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Double Bass Broken Bow..

R

Rimas

May 9, 2001
259
2
42
Seattle University or Cd'A, ID
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#1
I have a fairly nice Pernambuco bow.

It had a very small crack in it a while back and I took it to Hammond Ashley's in Seattle. They said that it was a rare instance and that they would be able to fix it. They glued it back together and it has worked fine ever since.

I loaned it to a friend of mine and he just told me that it broke. He took it to the local luthier here in Billings, MT where I'm currently living and she said that she could indeed fix it.

This contradicts what Hammond Ashley's told me about bows; that if they are broke you can not fix them so they function like they did ever again.

I am going to take a look at it tomorrow... I will post some pictures if needed. My buddy offered to pay for the bow if needed, however of course I'd like to save him some money ( $800 or so..).

What do you guys think about bow repairs?
 
#2
So..

It only took me a little bit of research before I learned that repaired bows have very little value.

I think I will let him keep the broken bow (he'll have it repaired and he will use it) and pay for a new one. I realize that $800 is towards the lower end of the value of Pernambuco bows, but If I ever wanted to upgrade I would be out of luck, and I don't want to have to worry about my bow coming unglued for the rest of its days...

argh.
:rollno:
 
#3
Greetings!

Sorry to hear about your bow. I'm assuming that by broken you mean cracked stick somewhere along the playing length. If this is accurate, you're correct that the repair will diminish the monetary value of the bow by about 50%. It may have a much less drastic impact on its playability, however. Depending on various factors (just where the break is, how clean it is, how good the stick was to begin with, etc.) it might repair up and play quite well.

If the break is somewhere else (broken beak, or on the butt-end of the stick) the repair depreciates the bow much less.

Post some pics if you can and we might be able to give you better information.

Good luck and best regards!
Jim
 
#5
Yeah, it is lame, but thats the way it goes I suppose... The actual value of the bow is important, as Hammond Ashley's gives very good trade in on instruments (not sure about bows, but I would assume they may have the same policy.. 80% on items less than $1200 and 100% on those more valuable). And I'd rather not wait for it to come unglued, so a new bow is in order.

Funny, I had a weird hunch the other day that he was gonna break something.. just a hunch.

I moved from Seattle to Billings to play Keyboards and Organ in a band, and I never played too much bass even though I brought it with.

The shop in Seattle advised me not to bring my bass to a dry region due to some cracks on the front. I took the proper precautions to acclimate it to the weather here and it has really spent most of its time in its case. So I'm just glad its not my bass!!
 
#8
downneck said:
unless i was really strapped for cash and my buddy was loaded, i wouldn't feel right accepting any money in this situation...seeing as the thing was already cracked when you lent it to him.
Click to expand...

Thats almost a scenario..

I've thought about it a lot and there are too many 'what ifs' to ask.

The reality is I should have never lent him my bass or the bow in the condition they are in (and so I learn :hmm:).. But I think it's fair that he assumes responsibility for my gear if he borrows it and it breaks while he is using it. I would for his.
 

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