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Double Bass Estimated repair cost

B

Burg

Nov 29, 2001
178
0
43
U.K.
#1
Hi all,

How much do you reckon it would cost to repair this? Rough estimate. I'm based in the UK. No other pics available sorry. The bass is a Stentor Coservatoire.

Thanks,

Burg

$_86.jpg
 
#3
Thanks drurb, that's all I needed to know. I had seen the other post you linked to but got confused as to which side of the bass the crack was on that instrument. These carved basses seem very fragile, plywood for the win?
 
#4
With all due respect, the Stentor Conservatoire doesn't really typify a carved DB. Sure, the top and back are reported to be of "solid" wood, but hand-carved and graduated with proper thicknesses? I think not, based on what I've been able to gather. A good carved bass can be expected to be more fragile than a good ply bass. How did your damage occur?
 
#5
Those cheap Chinese basses tend to be made with green wood, wood that hasn't been seasoned long enough to be stable.
As wood dries and cures, it shrinks across the grain, not along the grain. Thus the ribs shorten a little as they dry out; but the sound post isn't getting any shorter, so the sound post puts a lot of tension on the top and you end up with a sound post crack.
 
#6
Jake deVilliers said:
Those cheap Chinese basses tend to be made with green wood, wood that hasn't been seasoned long enough to be stable.
As wood dries and cures, it shrinks across the grain, not along the grain. Thus the ribs shorten a little as they dry out; but the sound post isn't getting any shorter, so the sound post puts a lot of tension on the top and you end up with a sound post crack.
Click to expand...
Indeed, thanks for mentioning again the "green wood" issue to which you and other luthiers here have alerted us on several occasions. I was trying to find out if the damage suffered just happened or was the result of some trauma. Either way, paying for a professional repair seems unwise.
 
#8
Burg said:
It's not actually my bass, I noticed it for sale online for a very cheap price and was wondering if it was a potential bargain. Apparently it isn't. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
What was the asking price? At $25, it would be a good deal. :)
 
#13
Hi.

Burg said:
£295
Click to expand...

That's somewhat reasonable IMO, even if the top is pressed, but not cheap by any means.

A crack like that reduces the BSO's value to the value of the remaining bits and pieces = not very much.
My semi-educated estimate from a bit different market location (less MI crap floating around) would be around half of that.
Assuming of course a semi-decent bridge, tuners and FB, as well as something better than 20€ strings.

It's not like You can use the parts for orchestral instrument repair, only to make another BSO ;).


With quite a bit of work the damage can be repaired, anything can, but the people who would be able to to pull that off feasibly, wouldn't have to ask how.

If You want a platform to study DB repair and (bad) construction, haggle quite a bit or look for a more suitable (cheaper/easier) one.
If You want a new BSO, look for the ones Thomann sells.

Regards
Sam
 
#16
For a figure somewhere between £0 and £295, that would be an okay project for a beginning luthier. I've learned a lot from doing comparable repairs, and I hate to see things wasted.

But definitely not a good proposition for a professional, cost/benefit wise.
 

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