fixing cracked body-Ibanez EDB 600

Dodgy · #1 09-03-2007, 12:38 PM

recently at band practice my strap slipped off over the straplock piece that was on the strap. I was standing at the edge of the stage and managed to catch the end of the strap as it came around my shoulder but i think that made the bottom end of the bass swing faster and it slammed into the concrete floor, which was covered by that thin scratchy carpet.

so now i have a huge cracked section of it, going straight through the eq area. my friends are telling me its no big deal, they can just bondo and paint it (whatever the hell bondo is), but do you guys have any ideas on how to fix it?

also there are three pieces that are actually fully separated (only one came off when our singer felt the need to touch it) and then there is the entire section (all the way around the bass) that is cracked but is not loose, but i have not tried to actually put any more force on it than the weight of a cell phone...

L8s.

pkr2 · #2 09-03-2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodgy

recently at band practice my strap slipped off over the straplock piece that was on the strap. I was standing at the edge of the stage and managed to catch the end of the strap as it came around my shoulder but i think that made the bottom end of the bass swing faster and it slammed into the concrete floor, which was covered by that thin scratchy carpet.

so now i have a huge cracked section of it, going straight through the eq area. my friends are telling me its no big deal, they can just bondo and paint it (whatever the hell bondo is), but do you guys have any ideas on how to fix it?

also there are three pieces that are actually fully separated (only one came off when our singer felt the need to touch it) and then there is the entire section (all the way around the bass) that is cracked but is not loose, but i have not tried to actually put any more force on it than the weight of a cell phone...

L8s.

Pix are a must. It's impossible to describe that sort of thing verbally.

Man, that would have ruined my day.

Dodgy · #3 09-04-2007, 09:51 PM

it has ruined my week. i start to think about it, and it feels like i just found out i got AIDs or something similar to that feeling.

ATM i am using my uncles old bass.

I'll have pics tomorrow.

I am really worried about all of the EQ stuff, because the crack was all the way around, but the piece was not loose, so it may be putting pressure on the EQ stuff. I really love this bass, and they are pretty cheap on ebay, so i am going to start saving for a new one now. I cant beleive this, just as my band was getting along good, my bass gets fubar.

bluestarbass · #4 09-05-2007, 08:12 AM

Is the wood cracked? If its just the finish you are fine. If its the wood also you are more or less screwed. you could sand the whole body down, connect the 2 body sections with wood dowls and repaint the body. Remeber, most companies bass bodies are not 1 peiece, so they can do it, why cant you. The issue being price, if the repair cost more than the bass.....youd really have to love that bass.

ergodynebass · #5 09-05-2007, 08:24 AM

If you do want to fix it I can sell you mine for parts, the truss rods broke in it but the body is fine. Might be a EBD400 model not a 600 can't remember but it's like a purplish blue, 3 band eq and 2 pickups. I was actually looking for a replacement neck for it but haven't had any luck in finding just a neck better off buying a whole other Ibanez for that money.

Mon Rominee · #6 09-05-2007, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodgy

it feels like i just found out i got AIDs or something similar to that feeling.

.

Wow, that bad? shudder.

Is it a wood bass or that luthite stuff? I am not familiar with the model. Wood, under that kind of impact, shouldn't fail like you described, unless there was already a fault in the wood.

Mon Rominee · #7 09-05-2007, 08:50 AM

Yeah, that bass is luthite. The best option for *repair* would be dissassembly, breaking the crack clear through, and regluing together. I personally don't think it's worth it.

That luthite is injection molded "musical" semi-medium density foam / with possibly some wood product in it.

pkr2 · #8 09-05-2007, 03:53 PM

I'm really surprised at damage that severe to a Luthite body from a 3 foot drop to a semi padded floor.

I'm guessing that it's not solid lucite/Luthite, but an outer shell over a much lighter core.

It may end up ugly, but you can probably salvage it. Lucite is a very friendly material to work with.

Matthew Bryson · #9 09-05-2007, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pkr2

I'm really surprised at damage that severe to a Luthite body from a 3 foot drop to a semi padded floor.

I'm guessing that it's not solid lucite/Luthite, but an outer shell over a much lighter core.

Don't be too surprised, it's not the first time I've heard of this happening. The exact same thing happened to my friend's old bassist's bass. Same bass too (Ibanez EDB600 - I was playing an EDB605 at the time so I'm sure of the model) This guy's bass fell off the strap and hit a bare concrete floor from 3' and cracked all the way through, breaking off several pieces. The point of impact was right at the bottom of the body under the EQ knobs. There's a pretty huge control cavity on the back and 5 knobs. This area is thin and has a bunch of holes in it - obviously leaving it weak and prone to breaking (unfortunately - it's also the area most likely to be the point of impact if a strap fails.)

The other sad thing here is, these basses have beautiful finishes and don't dent - so they're usually gorgeous instruments... so any "functional but ugly" fix is not really an acceptable solution for a cracked EDB.

I know that the guy I know who broke his - it was bad. He took the p/ups and all the hardware and saved them, the rest went in the trash. It was sad.

Dodgy · #10 09-05-2007, 07:04 PM

actually it was more like 5 feet, from a stage down to the floor.

kevinmoore73 · #11 09-05-2007, 07:23 PM

This thread is worthless without pics.

pkr2 · #12 09-05-2007, 07:34 PM

I wonder if you could get a replacement body from Ibanez. Without it costing a ridiculously high price, that is.

Dodgy · #13 09-05-2007, 08:17 PM

Pictures:

sorry for bad quality. cell phones are horrible cameras.

Mon Rominee · #14 09-06-2007, 06:38 AM

Yup. that be luthite.
Sorry about yer loss man. I really don't think that is fixable without following through on the main crack, and the rest being a patch job.

I really kinda have to scorn Cort & Ibanez for marketing these instruments with this material. Sure there are plenty of composites on the market used in instruments, but they are usually more robust. This isn't an acoustic guitar, this is a solidbody instrument fer chrissakes.

MAYBE that is why the new version Ibeenhad's have wood bodies, from what I hear.

Dodgy · #15 09-06-2007, 02:43 PM

if anyone knows where i can get a body for and edb600 or any edb bass that has the 5 eq knob holes then lmk.

The ibanez site did not have any bodies, just about all the other parts were there though.

jgsbass · #16 09-06-2007, 02:51 PM

One of my students had an original Ergodyne of the same luthite. His bass fell when the strap pin at the bottom fell out of the bass with the strap attached. The luthite was just crumbling around the pin. He only broke his preamp.

Mon Rominee · #17 09-06-2007, 03:15 PM

if it's this easy to destroy the body, HOW can it withstand the tension of the strings????

idoru · #18 09-06-2007, 04:34 PM

Borked.

I'm very glad now that I got over my Ergodyne phase of the late 90's...

zonajoe · #19 09-06-2007, 07:34 PM

Ebay is the best place lookfor one that has other faults you should be able to pick it up cheap. That does not look like it can be fixed and still look decent!

logan_ny · #20 09-07-2007, 10:08 AM

I am originally from a beach town and when I saw this thread I couldn't help but think of surfboard repair techniques:

http://surfsource.net/dingrepairguid...#epoxy%20putty

I honestly believe this could help repair the Ergodyne body.

Hope it helps!!!