can anyone help or should i trash it

sixstringpoet · #1 03-11-2007, 06:19 PM

hello tber's

i have had this bass for many years. i bought it new. the sound was awesome, but i was never satisfied with the action. the luthier only put one truss rod in the neck . i kept fiddling with the truss rod until it broke. long story short i never got it fixed. i really, really want to keep this bass. does anyone know of a luthier who can repair this type of damage. i would hate to have to trash it also it is a 6 string and i would love to make it a 5 string so that i can have wide string spacing. i know this will be costly but really have a desire to see this project through. thanx for looking.

peace

Busker · #2 03-11-2007, 08:01 PM

I know a top-notch luthier in northern California. What area are you from?

sixstringpoet · #3 03-11-2007, 08:38 PM

i am from southern ca. thanks for the fast response. i am willing to ship.

Busker · #4 03-11-2007, 09:05 PM

You can contact Luke Wilson at his shop, Wolf Note Studios, 530-272-7318, Grass Valley/Nevada City, CA. If he's not in the shop, leave a message and he'll get back to you. He has about 30 years experience in luthery. He can fix it. Tell him Steve sent you his way.

Bryan316 · #5 03-11-2007, 09:08 PM

The fourth photo looks like there are cracks in the fretboard between the third and fourth fret. Are those cracks, or just marks from dirt and sweat?

And yeah, your bass is salvagable. And I'm sure it can be whittled down to a 5-string. Just remember, this is gonna be a pricey undertaking. Expect to get a high price for the resurrection. Miracles don't come cheap!

sixstringpoet · #6 04-13-2007, 07:42 PM

thanks for the recommendation Busker. i sent the bass to the tech and it looks like it will be too costly to fix the truss rod and shave the neck down to a five string.

i was wondering would it be possible to buy a carvin neck-thru blank and put the body sides from this Lado onto the carvin neck blank.

or

would it be possible to make this bass a bolt-on. (since the only problem is the neck)

i know these solutions may sound a little idiotic, but i dont want to trash her.

peace.

PilbaraBass · #7 04-13-2007, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixstringpoet

thanks for the recommendation Busker. i sent the bass to the tech and it looks like it will be too costly to fix the truss rod and shave the neck down to a five string.

i was wondering would it be possible to buy a carvin neck-thru blank and put the body sides from this Lado onto the carvin neck blank.

or

would it be possible to make this bass a bolt-on. (since the only problem is the neck)

i know these solutions may sound a little idiotic, but i dont want to trash her.

peace.

body sides on a carvin neck through blank is a very valid idea...

probably easier, and more flexible is the "chop and rout" approach to make it a bolt-on body...that way, you don't have to disturb any routing already done (pickups and control cavity...

also, you can work the neck/body fit a bit more to get it just right...the only major issue here would be do you have enough heel for a bolt-on...

sixstringpoet · #8 04-13-2007, 08:21 PM

thanks for the reply. here is a pic of the back.

anyone know someone who could do either of the two modifications?

Ray Holt · #9 04-13-2007, 09:02 PM

Do you HAVE to have it made into a 5-string? Doesn't seem like taking out the broken truss rod and putting in a new one would be too far fetched... turning the neck into a 5-string seems pretty out there though. Why would you want to change that if you love the bass so much the way it is?

Basshappi · #10 04-13-2007, 09:17 PM

Mike Dolan has a very good reputation.

His shop is in Santa Rosa.

http://www.dolanguitars.com/

Musiclogic · #11 04-13-2007, 11:36 PM

you could have it made into a set neck and have the builder match the neck to the central core, retaining it's look prety much to exact if done well. just my opinion of what I would do.

PilbaraBass · #12 04-14-2007, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basshappi

Mike Dolan has a very good reputation.

His shop is in Santa Rosa.

http://www.dolanguitars.com/

I've seen Mr. Dolan's work in Acoustic Guitar Magazines...he's what I would consider a "master builder"

beejomatic · #13 04-14-2007, 05:35 PM

This may be a dumb question, bu couldn't you just pop off the fingerboard, install a new truss rod, and be done with it? and indeed, if you're so fond of the instrument, why change it from a sixer? More instruments, less GAS pains...

sixstringpoet · #14 04-14-2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beejomatic

This may be a dumb question, bu couldn't you just pop off the fingerboard, install a new truss rod, and be done with it? and indeed, if you're so fond of the instrument, why change it from a sixer? More instruments, less GAS pains...

i purchased this bass in 1993, i was never satisfied with the action, for some reason the maker only used one truss rod on this large neck. the string spacing is too narrow also. i tinkered with it for a while and finally broke the truss rod.

since then i have forgotton about this bass and acquired more basses with wider string spacing. i like the wider string spacing which is why i am interested in making this bass a five string. also i believe the tension on the neck will be less without the "c string", making the action on the bass more desireable. i only paid 1300.00 for the bass new in 1993. the estimate from the tech was 1000.00 to 1500.00 to remove the fingerboard and exchange the truss rod, which may be a fair estimate but i dont feel it would be a good investment.

ehque · #15 04-14-2007, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixstringpoet

the estimate from the tech was 1000.00 to 1500.00 to remove the fingerboard and exchange the truss rod, which may be a fair estimate but i dont feel it would be a good investment.

uh? excuse me?

