Double Bass Just bought 2 basses and need repair advice

[StevieDee]

Just bought two double basses and a cello for next to nothing at a local market the guy wanted rid of them

Selmer 1/2: Czech made everything intact but has a crack on the top.
Boosey And Hawkes 3/4 : has a foreign sticker in it violin bloke I know, reckons it's Czech, cracked as well and needs everything tuning pegs etc
Musima Cello: East German in great nick beginners instrument needs all the bits.

Anybody got an idea how much it would cost to fix a crack in the body of a bass they are both solid body basses, in all honestly they were so cheap it would have to be really pricey for it not to be worthwhile..

The Selmer is really lovely actually looks hand made.

What a day!

 

[jallenbass]

Where are you?

 

[StevieDee]

In Scotland John Glasgow to be exact.

 

[Brennan]

Lucky Dog! Now you have one arco and one pizz bass. To tell you the truth, i would repair all three and trade up for a better instrument. Congratulations.

 

[StevieDee]

Cheers man!

 

[eh_train]

Stevie,

Excellent deal! I wish there was a similar market in Toronto.

Before someone else says it, you will have to take these to a luthier. There must be several in Glasgow, and probably some opinions on Talkbass as to who is best (search 'Glasgow' in the repair thread). Some repairs may be obvious, some might not.

Also, setup costs need to be considered. For the larger bass this includes new fittings (bridge, strings, tuners, tailpiece, maybe a sound post) and the time to make the parts work properly... Cost of parts and the substantial setup - aside from repairs - is likely to be $700 and up.

Good luck!

Paul

 

[StevieDee]

Thanks Paul in the process of searching for luthiers. Buying the fittings a looks quite pricey, I'll see if I can keep the cost down bide my time and look for bargains.

Tho I don't see how I can save on the setup but pretty happy really.