advertisement


Moog Prodigy restoration...

My nails are in repair mode shellac and blend in a Neutral nail shade called “field fox” nowhere near shaped enough to show off. Still considering final colours for the summer.

Growing impressive nails is tricky... Best to stick to looking at Moog pix — nails leads to all kinds of weirdness in my life.
 
claire.fox said:
My nails are in repair mode shellac and blend in a Neutral nail shade called “field fox” nowhere near shaped enough to show off. Still considering final colours for the summer.

Growing impressive nails is tricky... Best to stick to looking at Moog pix — nails leads to all kinds of weirdness in my life.
Click to expand...

You can't play bass with nails though can you?
 
Sure you can, it all depends on how long you want to grow them, (though I keep mine short for girlfriend reasons rather than bass reasons.)
 
This bit always feels like vandalism. Captive to IEC. I never did buy that tool to make hole cutting easier…

60043517_2222967588033559_8012117484729532416_n.jpg


59854958_2222967611366890_664580862603427840_n.jpg


(Upper screw is for preexisting earth post) Must print a new 240V voltage sticker.

Putting spacers back for reseating wood. I was advised to use gorilla glue but I dislike this stuff and would rather use a glue gun stick and a hot air gun... I should have listened to my own instincts really but I was careful to take on board a restoration video on YouTube. Oh well.

60093161_2222974771366174_342628993108803584_n.jpg
 
Last edited:
I’m not happy with the wood cheeks, the stripped wood under all that lacquer while ok in shots is not really all that good a quality and it’s still got a lot of flaws and imperfections that I can see. It’s either going to get a respray in a solid paint or a new set of wood cheeks, I am veering towards commissioning a new set in something like zebrano — my fave wood selection.

Heretical perhaps to consider new wood but best to back out spending more energy on the wood while I am still at the PSU/components replacement/restoration stage

59953046_2223563061307345_4083449605600051200_n.jpg
 
I’d be inclined to restore to factory spec, i.e. get the existing wood redone in the appropriate ‘shit brown’ stained varnish. A few knocks and dings are of no consequence and it will look great, exactly as it should.
 
Shit Brown is a really unfortunate (and accurate) description of the colourway. I’ll take it off, fill and sand the bits I don’t like and try a spray but in something less offensive... black possibly — goes with the sub phatty and the top plate, I just cannot bear going back to the brown lacquer, it’s just too depressing.
 
Maybe try an intermediate finish along the way. To me real wood cases are a defining feature of vintage Moogs, so I’d try and preserve the wood grain etc. How about a nice deep oiled walnut stain, something like that? To my eyes the only problem now is it is too light so shows too much detail of the wood.
 
Tony L said:
Maybe try an intermediate finish along the way. To me real wood cases are a defining feature of vintage Moogs, so I’d try and preserve the wood grain etc. How about a nice deep oiled walnut stain, something like that? To my eyes the only problem now is it is too light so shows too much detail of the wood.
Click to expand...

Il’ll try, It’s not very good quality wood, and probably why it’s shit brown lacquered for a reason. It doesn’t stain convincingly from what I see in some restorations.

If I decide on a walnut finish I would probably use a piece of real walnut. Rather not expend energy on a bit of wood that’s not that good. The original wood can stay in the box with the original transformer and fuse assembly which is not needed in the U.K.
 
Yes, I see what you mean from the link. I don’t have any understanding of wood finishing so I’ve no idea what to do really!
 
Got the cheeks off, gave them a good sanding and cleared that horrible gorilla glue off, absolutely not what I am going to use the next time round... probably a black mastic.

I decided black cheeks until I can get something nicer, but black looks much better than both shit brown and anaemic stripped I may keep it that way. I had the gun loaded up for spraying the Trace Elliot 4x4 grille and had plenty for multiple passes...

60244146_2223897181273933_8050426260842610688_n.jpg


59828891_2223897201273931_3978271397028823040_n.jpg


Gigging this summer so between practice, songwriting and demos for an EP... and synth restoration I am running out of time!
 
Now you speak English. Everything strapped down, almost ready to roll (decided on changing the power supply axial lytics after all) and it’s a simple enough task while I have it guts splayed open.

The traffo fits the holes already there. One for the old Traffo the other for the fuse leaving a blank in the middle. No need for any drilling!


60613269_2228808954116089_4542370395935735808_n.jpg


60351433_2229073334089651_1880977641633218560_n.jpg
 
Last edited:
All done. Test noodle made literally 5 minutes after getting it all back together*. Returns everything good. Mod and pitch wheel centre to zero now. Hard decision ahead. Sell or keep. I forgot to document the re glueing of the sides but this time with a hot melt glue gun and the new caps - it’s all pretty self-explanatory.

60594267_2229511594045825_8544961216349470720_n.jpg


60613521_2229511630712488_7672142759934820352_n.jpg


60528266_2229511700712481_7927480773295210496_n.jpg


I can hear what people mean about it being a bass machine, it has got such a wonderful set of oscillators capable of producing enormous power and depth. Quite limited but everything it does is characterful and lovely. Starting with 32’ on osc1 and 16’ on osc2 Is guaranteed to produce pretty much every classic Bass synth sound heard from the 80s. But go to 8’ and 4’ it does the Moog flute just as well, Clangers ahoy...

This completes this project.

*All synths are Prodigies plus a metric shit tonne of Reverb, delay, shonky battery powered throbbing gristle tremolo on its last legs, waveform filter exciter pedal and a tape echo unit).
 
Last edited:
No, I never did. Neither am I a keyboard player, I just play bass* (and have just started on drums) but it’s sort of a finger stabby bass machine, like the Rogue or the Minitaur. Whatever I play: be it Bass Guitar, upright, Acoustic, fretted or fretless, foot Midi Pedals or Chapman Stick, if it’s low then I just credit it all as just “Bass”. This might just join the pantheon of those instruments.

Quite addictive this, must see if here are more bashed up old synths to make good.


*
59022729_2215610232102628_5608455933924474880_n.jpg
 
I’d definitely keep it if I were you. It is such a simple and direct synth you’ll miss not having it for those occasions where an aggressive squelch, fart or blip is needed.

PS If in a punk band try sticking it through a Rat, Fuzz Face or whatever. You’ll have no issue blowing the guitarist off stage with a noise like an angle-grinder!
 
My bass playing is plenty bastard-nasty to make people at the front step back. Prodigy has got quite a lot more to it than anticipated. A nice farty old bastard like a Wasp or OSCar May be wanted
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top