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Double Bass Can I continue to play my bass before getting it repaired?
- Thread starter Jton2707
- Start date
I am neither expert nor luthier, but I would stop playing until that crack is seen to. Additional playing might cause it to grow, from the vibrations. Years ago I had a crack like that open in a hybrid husk I was transporting from Cleveland, TN to Piedmont, AL. Darn thing didn't even have strings or bridge on it.
I am not a luthier, but if it were my instrument I would immediately slack the strings on this instrument, to help avoid the crack or any other damage from getting worse under string tension. The bridge will probably move and the sound post will probably fall, which is ok, because it will be with a luthier for repairs and when they are completed, the luthier can also reset the bridge position and set the sound post.
Mark the end of the crack with a pencil. If you notice that the crack is traveling, immediately relieve string tension, and do whatever you can to keep finger oils out of the crack.
I used own a wonderful but badly mistreated German flatback from around 1890 that came to me with a nearly identical open crack that was all kind of contaminated. I was eventually able to repair the crack with glue, clamp and cleat but it took three tries because of the crud.
I used own a wonderful but badly mistreated German flatback from around 1890 that came to me with a nearly identical open crack that was all kind of contaminated. I was eventually able to repair the crack with glue, clamp and cleat but it took three tries because of the crud.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
- Jan 12, 2004
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- Owner, Stand Up Guy Basses (Repair/Sell/Buy upright basses)
Although it doesn't look too serious, the bridge foot exerts a lot of pressure on the top - and very near the damaged area, meaning the crack could be pushed apart by the tension.
It's an easy repair that could be done in 24 hours. Do you have a luthier nearby? If yes, I would lose a day's practice and have it looked after sooner rather than later.
You're lucky if that's the only damage after a fall on the bridge!
It's an easy repair that could be done in 24 hours. Do you have a luthier nearby? If yes, I would lose a day's practice and have it looked after sooner rather than later.
You're lucky if that's the only damage after a fall on the bridge!
It's fairly easy to repair, some watered down Titebond or Elmer's and a nice strap to fit around the lower bout but the problem is you're going to have to keep pressure on the top, otherwise you're going to be readjusting post position.
Repair options will differ if it's a solid top or a laminated top, a lot of times with solar tops they pull the top off and go in and glue patches as well as hitting the from the top with glue seeping into the crack or sometimes they even spread the crack it to get the glue down in there.
With laminate the process differs.
This is why I ask; is it a laminate top or is it a solid top?
Repair options will differ if it's a solid top or a laminated top, a lot of times with solar tops they pull the top off and go in and glue patches as well as hitting the from the top with glue seeping into the crack or sometimes they even spread the crack it to get the glue down in there.
With laminate the process differs.
This is why I ask; is it a laminate top or is it a solid top?
This is absolutely terrible advice. For the sake of your bass kindly disregard the above.
It wasn't advice it was observations of different types of procedures to repair that crack. The op was asking if he should/could continue to play on the instrument. Advice how the repair is performed underscores the the need to minimize and isolate the split or crack . I maintain that until it is understood whether it is a solid top or a laminated top the approach to repairs are going to differ.
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Using only hide glue (preferably home made) is the only type of glue that should be used. It is a miracle of strength and ease of "undoing". Worth learning how to use as sh*t happens. Not hard to learn, and not requiring much expense... for me, babybottle warmer, thermometer, smallish brush. And a few clamps.
I's always a shock to damage a new instrument. Luckily it could have been much worse. If I had an alternative bass I'd use that.
However, if it's ply or carved makes a difference to it's safety in carrying on playing it. Ply is generally more sturdy.
I cannot tell if it is E side or G. If it's the E side the bass bar may have saved it. If the bass bar has become detached the action will be lower and the tuning drop significantly. That needs an early repair. Detune the E & A a little.
If not I would check bridge position, carefully retune, and try it until it's repaired.
If the G side is damaged, the sound post is rather close, and the footing is more fragile. I probably wouldn't use it.
