Crap it!

PIZZAcato · #1 03-09-2006, 07:34 PM

Alright I go to a school where the DB isn't something you see everyday and the janitors have an IQ that can not be seen by the naked eye... but anyway.

There is an Engelhardt EM-1 bass doesn't have a place in our little "cubby hole" system so the janitors figure they need to throw it around or on top of the cabinets to clean the floor. The finger-board has come off, so has the bridge(which shouldn't be a huge deal) but with it came the tail-piece and gut connector(hard plastic) soon followed by the endpin. Luckily I don't think its necessary to reset the soundpost. Should be good practice and I was wanting to recut that bridge anyway.

I'm the only bassist(well-in the band program{professional

}) and therefore this bass' only hope. So my question is this, what the hell do I do and where do I start. Please anyone

Thanks
-Mike

P.S. I don't own a digital camera. Sorry.

**Freddels** · #2 03-09-2006, 08:11 PM

Do you own it? I'd go to the dean and complain. The school's employees damaged the bass and therefore the school should be responsible for the repairs. They may even have insurance for such mishaps.

Anon2962 · #3 03-10-2006, 12:35 AM

or does the schools owns it? Then maybe they could pay for it to be fixed up. What you should do is first of all is go to the dean or whoever you should go to to talk about it. If they agree then take all the bits to a luthier and get an estimate. then take the estimate to the school, see if they'll pay, and and then there you go. If your teacher works in the school i'd ask him/her to take it up with however's in charge.

if it's YOUR bass, then, well... do like freddels said.

PIZZAcato · #4 03-11-2006, 05:55 PM

It's actually a school owned one. That being said no one cares about the bass because of our horrible neglecting program (I will be outta here soon!) and the school will not repair. I was just lookin' for tips on how I could repair it. I have always wanted to do work on a bass and have looked into the craftsmanship techniques, and I figured this would be the perfect opportunity for a fixer up-er I could really get some practice on

. Thx again.

-Mike

PIZZAcato · #5 03-12-2006, 07:17 PM

Nobody I guess?

arnoldschnitzer · #6 03-13-2006, 06:37 AM

If the school will allow you to fix it, I'm sure you can get tips from the several luthiers that frequent this forum (including me). Here's the first one: Get ALL the glue off the fingerboard and neck. Use hot water and a scraper blade.

STRONGBOW · #7 03-15-2006, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnoldschnitzer

If the school will allow you to fix it, I'm sure you can get tips from the several luthiers that frequent this forum (including me). Here's the first one: Get ALL the glue off the fingerboard and neck. Use hot water and a scraper blade.

My advice-- do what it takes to preserve the bass from further abuse, and go ahead and try to repair what you can. But when all else fails, find some hidden nook somewhere like up in the attic of the gymnasium and store that baby somewhere out of sight....and a hundred years from now, some cat will discover a vintage bass....that's where my 1860 Bohemian flatback was found....in the attic of an elementary school gymnasium....in 1974, when I acquired it for $100......

Marcus Johnson · #8 03-15-2006, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STRONGBOW

that's where my 1860 Bohemian flatback was found....in the attic of an elementary school gymnasium....in 1974, when I acquired it for $100......

I love tales like that! Makes me happy for both the owner and the bass.

Nick Ioannucci · #9 03-17-2006, 09:06 AM

personally if i was willing to put the money into an engelheart and i was leaving the school soon...... i would probably just ttake the thing with me. idk if anyone would agree, but if it is that beaten up talk to the director of the music program or the principle and see if theyll let you take it. itll still be good practice, youll just get to keep it. i know at the middle school they have one or two bg's that are apparently "broken" (they break everything at that school including amps and drums.... it never ends) so im going to see if i can score some stuff to help me learn to tinker, and to give me an extra bass or 2. even at the high school they have an old bass amp with the inputd messed up on the head which is a real easy fix and the band teacher is considering just giving it to me. youd be surprised what schools will just throw away.

uprightbassghos · #10 03-17-2006, 11:07 AM

>> youd be surprised what schools will just throw away. <<

It is sad. I have a 1977 Engelhardt that was retrieved from a nearby college dumpster*. It needed a new fingerboard. It's my "super" beater bass, I take it to the Philly Folk Fest and drag it though the eventual rain and mud...

(* Yeah, I hear some of you snickering that it belongs there..)