Replacement necks

bigolbassguy · #1 03-13-2011, 10:19 AM

Does anyone know where to go for a replacement neck for a Cremona SB4?

fdeck · #2 03-13-2011, 02:53 PM

Not for any particular model, but from what I'm led to understand, replacing a neck always involves some fitting anyway.

http://www.internationalviolin.com/i...temCode=97%2f2

What broke? Repair might be preferable to outright replacement.

bassics1975 · #3 03-13-2011, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

Not for any particular model, but from what I'm led to understand, replacing a neck always involves some fitting anyway.

http://www.internationalviolin.com/i...temCode=97%2f2

What broke? Repair might be preferable to outright replacement.

Very true. As much of the original is often retained and only the damaged portion is replaced outright. If it is the neck itself, a luthier will often remove the scroll and heel and graft those onto a new neck. There will invariably be reshaping and refitting involved. This could be quite costly. It would be best for you to get the advice of an established luthier.

PRUNEFACE · #4 03-13-2011, 06:18 PM

Is a Cremona a nice instrument? I think it's a "music store" brand. I am not aware of all their models; for all I know that particular bass may be the top of the line. But a replacement neck from Lemur is at least +$500

bigolbassguy · #5 03-14-2011, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

Not for any particular model, but from what I'm led to understand, replacing a neck always involves some fitting anyway.

http://www.internationalviolin.com/i...temCode=97%2f2

What broke? Repair might be preferable to outright replacement.

The neck is just a bad chunk of wood. It has broken twice in two different places without being in an accident. Snapped off under tension.

bigolbassguy · #6 03-15-2011, 07:48 AM

So, it turns out that I don't need a new neck for this bass. The dowel used to repair it originally was dry fit and only the mating surfaces were glued. :/

1st Bass · #7 03-15-2011, 08:29 AM

Necks can be had from International violin co.

bigolbassguy · #8 03-15-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1st Bass

Necks can be had from International violin co.

Thanks for the info. I still need one for my project bass.

gaelmckeon · #9 03-15-2011, 05:44 PM

This is madness!!!!! Cremonas break. That's why they cost so little. Replacing a neck on a cremona (properly) is going to be as costly, or much more costly than replacing the bass.
Rebuilding a mortise, and setting a neck, in the shops that I've worked, has costed a minimum of $600, and that's just labor. Neck blanks with boards on them (plus fingerboard dressing) are a chunk more. And you have to get it just as it was, or you'll end up making a new bridge, or modifying the one you've got. I'm sorry your bass is broken. Have you considered trying to repair the existing neck? Can you post pics. I've fixed many a cheap break, and there are dirty tricks to do it. I hate to say it, as I pride myself on quality work, but sometimes you have to bust out the utilitarian epoxy and steel screws....

bigolbassguy · #10 03-15-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaelmckeon

This is madness!!!!! Cremonas break. That's why they cost so little. Replacing a neck on a cremona (properly) is going to be as costly, or much more costly than replacing the bass.
Rebuilding a mortise, and setting a neck, in the shops that I've worked, has costed a minimum of $600, and that's just labor. Neck blanks with boards on them (plus fingerboard dressing) are a chunk more. And you have to get it just as it was, or you'll end up making a new bridge, or modifying the one you've got. I'm sorry your bass is broken. Have you considered trying to repair the existing neck? Can you post pics. I've fixed many a cheap break, and there are dirty tricks to do it. I hate to say it, as I pride myself on quality work, but sometimes you have to bust out the utilitarian epoxy and steel screws....

This bass belongs to someone else. Turns out there's no reason to replace the neck. I would have been willing to do it at cost just for the practice.

I can't post pics because the original repair was done by a well known luthier. Politics.

I'm planning on using T-88 and just re-attaching the original dowelwork, which is fine aside from the lack of glue.

gaelmckeon · #11 03-15-2011, 06:01 PM

What's T-88? Epoxy? I find screws to be more effective than dowels, but if they're there already...
I can appreciate the political restraint.

fdeck · #12 03-15-2011, 07:55 PM

I had to look up T-88 myself.

www.boatcraftnsw.com.au/system3/T-88moreinfo.pdf

The one thing I noticed was a deflection temperature of 119 degrees F. That's the temperature where a material begins to soften. Is that high enough for comfort? I realize that a bass would never be exposed to such a high temperature deliberately, and that hide glue might also not take too kindly to being heated up.

gaelmckeon · #13 03-15-2011, 08:01 PM

Yeah,
120 F is not so high for epoxy, but plenty high for a bass. Just dont take it to a gig in full tension in 120 degree weather...
I'm sure there are comparable epoxies out there with much higher temp ranges, but then... does it matter? Thanks though...
Ive had some good results with G1. Manny Salvador put me onto it. He's a great guiter maker/ repaiman out in NYC. He actually made Bootsy's star bass... not that that gives G1 epoxy any more credibility.

eh_train · #14 03-15-2011, 08:40 PM

Veering way off topic, but I think the fact that he "made Bootsy's star bass..." gives G1 epoxy WAY more credibility!

robobass · #15 03-16-2011, 02:09 PM

This topic comes up over and over again. I say that if the break fits together well then hide glue and a big screw (under the FB) is the way to go. Epoxy creeps, and there are no second chances. Besides, hide glue is plenty strong. Many object to the screw. I find it the most effective clamp. It could be removed and replaced with a dowel afterwards if you're a purist. None of my neck repairs has ever failed, btw.

gaelmckeon · #16 03-16-2011, 03:19 PM

I agree robobass. Epoxy is never my first choice, but i use it when surfaces are no longer compatible, or when the neck needs to be fixed into a poorly shaped mortise. I only ever use epoxy if the bass is not worth fixing right. Hide glue is fantastic, and a good, strong steel screw is better than a dowel or no screw, any day.

bigolbassguy · #17 03-16-2011, 06:01 PM

I used the t-88 on recommendation from a couple of reputable luthiers on TB. Something I did that might make the pros cringe - I removed the heel from the block - because the fit was so poor, and I noticed a fair amount of wood glue on the floor of the mortise. Keep in mind - I'm not doing this for money.

not much, anyway. Also, not that it matters on this bass, I didn't want the epoxy to squeeze out into the block.

I've cleaned all of that up and will reset the neck with fresh HHG. As I've seen in many examples of factory basses, the mortise has huge gaps in it. I'm not going to waste my time shimming them, but it could make resetting the neck interesting.

Just as a side note - on my German factory bass, the mortise and tenon are perfect. A shame what they're doing in China with perfectly good wood.