Ron Plichta said:If it's a Fender.
Nah, road worn fenders are fake road worn, DB road worn is cool
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Double Bass Chipped edges - should I be concerned?
- Thread starter Ron Plichta
- Start date
Nah, road worn fenders are fake road worn, DB road worn is cool
If this was my bass I would do the following:
a) order retouching varnish (Invalid Link Removed)
b) order glue that is disolvable
c) for the bigger chip on the second pic cut a small repair piece by myself
d) glue that piece in
e) use the retouching varnish for the edges
done.
Costs: below $50 is you are capable to this kind of woodwork
f) Enjoy that the bass is looking "roadish" - I like old and used thinks that tell stories with its "not-perfect-not-new" appearance
I would never ever pay $400, $800, $1500 for just cosmetic repairs of the edges unless I just not needed to care. So if you are Rockefeller, Gates, Murdoc,.....
a) order retouching varnish (Invalid Link Removed)
b) order glue that is disolvable
c) for the bigger chip on the second pic cut a small repair piece by myself
d) glue that piece in
e) use the retouching varnish for the edges
done.
Costs: below $50 is you are capable to this kind of woodwork
f) Enjoy that the bass is looking "roadish" - I like old and used thinks that tell stories with its "not-perfect-not-new" appearance
I would never ever pay $400, $800, $1500 for just cosmetic repairs of the edges unless I just not needed to care. So if you are Rockefeller, Gates, Murdoc,.....
this sounds like a perfect answer, has anyone done this? any pics of the self repair?
I've been evaluating the input for the past week and right now I'm deciding to take a "wait and see" approach. The bass is still fully functional and so I'll do what I need to do to keep it maintained for now. I'll see where I am in a few years as far as playing and then make any big decisions.
Another small factor coming into play is a family vacation in two years that will take us through Boston to Montreal. That will give me a chance to evaluate an Upton bass, as well as whatever I may play locally. If nothing impresses me enough to want to change basses, then I'll consider a restoration of my current one. If something else "wows" me, then the money I'll save by not restoring this bass will go to something else. And two more years will give me more cash.
Of course, the possibility exists that the jazz bug will bite me between now and then and I'll want separate basses for jazz and classical. Then this will become the jazz bass.
Another small factor coming into play is a family vacation in two years that will take us through Boston to Montreal. That will give me a chance to evaluate an Upton bass, as well as whatever I may play locally. If nothing impresses me enough to want to change basses, then I'll consider a restoration of my current one. If something else "wows" me, then the money I'll save by not restoring this bass will go to something else. And two more years will give me more cash.
Of course, the possibility exists that the jazz bug will bite me between now and then and I'll want separate basses for jazz and classical. Then this will become the jazz bass.
Yeah, instead of worrying about cosmetic stuff like that, I would put the money towards getting your instrument set up really well. I paid a great luthier about 300 for a finger board planing and a bit of bridge foot fitting that made my bass sound and play much better than one would think from 300 bucks.
From my perspective (as the owner of a battle-scarred bass). That's not a significant amount of chipping, particularly since you know it's not effecting the sound. Your primary concern should be keeping the status quo, and not letting the chipping increase. I'd recommend spending $18 on one of these:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f178/bass-matt-909290/
..and continue to play the heck out of it.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f178/bass-matt-909290/
..and continue to play the heck out of it.
I took the bass to Tom Wolf today for another issue and he examined the edges. He suggested filling them in and touching them up, which sounded reasonable to me. His estimate for the edge work and a fingerboard dressing - $600! I was so pleasantly surprised that I asked him to order a set of Rubner hatpegs to replace the ones that some previous owner "modified". 
He looked inside the bass while it was on his bench and it appears that someone took care of all the cracks in the past. That's a big relief on my part. The neck was reglued at one point and Tom pronounced it stable. He mentioned that there was a slight warp in the bridge, but not enough to warrant replacement at this time.
So all said and done, I feel like I'm getting off easy on the work being done.
He looked inside the bass while it was on his bench and it appears that someone took care of all the cracks in the past. That's a big relief on my part. The neck was reglued at one point and Tom pronounced it stable. He mentioned that there was a slight warp in the bridge, but not enough to warrant replacement at this time.
So all said and done, I feel like I'm getting off easy on the work being done.
