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I recently purchased this Star Bass to restore. I have spent a few days gathering information about the bass, mainly looking up original parts - the control knobs and machine heads are not original and do not function properly. Thank goodness for the Framus Vintage parts site. However I am struggling to find any string ferrules that will fit, these are 0.5mm in thickness, 11mm inner diameter and 13mm deep. I am also looking for a plain d-shaft ivory/ cream potentiometer knob, as it seems the riffle type potentiometer stem has been replaced at some point. If anyone has any leads as to where I can find these I would greatly appreciate that.
The bass has a sum of missing binding, which I will replace where needed and colour match. The back and sides need attention in areas, I may take the back off entirely to deal with a severe dent and inspect the inside for any structural issues; to my surprise when I took the electronics out I did not see any bracing or support posts. Even so, the top and back are not sagging and appear to have retained good shape.
I am a hobbyist luthier aiming to get formal education to level up my skills, and I want this bass to be part of my portfolio to get into luthier school.
Personally if I were to keep this bass, I would find more reliable tuners, rather than strictly period appropriate tuners, and I would refinish and restore the neck as it has a lot of chipping and crazing to the lacquer and has lost colour in heavily damaged areas. I would also polish up the hardware and try to make it look more tidy in general, including replacing the framus stickers for new, intact ones from their Vintage shop. However, I am aware that some people prefer vintage instruments remain as un-altered as possible. My question to enthusiasts here would be, if I wanted to sell this as a collector's item, should I strictly focus on the practical issues affecting the bass (the structural issues, and non-functional hardware), and leave the wear and tear in situ so long as it doesn't affect functionality ... or should I endeavour to restore it to "excellent condition"? The latter would be my preference, so the instrument has a better shot at lasting far into the future.
Many thanks for advice!
Number on the back of headstock: 27774-6SD or 21114-6SD
The bass has a sum of missing binding, which I will replace where needed and colour match. The back and sides need attention in areas, I may take the back off entirely to deal with a severe dent and inspect the inside for any structural issues; to my surprise when I took the electronics out I did not see any bracing or support posts. Even so, the top and back are not sagging and appear to have retained good shape.
I am a hobbyist luthier aiming to get formal education to level up my skills, and I want this bass to be part of my portfolio to get into luthier school.
Personally if I were to keep this bass, I would find more reliable tuners, rather than strictly period appropriate tuners, and I would refinish and restore the neck as it has a lot of chipping and crazing to the lacquer and has lost colour in heavily damaged areas. I would also polish up the hardware and try to make it look more tidy in general, including replacing the framus stickers for new, intact ones from their Vintage shop. However, I am aware that some people prefer vintage instruments remain as un-altered as possible. My question to enthusiasts here would be, if I wanted to sell this as a collector's item, should I strictly focus on the practical issues affecting the bass (the structural issues, and non-functional hardware), and leave the wear and tear in situ so long as it doesn't affect functionality ... or should I endeavour to restore it to "excellent condition"? The latter would be my preference, so the instrument has a better shot at lasting far into the future.
Many thanks for advice!
Number on the back of headstock: 27774-6SD or 21114-6SD
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