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Double Bass Fingerboard glue residue?

T

turf3

Sep 26, 2011
6,855
16,334
#1
Well, darn it, I just dropped my bass while getting it out of the bag, and it hit on its back, and the fingerboard popped off the neck. As far as I can tell there's no other damage, so I've (immediately) taken all the tension off the strings and tomorrow will start getting it into a shop. So no real worries there.

But - there just doesn't hardly seem to be any glue residue to speak of on the back of the board or the front of the neck. There's a little very shallow groove all the way down the center of the back of the board, and maybe there's a little glue residue visible there, and a little squeeze-out down where the neck ends and the board continues, but the rest of the back side of the fingerboard, and the front surface of the neck, seem really smooth.

Is this the normal way the joint would look, due to clamping and forcing glue out, or is it possible that not enough glue was used? It was a pretty hard drop, so I am not surprised something gave way, and I think I should be happy it's an easily reglued joint. Just wondering whether this was possibly a dry joint. Of course when I get it to the repair shop I'll ask the guy.
 
#3
Hide glue(gelatine) will soften and become sticky if you dampen it with warm water. Synthetic glues look more white and won't soften. They must be scraped off before reglueing whereas hide glue is washed off using a rag and hot water. It doesn't matter that the glue layer is thin so long as it is even and of the right consistency. The hide glue works best if the underside of the fingerboard is warmed over the luthier's flame before quickly applying hot glue to each surface and clamping. Excess glue will tend to be squeezed out because the warmth will keep the glue liquid for longer.

The best thing you did was to let down the string tension. OK, the post may drop. If the bridge and strings are still standing then wrap a cloth around the top of the tailpiece before lowering it. Strings like Thomastik have very sharp little metal ends sticking out of the "barrels" that are ends of strings under the tail piece and the cloth prevents scratches in the varnish.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, DP
 
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#4
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Sounds like a starved joint. Who made the bass and what kind of glue?
Click to expand...

It's a Romanian no-name flatback carved bass. I strongly suspect it's a Gliga. I can't say, of course, that the fingerboard joint is the original, for all I know the board may have been off in the past before I owned it.

Given the appearance of the little glue residue that's there, I believe it's hide glue and not yellow glue. I have seen plenty of yellow glue in my life, but not much hide.

Of course I am not worried if the soundpost drops since it will soon be in the repair shop.

Just glad that (as far as I can tell) there is no severe damage, just an unplanned disassembly.
 
#5
My main concern was that the belly might be scratched by Thomastik strings. The synthetic glue I worry about first appeared about 40 years ago, is white and must be removed somehow before hide glue can be successfully used for repairs. I don't know of a solvent so it has to be removed by planing, scraping or abrasion back to a lot of bare wood. Hide glue used properly is very strong, often stronger than the surfaces it bonds, yet can be removed with warm water. Synthetic, PVA and yellow aliphatic glues have good use in woodworking generally but not in musical instruments IMO.
 
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