Problem with repairman

[Jeff Guevin]

Hi all,

Thanks again for your comments. I thought I'd update you on the situation, and provide some pics of the repair.

I picked up the bass today, and the from a personal standpoint, everything was fine--no lectures or condescension or anything--and I'm glad, because I would have had to let fly if there had been any nonsense at this point. The repair was $700, slightly under the estimate. The bass sounds as beautiful as ever, if not better, given that it was re-adjusted just days ago. The repair is certainly visible, as you'll see in the pics:

http://www.guevin.com/bass.asp

(new pics start with "repair" or "peripheral damage")

The repair looks better in person; the camera flash makes it look worse. I wish I had "before" pictures, but I can tell you that previously, the strip of wood in between the two cracks was pushed a couple of millimeters into the bass, and you could see a bit of the cross-section of the wood as a result. I also can't get a picture of the inside, but basically there's a piece of very thin wood patched over the inside, about 8 inches long and three-four inches wide. It appears cleanly applied, and nothing seems wrong with it to my untrained eye. So I'm reasonably happy with the end result of the primary repair.

In the process of removing the top, the corner right next to the next was broken and re-glued--the break is visible, but appears to be very solidly attached. The other side has a hairline crack that was also repaired--can't even feel it, only see it if you're looking closely. The top is glued back on well, as far as I can tell--I'd say 95% as cleanly as the original job. There are a few tiny chips in the wood right along the edge, as well.

Ken, if I interpret your post correctly, some damage can occur in the process--is that correct? The repairman said the luthier had clearly used a strong mixture of hide glue in securing the top, making it a very difficult removal, and he apparently called the luthier to suggest that he use less strong a bond in the future.

Anyway, there's the end of the story. As I said, the bass sounds great, and though I won't go back to this repairman, it's because of his lack of professionalism, not the job itself. I'd appreciate any final feedback, though--if anything seems amiss or unusual to you, I'd really like to hear your thoughts!

One final thing--so now I'm looking for a new "bass guy", both for improvements (thinking about a new tailpiece and tuners), possible future repairs, and sales (soon will be looking for a new bow). Any suggestions around the Detroit area (specifically Ann Arbor)? I see that Cleveland and Cincinatti are brimming o'er with basses, but the distances are a little inconvenient.

Thanks all,

Jeff

[KSB - Ken Smith]

[quote=jguevin]Ken, if I interpret your post correctly, some damage can occur in the process--is that correct? The repairman said the luthier had clearly used a strong mixture of hide glue in securing the top, making it a very difficult removal, and he apparently called the luthier to suggest that he use less strong a bond in the future.

Yes, damage can occur especially with new Basses opened for the first time. You never know what glues these shops use. Fresh hide glue has to be freshly cooked and may not be the easiest thing to keep fresh in a Chinese shop. Taking more care or time removing the top is sometimes possible to prevent damage but not always. I have removed a few tops and backs in my time and I always used warm-hot water and a butter knife with no edges at all. Almost like a feeler gauge. I took my time with each Bass and only old repairs would sometimes seperate. I do this job in fear of something going wrong so I make sure it doesn't.

As far as upgrades, go slow with this. Your Bass may or may not benefit from them tonally. It's a new Bass and will take years to age and mellow out. What you do, will be for your own enjoyment. For a Bow, call me if you like and tell me what you need the Bow to do. Too cheap and you will kill your technique. Too expensive and you will need a loan.

As for your repair, yes the shots do not look that great in the cosmetic department. In time, things may darken or they can be touched up over time. I have seen more cracks then some have seen days on this earth. Basses are big and wood moves. Then they crack. End of story.. lol

Play on, practice alot. While my son was installing a new network computer today, I got in about 2-3 hours in. Eccles, Dragonetti and the original green cover Joseph Hrabe Etude book in German text (Heft I) edited by Simandl. That took some life out of me after 12 pages of torture. Prague School, pre-electricity and 12-18 hour practice days (Harbe died in 1870 so that's how old this stuff is). That's the only way you can play that stuff.. Sorry for the rant but the point is, practice, practice, practice.. Eat.. and then practice again..lol

[nicklloyd]

Just to be fair, not all factories use white glue. For example, Paesold uses white glue, whereas Shen does not. It varies from factory to factory.