PilbaraBass · #16 04-14-2007, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehque

uh? excuse me?

+1...is that estimate in Zimbabwe dollars????

you can raise the action with a new, thicker fretboard...trash the old one...while the luthier is in there, the trussy can be changed...$500 TOPS would be a fair price, IMO.

Musiclogic · #17 04-15-2007, 12:09 AM

$250 to $300 US to swap rods and re-board it around here.......$1000 to $1500 is obnoxious, or someone who thinks too highly of their own work....LOL

Busker · #18 04-15-2007, 08:35 AM

Are you saying the person I recommended estimated $1000 to $1500?

Did that include shaving down the neck to make it a five-string?

In defense of Luke, or any other tech you may be talking about, shaving down the neck, and making it look and feel right might be a bigger, more involved task than you think. Many hours of work, and then matching the finish, or refinishing. Plus filling the extra hole on the headstock, and probably making a new veneer for the headstock, making a new nut from scratch, and whatever additional kind of work would be needed to make it "right". And the neck/body junction? I doubt you could ever get that to look good without refinishing the entire bass. Sanding down one area and touching up that area is hard to match with the original finish. I would imagine even an oiled finish would be hard to match exactly, when small areas have to be sanded. I could easily see the entire bass needing to be refinished to make it look great with all the shaving, sanding, scraping that would be involved in making it a 5 string.

No, if you're talking that amount of work, $1000-$1500 doesn't sound out of line (to me), but it does not sound feasible. Not a good investment.

Fixing the truss rod? Yeah, I would do that. It looks like a very nice bass.

OK, in one post he says his estimate was for fixing the truss rod AND making it into a 5 string, in the other, he says truss rod only. So, which is it?

I think I know, the estimate was for making it into a 5-er, too. Luke has been in business for around 30 years. He hasn't stayed in business by charging ridiculous fees. He's worked on my instruments before, several times. Never has he overcharged me.

Busker · #19 04-15-2007, 10:46 AM

sixstringpoet · #20 04-15-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busker

Are you saying the person I recommended estimated $1000 to $1500?

Did that include shaving down the neck to make it a five-string?

In defense of Luke, or any other tech you may be talking about, shaving down the neck, and making it look and feel right might be a bigger, more involved task than you think. Many hours of work, and then matching the finish, or refinishing. Plus filling the extra hole on the headstock, and probably making a new veneer for the headstock, making a new nut from scratch, and whatever additional kind of work would be needed to make it "right". And the neck/body junction? I doubt you could ever get that to look good without refinishing the entire bass. Sanding down one area and touching up that area is hard to match with the original finish. I would imagine even an oiled finish would be hard to match exactly, when small areas have to be sanded. I could easily see the entire bass needing to be refinished to make it look great with all the shaving, sanding, scraping that would be involved in making it a 5 string.

No, if you're talking that amount of work, $1000-$1500 doesn't sound out of line (to me), but it does not sound feasible. Not a good investment.

Fixing the truss rod? Yeah, I would do that. It looks like a very nice bass.

OK, in one post he says his estimate was for fixing the truss rod AND making it into a 5 string, in the other, he says truss rod only. So, which is it?

I think I know, the estimate was for making it into a 5-er, too. Luke has been in business for around 30 years. He hasn't stayed in business by charging ridiculous fees. He's worked on my instruments before, several times. Never has he overcharged me.

i did not say that the estimate was an overcharge, in fact, in my earlier post i stated that it may be a fair estimate, but not a good investment for me. i talked to the tech and from what he told me i believe that the bass maker used epoxy to glue the neck to the fretboard, which would make the repair more difficult, which is why the cost was high.

in no ways am i attempting to hurt anyones good name, the tech was a very good guy, he even tried to help me go another route with the repair of the bass. again i did not feel that he was trying to rip me off, even if he could do the whole job, 5 string conversion, etc for the estimate quoted that would still be unwise, because the bass is not even worth that much.

i believe i have a buyer for the bass, if that falls through i will spend some money to get the truss rod repaired and a new fretboard and then sell it. Busker thanks again for the tech recommendation, and forgive me for any misunderstandings.

peace.