During repair/restoration, can bound instruments, ie: 4003 or 360, be brought back without binding? -or, is the groove too wide?

(I generally abhor modifications to quality instruments, especially, vintage ones, but, if a very rough one came in...)

The groove (properly termed a "rabbet") is just a tad short of .060" (1/16") x .250" (1/4") on most instruments. Strictly speaking, an instrument could be "brought back" without the rabbet, but it's too much work to make it worthwhile.

Are you saying the the binding's too far gone or that the rabbet is beat up or ?

Binding is possible to replace, and it is possible to re-cut the rabbet, too, and fit new binding.

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Rickenbackers: I love to play them. I enjoy the challenge of working on them. I love the way they sound.

Thx, Jingle. There aren't many S's out there and I was just curious. If the edge is prepped that far on bound instruments, it doesn't sound feasible to 'convert' one during resto. The entire periphery would have to be taken-in, huh? Thx again.