I have played basses with worse injuries for periods simply because I had no choice. Sympathies to the OP.
However, if it's ply or carved makes a difference to it's safety in carrying on playing it. Ply is generally more sturdy.
I cannot tell if it is E side or G. If it's the E side the bass bar may have saved it. If the bass bar has become detached the action will be lower and the tuning drop significantly. That needs an early repair. Detune the E & A a little.
If not I would check bridge position, carefully retune, and try it until it's repaired.
If the G side is damaged, the sound post is rather close, and the footing is more fragile. I probably wouldn't use it.
I have played basses with worse injuries for periods simply because I had no choice. Sympathies to the OP.
Since we have only the one pic for reference, it looks like the crack runs from the top eye of the G-side f-hole back toward the bridge, which is more ominous than if it went the other way. I had a similar crack open as I was transporting my Lidl hybrid home, only it went from the top of the eye up toward the neck.
I was lucky. Since it was a solid top I was able to lift the wood on one side of the crack open and wick some hide glue, which, once the two sides were flush (again) spread glue onto both sides of the top wood. Worked perfect. The two sides of the crack are flush and the crack has not reopened. I did not have to resort to cleats or even clamps. Both sides mated perfectly.
I was lucky. Since it was a solid top I was able to lift the wood on one side of the crack open and wick some hide glue, which, once the two sides were flush (again) spread glue onto both sides of the top wood. Worked perfect. The two sides of the crack are flush and the crack has not reopened. I did not have to resort to cleats or even clamps. Both sides mated perfectly.
I'm not a luthier, but this sounds like bad advice to me. Using anything other than hide glue on a bass top is not something that any luthier that I know would recommend unless you're talking about a bass that's already very badly damaged and is of little value. Then maybe...
There might be other damage that you are not yet seeing, so if I were you I would take it asap to someone to check and repair. I just took my cello in for a similar crack, and my luthier found two separations of the bottom bouts in addition. Those areas are meant to separate upon stress, thus the hide glue. But not an f-hole crack, resulting from known trauma. I'd get it looked at.
Luthiers that repair acoustic guitars, mandolins, broken headstocks etc. have been using titebond or elmers for quite a while. I don't know about violins since the material is thinner. The only spruce top cracks I've seen repaired have been when they've removed the top and patches have been applied to the inside but the crack has also been spread opened a bit and laden with adhesive comprised of watered down white glue then braced until dry. Epoxy would be a radical departure. A hot knife will separate whiteglue like fish, horse, or hoof adhesives. It could be a resonance issue and that's why fine instruments use high glue or hoof glue or fish glue, but to be frank I understand that there has been a shift over the last couple of decades away from that. The last time I used fish glue was repairing leather air sacs on player pianos back in the 80s.
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I was a little unsure of that at first too, had to visually compare it to my own DB. Based on the position of the F-hole, it's on the G side, with the crack running from the low edge of the "apostrophe" down almost to the treble foot of the bridge...
With the sound post right below that bridge foot, it's pretty scary to keep it under tension; plus it's hard to know what else has been shaken loose. Time to slack it and get it into the hands of a luthier, or at least that's what I'd be doing.
Titebond and Elmer's glue on your fancy carved bass is perfect.
You'll never have to take it to a double bass luthier again....because nobody will want to touch it.
You'll never have to take it to a double bass luthier again....because nobody will want to touch it.
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I think you ought to make up a mixture of Gorilla urethane glue, Titebond yellow glue, and Loctite cyanoacrylate, prepare the surface with a mixture of spray silicone lubricant and olive oil, then slather the glue mix on while flexing the top manually back and forth to help the glue mix wick in.
What could possibly go wrong?
(OP, please DO NOT DO THIS. It's a JOKE!!!)
What could possibly go wrong?
(OP, please DO NOT DO THIS. It's a JOKE!!!)
Just spatula-ing some Shoe-Goo into the crack would be a lot simpler and probably would work just as well.