Heifetzbass
Commercial User
- Feb 6, 2004
- 774
- 118
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- Owner, Gencarelli Bass Works and Fine String Instruments, LLC.
Played a Jazz Brunch Sunday w/a quartet, & a cymbal stand fell on my bass, bending the E tuning
peg( fixed that) & took a 1/4" chip out of the upper bout side on my AS Bass-didn't make a hole.
Accident- the drummer apologized profusely & the leader even offered to have me bring the bass to another bassist/ luthier. Both are friends....
There are several chips & rough edges around the thin top.
Very upsetting getting this bigger chip- just got the bass sounding good again!
Years ago,a luthier made bumpers buy glueing a narrow strip of leather, also attaching what seems to be the furry strip of double-sided tape to protect the edges in a couple of spots.
Recall a bass guitar repairmen using a drop of clear nail polish on a Ken Smith Teak Top bass I one owned to seal a chip, and have used hide glue on my 7/8 bass to seal a chip.
Would like to try to fill this and maybe some other chips.
What would be the best filler?
Plan on sealing the chips w/ hide glue. Should that be it? Bandaid!?!
Bringing the bass to a repairman is the last resort-pretty involved.
peg( fixed that) & took a 1/4" chip out of the upper bout side on my AS Bass-didn't make a hole.
Accident- the drummer apologized profusely & the leader even offered to have me bring the bass to another bassist/ luthier. Both are friends....
There are several chips & rough edges around the thin top.
Very upsetting getting this bigger chip- just got the bass sounding good again!
Years ago,a luthier made bumpers buy glueing a narrow strip of leather, also attaching what seems to be the furry strip of double-sided tape to protect the edges in a couple of spots.
Recall a bass guitar repairmen using a drop of clear nail polish on a Ken Smith Teak Top bass I one owned to seal a chip, and have used hide glue on my 7/8 bass to seal a chip.
Would like to try to fill this and maybe some other chips.
What would be the best filler?
Plan on sealing the chips w/ hide glue. Should that be it? Bandaid!?!
Bringing the bass to a repairman is the last resort-pretty involved.
I'm sure of that after meeting with him yesterday. He told me which things needed immediate attention (fingerboard work) and which things could wait (bridge work, edges). His estimate was very reasonable and it looks like I'll have the bass back in about two-three weeks.
Don't some luthiers use a bead of glassy polyurethane "edge varnish" to protect worn edges without surgery?
Got my bass back from Tom Wolf and I am pleased with the work. Tom filled in both edges enough to protect the wood, yet maintain the older character of the bass. Compare these photos to the ones in my first post:
The left bout:
The right bout (this one had the bigger chip missing):
And since it was in the shop, I had Tom install a new set of ebony Rubner hatpegs to replace the maple ones that some previous owner hacked the knobs off:
Here's an overall pic of the bass:
I had Tom install a set of Evah Pirazzi strings in hopes of warming it up a bit (it had Belcantos on it before). I'm pleased with the initial sound of the EP's and will see how they work with a bit of time. Tom let another customer play it to demonstrate the EP strings and the customer asked if the bass was for sale!
Tom appraised it at $6200, so I feel good about getting work done, given my initial purchase price.
The left bout:
The right bout (this one had the bigger chip missing):
And since it was in the shop, I had Tom install a new set of ebony Rubner hatpegs to replace the maple ones that some previous owner hacked the knobs off:
Here's an overall pic of the bass:
I had Tom install a set of Evah Pirazzi strings in hopes of warming it up a bit (it had Belcantos on it before). I'm pleased with the initial sound of the EP's and will see how they work with a bit of time. Tom let another customer play it to demonstrate the EP strings and the customer asked if the bass was for sale!
Tom appraised it at $6200, so I feel good about getting work done, given my initial purchase price.
I honestly don't know what he used. I know he cut a piece of spruce for the largest chip on the right bout.
The only really negative thing Tom had to say about the bass was that someone had done a poor job of revarnishing it in the past. He suggested living with it since a revarnish would be about $1800-2000.
The only really negative thing Tom had to say about the bass was that someone had done a poor job of revarnishing it in the past. He suggested living with it since a revarnish would be about $1800-2000.
Most of the better repairers only use wood. It takes patience and time, but the results are far better than using an artificial filler.
