Bass Repair on the iSland

VegasGutPlucker · #1 09-12-2009, 02:30 AM

I have moved from Las Vegas to New York recently, in a gutsy cross country move to improve my playing and quality of life as a jazz musician. I now find myself in need of a seam gluing, possible new soundpost, maybe a fingerboard planing down the line. Who's currently doing the good work in Manhattan? I feel like a kid in a candy store: in Las Vegas there were no bass repair guys for 300 miles, which forced me to learn to set a soundpost myself. New York as I understand it is a different story: I know of the David Gage shop, the Kolstein shop, is Chuck Traeger still doing work? I'm poor, so I need the best balance of cost and quality, but I'd rather have someone I can develop a relationship with who does really good work. The trains haven't been a problem for me so far, but for what it's worth I live in Washington Heights at the moment.

Cheers,
Justin

www.freedomjazztrio.com

Paul Warburton · #2 09-12-2009, 06:42 AM

Years of experience with basses and the TBDB community at large seem to point to this guy............
He would be my choice if I lived and worked in the area. (which I may).

http://www.aesbass.com/

VegasGutPlucker · #3 09-12-2009, 02:22 PM

He's pretty far away, so are Kolstein and Bollbach I guess. No on else on the island?

**Matthew Tucker** · #4 09-12-2009, 02:45 PM

Bill Merchant is only a couple of miles away at 208 West 29th Street

Ed Fuqua · #5 09-12-2009, 03:04 PM

Until JefeJeff did all the work on my bass, it was either done by Sprocket or Mike Weatherall at Gage's. Can't get much more Manhattan than that...

Eric Hochberg · #6 09-12-2009, 03:10 PM

Don't know if he does maintainance work like this, but Paul Biase is in midtown and from what I've heard has a stellar rep. A nice guy when I visited his studio, too.

Ed Fuqua · #7 09-12-2009, 04:03 PM

Oh and just since yer in from Vegas and all - when folks up here say "the island", they mean LONG ISLAND. If you mean Manhattan, you just say "the city"...

Otherwise people will point and stare.

VegasGutPlucker · #8 09-12-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Oh and just since yer in from Vegas and all - when folks up here say "the island", they mean LONG ISLAND. If you mean Manhattan, you just say "the city"...

Otherwise people will point and stare.

Yeah, I was wondering why they were doing that... thanks! Now I have a bunch of names to stare at. Any more? Any hidden gems?

**Matthew Tucker** · #9 09-12-2009, 11:13 PM

You've got the Crown Jewels - what more do you want?

VegasGutPlucker · #10 09-12-2009, 11:28 PM

to know who to go to first!