Crack on back of Palatino DB! I'm scared!

Anscari · #1 08-25-2007, 06:46 AM

Yesterday, I was fiddling around with my Palatino, and I found a scary 2cm crack on the back of it, just where the bar meets the back of it...

Is there any way to solve this? I'm afraid that it starts getting bigger and finishes wasting the instrument...

**Matthew Tucker** · #2 08-25-2007, 07:18 AM

Needs a bass doctor. There's a special word for them ... Lu ... Lu ... its on the tip of my tongue, er, loof? No, er ... loofy ... aaaah .... no its no good, i just can't remember. Never mind, have a look around here, you'll find out.

Steve Swan · #3 08-25-2007, 09:18 AM

Craigslist, Ebay, Sunday classified ads. Send this on its way and don't get another one.

Friends don't let friends play Cremona or Palatino basses.

Anscari · #4 08-25-2007, 03:53 PM

I know it's on the craptastic league, but I mainly pplay electric and I just bought it to get a few sounds from it...

Any way to fix it wothout a visit to the doctor? I'm broke ATM!

Marc Piane · #5 08-25-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anscari

I know it's on the craptastic league, but I mainly pplay electric and I just bought it to get a few sounds from it...

Any way to fix it wothout a visit to the doctor? I'm broke ATM!

The only way to get it done right is to visit a pro loofier (I think that's right Matt)

. Of course the repair might end up costing as much as the bass did new and you'll still have a low quality instrument. Just now it cost more.

I suppose you could buy some hide glue and try to make it so the crack doesn't spread. I've heard you can also use unflavored gelatin mixed into thick paste if you are really hurtin.

**Matthew Tucker** · #6 08-25-2007, 07:15 PM

"just where the bar meets the back of it..."
That's a bit ambiguous, but if its soundpost crack, which it sounds like, you may as well use stickytape. Easier to apply, and probably as effective and cheap as anything you can do yourself without epoxying a plywood strap across the back of the bass!

But if it's just a crack somewhere else near the edge, you might be able to rub a bit of glue in as finger suggests. A pro repair of an easy-to-glue crack won't cost you much, and you'll find out for free what the real damage is.

the gelatin trick - it still has to be heated till the glue melts. A cold thick paste won't do anything.

Eli_Upright12 · #7 08-25-2007, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

"just where the bar meets the back of it..."
That's a bit ambiguous, but if its soundpost crack, which it sounds like, you may as well use stickytape. Easier to apply, and probably as effective and cheap as anything you can do yourself without epoxying a plywood strap across the back of the bass!

But if it's just a crack somewhere else near the edge, you might be able to rub a bit of glue in as finger suggests. A pro repair of an easy-to-glue crack won't cost you much, and you'll find out for free what the real damage is.

the gelatin trick - it still has to be heated till the glue melts. A cold thick paste won't do anything.

I think he might be talking about the dread VE-500 EUB,I say dreaded cuz I murdered my hands on one for the last six months while I was in Mexico and there is a metal bar that emulates the upper bouts of a real bass that attaches at the top of the faux shoulders and in the back.

Anscari · #8 08-26-2007, 06:18 AM

No, it's a URB.

The point of the crack is where the bar inside the Bass (soundpost or tone bar or something like this), presses the back of the bass.

Marc Piane · #9 08-26-2007, 06:55 AM

Get thee to a luthier.

That soundpost might be the wrong length. If it pokes all the way through the back you are in for a world of trouble.

Nohandles · #10 08-26-2007, 08:10 AM

You can do it yourself if you have a little wood working skills. Cut a piece of spruce or pine 1/8 thick by 3 inch diameter. Buy a little bottle of Hyde glue. You can get Hyde glue from Home Depot or a hardware store. Take out the sound post and center the disc over the crack with the grain running with the grain of the instrument. Now wedge the sound post in until the glue dries. Then take off the needed amount from the sound post. The sound post should go 1/2 of it's diameter from the bridge and should fit loose until you tighten the strings. you will have to have a sound post setter but that can be made from a piece of steel bent and sharpened to a chisel point on the end.
By the way there is nothing wrong with the Palatino. I have heard some pretty nice sounding ones. No they are not the premo instruments but to start they are fine. I had one by another name to start and once I had it set up it played fine. Didn't have the really fine sound of a top notch bass but it held its own and I didn't have to spend much to figure out I wanted to stick with bass. I also have the dreded VE500 too. I did the same thing for me until I found an Eminence at a good price. It also it a good instrument for the money.

Michael Case · #11 08-26-2007, 08:11 AM

Detune the strings now! Take the pressure off the bass, then go to a luthier.

Nohandles · #12 08-26-2007, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Case

Detune the strings now! Take the pressure off the bass, then go to a luthier.

Very good thinking I second that motion.

Eli_Upright12 · #13 08-26-2007, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anscari

No, it's a URB.

The point of the crack is where the bar inside the Bass (soundpost or tone bar or something like this), presses the back of the bass.

Oh sorry, the part about a bar and the back just brought up memories of that EUB.

drurb · #14 08-26-2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nohandles

By the way there is nothing wrong with the Palatino. I have heard some pretty nice sounding ones. No they are not the premo instruments but to start they are fine.

X (-1). That is, my opinion is completely opposite to the above. I would never, ever, recommend such a BSO to anyone, especially someone starting out. To buy one is, IMO, penny-wise and dollar foolish with most of the dollars being wasted.

Steve had it right:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Swan

Friends don't let friends play Cremona or Palatino basses.

Steve Swan · #15 08-26-2007, 11:08 AM

I really hate to have to campaign against these two awful bass brands because the owners and managers of the companies that distribute them are frineds of mine. It has caused a lot of hard feelings to come between us. When I see how much misery these instruments cause, though, I can't watch in silence as story after story is related here on talkbass regarding the structural and design flaws that are so far below any kind of acceptable level. There is another well-known company that imports basses in pretty enamel colors under another brand name that has reports of nearly as many problems. The owner of is another friend, so I'll let someone else mention the brand name.

These people are depending on the Walmart cheapest deal mentality of a huge segment of American consumers. The quality level could be upgraded to an acceptable level wihtin a matter of just a few moths and a few more dollars. There is a level of quality below which nothing is a "good deal" at any price. Stay away from this crap and save up a few hundred dollars more for a bass that will hold up as a satisfying instrument for decades rather than only months.

Anscari · #16 08-26-2007, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Case

Detune the strings now! Take the pressure off the bass, then go to a luthier.

I've just done it... BTW, the bridge is just at the level of the soundpost... is this okay or should it be higher? And should the soundpost be centered to the top and back of the bass? Because mine is a bit on the right side of the bass...

Nohandles · #17 08-27-2007, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drurb

X (-1). That is, my opinion is completely opposite to the above. I would never, ever, recommend such a BSO to anyone, especially someone starting out. To buy one is, IMO, penny-wise and dollar foolish with most of the dollars being wasted.

Steve had it right:

And that is what makes this country great, we can all have our own opinion and coexist together. Doug