Recent content by eh_train

The above is what concerns me. I think the rib will resist being forced, particularly as it's curving in two different directions. You can already see, in the third pic, that there was a parallel crack that was repaired. So what happened next? The current crack. Yup, most likely parallel...

It's not really a simple repair. A lot of cracks can be repaired through the f holes, but this is a long way north of the bridge. It's not impossible to reach, but it's trickier than mid-bass. It's also an area where the rib needs to flex in different directions (hence the separation and...

MH, That looks like a fun place to walk! My concerns were partly about being indoors and bumping things, which isn’t a problem in your example. The problem of failing straps remain. I’d just triple check to make sure your straps are up to the job. Bass bags can range from beautifully made to...

Hi EK, Apologies in advance in case you don't want to hear this, but I always advise customers not to put their bass on their back. It's impossible to grab the bass if a strap fails. This happened on a nice new Shen bass outfit. When it hit the ground the scroll was beheaded. Also, just...

Hi GW, You haven't received a flood of answers, I think because: 1) This is definitely gonna be a last-ditch repair. One and done? Sure, but only because a second attempt, if the first fails, will be working with crumbs of crumbs, and; 2) Your pics aren't sufficiently helpful. So, given...

Thanks Louis, most interesting! IIRC, Ebony from Madagascar has been restricted in the last few years. I really wonder, though, how the average customs official is going to distinguish Madagascar from Indian Ebony, or from other places where Ebony grows.

Jay, Annoying, sorry to hear about this! I can tell you, definitively, that it hopefully won’t take too long, and hopefully won’t be too expensive. Why the vague~ish, non-answer? First, it depends on how much other work your luthier has ahead of you. Second, its almost never as...

The bassist with T-Rex played one as well. I had a natural finish one in the 80s, only mine had a single f hole on top. Great instruments, wish I still had it!

Would've loved to have witnessed said brouhaha. At least it didn't devolve into a no-holds-barred luthier donnybrook. Oh, the humanity!

The 190 isn’t legal in Ontario, but it is in New York and Ohio. I manage to keep some on hand. I also use it to mix up shellac and varnish. Whatever is in denatured alcohol, I prefer to keep it out of my concoctions…

Agreed with all of the above, except after this I like to put on a coat of linseed oil with 0000 fine steel wool. IMO it makes the ebony look darker and more even. Also, just curious about how inert/enviro-friendly naptha is. I wipe the board with everclear. It evaporates super quickly and...

Hi Rob, You mentioned Traynor but missed out on their tiniest option - The Traynor 106. I think it has the smallest footprint of any of the amps in your post. It's not too heavy - 15 lbs - but seems really solidly built. I have just switched to using one and am liking it for jam sessions...

Saw him a couple of times, the second at venerable Massey Hall. Usually the sound is pretty great in that setting, but Bob Cranshaw sounded like mud that night. It occured to me: "He could have an upright player sound as bad as that!"

Yep, Superflexibles, IIRC, have a rope core and are easier on the hands than Spiros. And the solo gauge, tuned down to concert pitch, are going to feel really "bendy". Superflexibles are also a step down from Spiros in terms of cost (but still, made in Austria and imported, so subject to...

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