Detached Peg Box

Plato · #1 06-12-2006, 12:37 AM

I will save you all of the sad details, but I came home from vacation to find the peg box of my old plywood bass in the floor of the music room. This is a repeat of an old injury and it seems like a glue job is only going to hold for a few months.

The nut is still mounted on the finger board. There is no wood on the bottom of the box. Just gluing it doesn't seem to work. Are there any other options? There is not a whole lot of wood to work with.. About 3/8 to 1/2 inch of wood on the bottom of the peg box overlaps the nut/top of the neck.

We have a good local tech. as far as I can tell. The local string players have no problem letting him work on their pricey violins, anyways.

Any suggestions?

Plato

Plato · #2 06-12-2006, 12:40 AM

OK, I am a new guy... I can tell it would be hepful to have pics and I can't get at the bass for a couple of days. Any help between now and then will be appreciated.

Plato

anonymous0726 · #3 06-12-2006, 12:55 AM

Welcome to TB!

Pix are likely going to get you better help.

Brent Nussey · #4 06-12-2006, 01:08 AM

I don't think I need to see a picture. You're talking about something along these lines:

http://www.merchantbass.com/acoustic/scrollgraft1.htm

right?

If you have the money, you could have a scroll graft done, as in the pictures. However, for a bass that doesn't warrant that kind of expense, you can have the neck replaced. Nowadays there are CNC carved necks available that make this pretty cheap to do. Or your luthier may have an old neck lying around that would do the trick. In any case, a skilled guy can make it look old, to match your bass. Dave Gage did this for a friend of mine's old-but-not-so-valuable bass, and it looked and worked great.

If you decide to go this route, maybe some of our luthiers can advise you on places to get these kind of necks.

Brent

Plato · #5 06-12-2006, 08:45 AM

Thanks!!!! That is pretty much what it looks like. I am officially interested in recommendations for a new neck. I don't think this bass is going to warrant that kind of repair. It may not warrant a new neck even. It is just a laminated bass used mostly for jazz, but it works very well for that.

wolvertone · #6 06-12-2006, 09:14 AM

yeah, ouch.

anyway, if the bass isn't worth $$$, and you still want it play it, then use gorilla glue. It expands as it dries and will find it's way into every nook and cranny of the break. Glue one side, wet the other and clamp. You can use ratched staps to get the longitudinal pressure. Gorilla glue available at Home D or Lowe's.

You could also supplement it with screws.

OK, don't flame me guys. I'm only reccomending this B/C he said it didn't warrant an expensive repair. I'd do this rather than "throw it away". He can still replace the neck later if/when he wants to.

peasandhoney · #7 06-12-2006, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolvertone

anyway, if the bass isn't worth $$$, and you still want it play it, then use gorilla glue.

You could also supplement it with screws.

Never, ever take advice like this. due to the irreversible nature of such repairs, they end up trashing the instrument (not to mention any chisel that my accidentally find a screw sometime in the future).

Is this a Kay or Engelhardt? If so you can get a direct replacement neck for it. Otherwise, it most probably need a neck graft. Ask yourself "how much is this instrument worth to me?" intrinsic and monetary....

wolvertone · #8 06-12-2006, 11:06 AM

Notice I said

"if the bass isn't worth $$$, and you still want it play it... I'm only reccomending this B/C he said it didn't warrant an expensive repair. I'd do this rather than "throw it away". He can still replace the neck later if/when he wants to..."

If your only two choices were a peg box with screws or a bass in pieces and not being used at all, which would you choose?

If this was a $500 bass, the cost of replacing the neck (parts and labor) would not warrant the neck replacement. it's relative to what you are repairing.

Zachary Martin · #9 06-12-2006, 12:00 PM

It would be more cost effective to replace it with a pre carved neck/scroll that is varnished to match the instrument. If the fingerboard has enough thickness, you could use that insted of paying for a new one. good luck!

eh_train · #10 06-12-2006, 12:55 PM

[quote=peasandhoney]Never, ever take advice like this. due to the irreversible nature of such repairs, they end up trashing the instrument (not to mention any chisel that my accidentally find a screw sometime in the future).

For an inexpensive bass, I have to disagree! If screws will help to hold it (and, in my experience they do - see below), there's no harm in using them. Particularly on an inexpensive bass where the alternative is to take the neck off and throw it away.

I repaired my beater bass, which I have mostly been using on blues gigs for the past 1.5 years, in exactly this way. It has worked beautifully for over 30 gigs! The repair isn't even noticeable unless you get up really close. Between the epoxy (YES, I said epoxy - this isn't supposed to be a reversible repair!) and the 4 screws (2 per side), the area seems rock solid...

You indicated a concern about damaging a chisel by working in this area!? Why would you be using one in this area? If it's because the repair fails, it's likely that evidence of the previous work would become visible...

Lastly, if this type of repair fails, it's easy to then move on to plan B ( a new neck). As mentioned before, this applies to cheaper basses where hundreds of dollars in repair makes no sense!

Plato · #11 06-12-2006, 02:58 PM

Well, I have learned a lot so far. As a reminder, this bass is a Lewis Laurel. At the time I got it (for cheap) the Laurel was retailing for over $7K. The specs for the bass have changed over the years. This one is a "fancy" laminated bass. Are necks available? I see what I can google for now...

Plato

anonymous0726 · #12 06-12-2006, 03:06 PM

$7K for a plywood?

Plato · #13 06-12-2006, 06:38 PM

I am just telling you what the price list said. There is no way a new laminated bass like this one would bring anything like that in the current market. At that time, the Lewis carved insruments started at around 8 or 9K iirc. I bought it for little more than a song from someone who wanted it out of his house.