Japanese St. George bass...worth fixing?

[elgecko]

I have an old bass on permanent loan that's in pretty rough shape. It's labeled: St. George, Hollywood, California, Made in Japan.



I want to get some opinions on whether or not the bass is even worth fixing. I have no sentimental attachment to this bass and if repair costs are going to exceed the price of CCB, it most likely would not be worth it to me. The main issues are as follows:

The top is collapsed under the G side bridge foot



The top and back are separating from the sides



There is a small (old?) crack in the neck





What do you think?

[elgecko]

Bueller? Bueller?

[Thumpie]

The crack in the neck may have been repaired. It sort of looks like it has been.

The separating top and back aren't necessarily a big deal.

There could be other more major problems, like a failed bass bar. So you'd need to have it checked out by a luthier before you decide on anything. The luthier may be able to tell you the worth of the bass if repaired.

I don't know anything about this maker, but from the photos, this looks like a cheaper student laminate. The fingerboard looks like rosewood. Maybe someone else on Talkbass knows more about this particular bass...?

[Thumpie]

(It looks a lot like a Kay C-1, except the upper bout appears too narrow. Possibly the perspective the photograph was taken from?)

Provide more photos (especially the tuning machines) to help us identify the bass.

[elgecko]

Thanks! I'll post more pics when I get home later today.

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Originally Posted by Thumpie

(It looks a lot like a Kay C-1, except the upper bout appears too narrow. Possibly the perspective the photograph was taken from?)

No...there's no such thing as a Kay without outer linings.

elgecko, the only thing I see that worries me is the puncture under the bridge foot. That could possibly be fixed with a reinforcing patch on the inside of the top, but maybe not. Punctured plywood top usually = dead bass.

[Thumpie]

Originally Posted by KUNGfuSHERIFF

No...there's no such thing as a Kay without outer linings.

Good eye!

[elgecko]

Thanks for the info so far. Here are some more pics. All info, speculation, and opinions are welcome.

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

St. George was a cheapo Japanese brand that imported instruments into the US in the 1960s, maybe earlier. Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone played a St. George while he was still playing with his mother's organ duo when he was a kid in Oakland.

Honestly, it doesn't look like much and it has at least one fatal problem. If you're handy see what you can do, but I wouldn't pay a professional thousands of dollars to make this bird sing again.

[MostroDB]

My view: looks quite crude & when fixed-up is unlikely to exceed the value of a new Contemporary Chinese Bass by much...

[elgecko]

Originally Posted by KUNGfuSHERIFF

St. George was a cheapo Japanese brand that imported instruments into the US in the 1960s, maybe earlier. Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone played a St. George while he was still playing with his mother's organ duo when he was a kid in Oakland.

Honestly, it doesn't look like much and it has at least one fatal problem. If you're handy see what you can do, but I wouldn't pay a professional thousands of dollars to make this bird sing again.

Originally Posted by MostroDB

My view: looks quite crude & when fixed-up is unlikely to exceed the value of a new Contemporary Chinese Bass by much...

Thanks for the opinions. As I suspected, it's looking more like a decoration/DIY project than a viable bass. I may eventually take it to someone just for poops and giggles.

[elgecko]

Unwilling to invest any real money into this thing, I popped the top off to see what was doing. Apparently, the sunken top was a preexisting condition.