tuners would be too large for this headstock, and protrude over the top if installed.
The only alternative was to install Ibanez-style tuners, which had a smaller housing. As luck would have it, the existing tuner post holes were way too small to accommodate the Ibanez-style tuner posts. Enlarging the holes with a reamer did the trick, and the tuners were test-fitted. Of course, the 16 old tuner mounting screw holes were not left just like that. They were plugged with bamboo dowels and super glue.
The issue of the damaged finish (lacquer, perhaps?) surrounding the black "Aria" lettering also needed to be addressed as it was cracking and flaking off; exposing the precious lettering to damage. As it stood, exposed portions of the lettering had already started to fade. The solution? Super glue, of course!
Super glue was applied thinly in successive layers to the lettering and surrounding lacquer, making sure that it seeped underneath the edges of the flakes and into the cracks. In time, this would help seal the cracks and secure the flakes to the headstock, thus preventing further deterioration. The process was terminated once the super glue buildup had exceeded the thickness of the existing lacquer; as it could now be sanded flush.
The super glue layer was carefully wet-sanded using successively finer grits of abrasives until it was level with the existing lacquer on the headstock face. Following this, the entire headstock face and back were scuff-sanded in preparation for the final step; sealing with Tru-Oil. The application of Tru-Oil served well in blending the super glue and existing lacquer into one adequately-smooth layer, which was then waxed with Birchwood Casey Gun Stock Wax and buffed by hand.
Of course, one can still see the patch of super glue upon close inspection. However, as the objective of the exercise was to repair the finish damage and protect the valuable "Aria" lettering; I believe we should be satisfied with the outcome. That's about it for this post, folks. There's lots more that needs to be done, and these will be covered in upcoming posts. Till I see you again, stay home, stay safe, keep on rocking; and God bless :)
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