***1981 L-1000 slots and chrome***

[fretwear]

Hi Folks, Need some help on how to find much needed info?! Got a new project the other day, you may have spotted this on the bay.....snagged a 1981 L-1000 from the person that won the auction, he decided that it was too big a project. Body and neck have been stripped, it was all there but a few screws, the original knobs and strap buttons are missing. Looking for info on early L-1000 head stock water slide decals (are replacements available), color codes for the original yellow color for body and painted head stock, and source for the original knobs!!
I got the bass in the mail Friday and put it together to see how much trouble I might be in.... Good news the neck is straight and truss rod works perfectly, coils on the pickup are both strong, plays and sounds great! The body is poplar, maple neck with a rosewood board, slotted pole pickup, with all chrome hardware.
Why would someone do this to a total wonderful Leo masterpiece??
Now I just need to restore the finish and this a keeper for sure, any info would be great!
Thanks for any and all help!

Here's a link, click on the pic and you can see the pics from original auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261546296176?_t ... :MEBIDX:IT

[KenC]

That should be a fun project. I picked up an '82 L-1000 off eBay in similar condition a couple of years ago, but haven't gotten around to restoring it yet.

As far as the body goes, yellow wasn't a standard finish when this bass was built. I haven't seen yellow show up on G&Ls prior to the superstrats and SC-3s of the mid-'80s. In '81 a poplar body like yours would have most likely been finished in white, black, or candy apple red. The mahogany bodies tended to get clear ("root beer") or sunburst finishes, and the ash bodies were either solid colors or clear red or blue. If you search the Knowledgebase, there is a post by Fred Finisher about how the finishes were applied in the early '80s. I think the title is "How We Did It", or something similar.

It's hard to tell from the eBay listing, but I suspect your fingerboard is ebony rather than rosewood. Rosewood didn't start showing up for another year or two, and the ebony boards on Leo-era G&Ls were not stained to an evenly dark color. Reddish or yellowish streaks are common.

I'm also not sure from the photos that the knobs aren't original. At least one of them looks like the knobs on my early L-series basses. If you post a clearer photo, I can tell you for sure.

The strap buttons have not changed significantly since the early '80s. I don't have anything from '81 close at hand, but comparing the '83 SC-3 in my avatar to the '99 L-1500 sitting next to it there is no visible difference. You can get current strap buttons from the online store at G&L's website for a couple of bucks. I've used new ones to replace aftermarket buttons on Leo-era G&Ls before, and the only clue that they are new is the shininess.

I hope this helps. That will be an amazing bass once you have it back together.

Ken

[KenC]

Looking at the eBay listing again, I can see that your bass was originally black. The black spots in the neck pocket sprayed through holes in the fixture the body was mounted on for finishing. A factory finish would not have put any paint where all that yellow is.

Ken

[fretwear]

Thanks Ken, I did not see the black paint till you pointed it out.....yea it's key to slow it down so one can see the details, if black is the original color that makes the match way easier. Still looking for ideas on water slide headstock decals if anyone has any tips?

Thanks

[Fumble fingers]

there should be quite a few places that can make water slide decal local if you have a photo and something to size it with , factory one's show up on ebay from time to time