Double Bass Luthiers Please, Repair under bridge

[dmeador11]

How would I repair the wood underneath the foot of the Bridge on my American Standard Bass?
It was refinished at some point before I bought it but it seems to be chipping from under the bridge.
There is no luthier around here for 60 Miles that I Can Find.
Myakka City, Florida

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[dmeador11]

 

[dmeador11]

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Plywood tops can become deformed around the soundpost and bridge foot area. If you have access to a small mirror and can look inside, I suspect you'll see it. When your bass was refinished, that area may have been filled with bondo or something similar.
The fix is usually a round plywood patch glued to the underside of the top in that area. If your repair involves removal or bondo or such, you will need a good finish touch up.

 

[dmeador11]

There is a 2 1/2" piece of thin plywood, over that area inside and a 1" square piece of darker wood and the soundpost is set on that. There is also that same small square piece of wood on the back wall of the bass under the soundpost.

What would you use to fill in under the bridge foot? I think this is causing the bridge to sit a little off on the E string side. The bridge looks as if it should be moved North about 1/2 " to line up correctly with the notches on the f holes?
Thanks

 

[dmeador11]

Bump
A little help anyone, , , Bueler, Bueler

 

[uprightben]

It looks like you are right about moving the bridge north to get it between the notches. That will get it off of the chipped area so you can touch it up if you want to. You may need a soundpost adjustment if you move the bridge. Can't really help you with how to go about touching that up, I have no idea what it is finished with, and I don't know what that white stuff under the finish is. Could be paint primer or filler, hard to say from a pic. I also could not say if it needs any repair, you would have to make that 60mi trip to figure that out.

 

[360guy]

Here's a guess: the bass top was painted white at some point over the original finish.

If you look carefully you'll see a slight impression where the bridge should go ( a full step closer to the fingerboard).

That white paint will clean up with some careful elbow grease.