Hi-
I am a hobbyist electric bass guitar player and I wanted to try some bluegrass/old time upright bass so I found a used inexpensive Engelhardt EC-1 at a Music Go Round store.
The bridge was on backwards and the soundpost was above the G foot of the bridge. They repositioned the bridge, and when I got it home, I loosened up the strings and I used a coathanger to hook around the post and very carefully pulled it into a better position 3/4" below that G leg where I read on this site is a better "default" position for it.
While doing this, discovered 2 cracks in the seams. Both on the E side of the case in the "hollow" curved "waist" part between the top and bottom (sorry I don't know the name of that area!). I didn't hear a pop or anything as I adjusted the post and carefully retensioned the strings, although I supposed it's possible that I caused the splits. But I think it's more likely that I simply failed to see the open seams due to "1st bass fever"
So my question is, should I take what I have learned about hide glue and clamping from this site and give it a try? There do not seem to be any stress forces "holding" the seams open...my very amateur opinion is that a previous owner smacked or dropped the bass on its side and it "popped" the seam.
Any opinions welcome, photos attached. In the first one I have marked the edges of the separation with the white labels. The length is about 4". The second photo shows how you can see a slit of daylight from inside the bass. This seam is the one on the bottom. The one on the top (directly above it) is smaller. The bass sounds fine for what it is to my ignorant ear.
Thank you!
I am a hobbyist electric bass guitar player and I wanted to try some bluegrass/old time upright bass so I found a used inexpensive Engelhardt EC-1 at a Music Go Round store.
The bridge was on backwards and the soundpost was above the G foot of the bridge. They repositioned the bridge, and when I got it home, I loosened up the strings and I used a coathanger to hook around the post and very carefully pulled it into a better position 3/4" below that G leg where I read on this site is a better "default" position for it.
While doing this, discovered 2 cracks in the seams. Both on the E side of the case in the "hollow" curved "waist" part between the top and bottom (sorry I don't know the name of that area!). I didn't hear a pop or anything as I adjusted the post and carefully retensioned the strings, although I supposed it's possible that I caused the splits. But I think it's more likely that I simply failed to see the open seams due to "1st bass fever"
So my question is, should I take what I have learned about hide glue and clamping from this site and give it a try? There do not seem to be any stress forces "holding" the seams open...my very amateur opinion is that a previous owner smacked or dropped the bass on its side and it "popped" the seam.
Any opinions welcome, photos attached. In the first one I have marked the edges of the separation with the white labels. The length is about 4". The second photo shows how you can see a slit of daylight from inside the bass. This seam is the one on the bottom. The one on the top (directly above it) is smaller. The bass sounds fine for what it is to my ignorant ear.
Thank you!
