My first carved bass

[Gabor[]]

Hi everyone!

I bought a 30-year-old carved bass, which was manufactured in Romania. (but no label found inside it)

I just love it's sound, it is full and deep, it's color is like dark chocolate, but I have a problem.

First I noticed it only at nights, when the temperature was changing, so I said to myself: "Oh, just because the temperature change, don't worry."
But lately the little cracking noises can be heard nearly all of the time.

I think worms are having a party inside.

I'm about to see inside, maybe I can see something.

I don't know how could I rock them out.
The sounds come from the left upper bout.

[Gabor[]]

more

[BassGreaser]

nice bass! congrats.... can I have it.. haha how does she sound

[Gabor[]]

Well, I just started learning the II/III. position, when my ulnar nerve started to flip over a bone in my elbow.
It happened 7 weeks ago, and this is the third week I'm having a rest, so it will be a long time to make a demo

But I have my bass at least.

The bass was resting on it's side at the wall on the left upper bout.
Maybe there are no bugs at all.

"Let me have it." oh, yes, of course I just e-mail it to you.

[BassGreaser]

NICE... looking forward to receiving that email.. haha congrat again on a great looking bass

[Gabor[]]

Thank you.

[Paul Barsic]

Rest the bass in a corner of the room with the upper bouts resting on the walls and the strings facing the corner to even out the force on the top table and protect the bridge from bumps. I put a towel between the bass and the wall to avoid marking the wall. I keep a hygrometer and thermometer on the wall next to the bass. Changes in humidity and temperature will cause different parts to swell and shift which may open up cracks or loosen seams. For example, if it gets too warm (T>25 C) and humid (relative humidity > 70%), I get a rattle when I play an A. To solve the problem, I run the air conditioner to dry out the room. There are products, like the Dampit, that work well so compensate for dry conditions.

[longfinger]

Hey there!
Congrats on the bass!

Were you serious about the worms?

[Gabor[]]

In the last two weeks, the bass was kept in the same corner (you can see it on the picture) facing the wardrobe, with three resting points: two points of the upper bout and the head.

I hope there are no worms. That would be the worst case I think.

I try to debug it... (I'm an electrical engineer)

I will buy humidifiers (those green, tubular ones), and a measuring device.
What do you think?
What kind of sounds can the humidity change make?


And I'm trying to cure my elbow.

[Steve Swan]

Gabor,

If you are worried about wood worms, I would vacuum out the inside and look for any evidence of new sawdust appearing. Nearly 30 years ago I had an infested armoire that came from England. It took several applications of a very smelly petroleum product to get them all killed. I was worried about these critters getting near any of my spruce topped instruments at the time, so I kept them stored in the music store that I managed. It was about 60 days before I felt secure enough to bring my instruments home.

[Gabor[]]

I'll give it a try, thank you. Can you remember what kind of sound that was, and how often it happened?

[drurb]

I'd recommend that you stay away from damp-its. Check here and here. An evaporative humidifier and digital hygrometer can be your best friends.

[Gabor[]]

If it's woodworm, what can I do? Use that petroleum stuff or there is a bass related method?
Removing the top costs a lot.

[zeytoun]

Try bowing "Killing me softly with his song". (Wait... "Killing me softly..." was actually about a Don McLean song, "Empty Chairs", so the Don McLean song may be the actual secret weapon.)

[Gabor[]]

Ok, I give it a try.
Or I play Gloomy Sunday and they kill themselves.

[Gabor[]]

I'm really worried... I don't think, that the sound from humidity change and temperature change can be heard so often. :S

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Gabor[]

Or I play Gloomy Sunday and they kill themselves.

Now, that was funny!

[Jake deVilliers]

Gabor, read this about woodworm in violins. It has some helpful ideas.

http://www.rocheviolins.com/html/woo...html#Treatment

[Gabor[]]

Thank you Jake! Useful information.

I will have the first radioactive bass in history.
( Well maybe not... were there bass players in Chernobyl? )

People somehow deal with beetles in basses, so there must be a usual method.

[Gabor[]]

Maybe it is trying to get out now...
Oh, the poor thing. ]:W
I will wait for him outside with bare knuckles.
I hope he is the only one... but no chance.
The female lays multiple eggs in one place.