Here is my April CSI Luthier posting, with props going out to Don for the title rights. I'll send him out free tickets to my next gig, if another one ever shows up again after all this virus stuff....
'Nice pre WW2 bass in good condition, a family heirloom handed down from grandfather who gigged with it for decades. Grandson is a solid gigging electric player who is excited to both jump into the upright world AND keep the family tradition going on the old bass. Prior to arriving at my place, the neck had been broken at the heel. Hot hide glue was used to glue it back together. That failed. Fingerboard was removed, two approx. 3" long lag screws were installed under the fingerboard; those also failed.
It came to my shop after being at another for a year with no progress. Getting spotty history and not knowing the level of work, I suggested some exploratory surgery. I was able to steam off the neck very well, but it took about 3 hours of finesse work.
The whole neck joint and block looked good. BUT- running a magnet around the broken heel area I was able to feel a bit of pull in a couple of places. That with the old suspicious fingerboard glue seam suggested metal hardware. The fingerboard was a B!@#$ to get off- about three different types of old glue including stubborn old epoxy....sure enough, two big steel screws were sunk and then buried with epoxy AND the head of one was stripped. A die grinder helped me cut a new slot and a hot soldering iron warmed up and loosened the glue mess enough so that the lags came out successfully.
One lag went into the front of the neck and almost punched through the dovetail; poor angle. The other went into the heel side at a good angle, but only had about 3/4" of material past the break. I was surprised that the short lags did not create a second break mid heel where they terminated. I'm of the impression that everything probably would have held reasonably well if the lags went the entire length of the heel.
Lets add one more important aspect to the conversation: it lived in Tennessee. Hot, humid, cranky southern summer outside gigs combined with cold cranky winters, rowdy gigs, and definitely not delicate players or environment.
I'll post few photos of it all as is and then try to update with progress. I do a few dozen of these per year, as time allows in between the other work and new builds. EVERY one of them is different and they all seem to need their own specific creative response. For conversation and educational purposes, I like that this one has failed the two most common responses: hot hide glue, and metal hardware. I also like that while both of these choices eventually failed, they are both reversible, unlike epoxy or other modern adhesives.
My favorite last comment to remember, "I didn't break the $#@%!^& thing. I'm the guy trying my best to help you fix what is left rather than insisting that you get a new neck..."
j.
www.kaybassrepair.com
'Nice pre WW2 bass in good condition, a family heirloom handed down from grandfather who gigged with it for decades. Grandson is a solid gigging electric player who is excited to both jump into the upright world AND keep the family tradition going on the old bass. Prior to arriving at my place, the neck had been broken at the heel. Hot hide glue was used to glue it back together. That failed. Fingerboard was removed, two approx. 3" long lag screws were installed under the fingerboard; those also failed.
It came to my shop after being at another for a year with no progress. Getting spotty history and not knowing the level of work, I suggested some exploratory surgery. I was able to steam off the neck very well, but it took about 3 hours of finesse work.
The whole neck joint and block looked good. BUT- running a magnet around the broken heel area I was able to feel a bit of pull in a couple of places. That with the old suspicious fingerboard glue seam suggested metal hardware. The fingerboard was a B!@#$ to get off- about three different types of old glue including stubborn old epoxy....sure enough, two big steel screws were sunk and then buried with epoxy AND the head of one was stripped. A die grinder helped me cut a new slot and a hot soldering iron warmed up and loosened the glue mess enough so that the lags came out successfully.
One lag went into the front of the neck and almost punched through the dovetail; poor angle. The other went into the heel side at a good angle, but only had about 3/4" of material past the break. I was surprised that the short lags did not create a second break mid heel where they terminated. I'm of the impression that everything probably would have held reasonably well if the lags went the entire length of the heel.
Lets add one more important aspect to the conversation: it lived in Tennessee. Hot, humid, cranky southern summer outside gigs combined with cold cranky winters, rowdy gigs, and definitely not delicate players or environment.
I'll post few photos of it all as is and then try to update with progress. I do a few dozen of these per year, as time allows in between the other work and new builds. EVERY one of them is different and they all seem to need their own specific creative response. For conversation and educational purposes, I like that this one has failed the two most common responses: hot hide glue, and metal hardware. I also like that while both of these choices eventually failed, they are both reversible, unlike epoxy or other modern adhesives.
My favorite last comment to remember, "I didn't break the $#@%!^& thing. I'm the guy trying my best to help you fix what is left rather than insisting that you get a new neck..."
j.
www.kaybassrepair.com
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