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Pedulla Repair Question

J

JDz

Sep 17, 2011
7
0
#1
I have a Pedulla Thunderbass I bought around 1994. Within the first year that I had it I dropped it and it landed/hit basically at the end of the body right around where the cutout for the electronics are. This impact cracked the bass and over time while I was playing multiple hairline cracks formed across the face of the bass. I stopped playing after a couple of years and now 14 or so years later I am dying to play again and broke the bass out from the closet only to get heartbroken again looking at it. One thing though the cracks have not gotten any worse over time so I have a coulple of questions.

1. This is a neck through bass I don't know if these are cracks in the finish/ paint or if the cracks are all the way through. I had a local guy last week look at it and said he would just keep playing it since the crack have not got worse over time with the stress of the strings etc on it.

Can you fix this type of damage to a neck through bass? Even if the cracks are in the wood? What are my options here?

Thanks.

BTW it is a Pedulla 5 string I think ET Thunderbass in blue-green sunburst....:( (with cracks all over the face of it)
 
#2
It's hard to say if the cracks go through the wood with out seeing it. Any pics? One way to tell for is if the cracks wander in different directions like a crack in a windshield it is just finish cracks. If the cracks go for top to bottom (with the grain of the wood) the wood is most likely cracked. Tedward
 
#5
Hard to say without seeing it. I played with a guitar player who had a Strat that cracked across the lower 1/3 of the body. Played it that way for a year. It looked like it was going to fall off but did not.
You could always send it to Pedulla but that will be a $$ repair.
 
#7
Here are a couple of pics I resized. You can tell I have not played in a while I have rust on the pickkup bolts.
 

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#10
Even with the pics it's hard to say. IMHO I would say that they are finish cracks. If it was mine I would remove the bridge and electronic and apply the runny super glue to the cracks. It will seek the cracks in the wood if there are any and fill the cracks in the finish. A little scraping, fine sanding to 1500 grit and some polish. Crack be gone. Replace the bridge and electronics and your up and running. I don't know what level your repair skills are or your confidence in doing this kind of repair. Any boy else have other ideas? Tedward
 
#13
Thanks for the replies. If it is just finish cracks or even if it isn't could I get this bass back to mint condition? I don't have any repair skills, for that matter I just picked the bass back up after many years. I just always thought it was ruined and there was no hope for it.
 
#14
JDz said:
Thanks for the replies. If it is just finish cracks or even if it isn't could I get this bass back to mint condition? I don't have any repair skills, for that matter I just picked the bass back up after many years. I just always thought it was ruined and there was no hope for it.
Click to expand...

Mint condition? No. You may be able to stabilize the cracks, though. Curly maple is hard and brittle, so the cracks you have are in the wood. That kind of finish wouldn't generally crack that way because of impact because poly is fairly flexible. Take it to a good repair shop and get an opinion based on actually seeing it instead of using photos- that's the only way you'll know for sure. If a strand of wire can be inserted deeper than the finish thickness, you'll know the cracks are in the wood.
 
#15
^1958Bassman, can you explain how you reached those conclusions? (1. not able to be returned to mint, 2. necessity of "stabilizing cracks", 3. cracks being positively asserted to be in the wood because it's curly maple, 4. type of finish not cracking a certain way due to being "flexible" "poly"). Just curious as they don't match my own experience with this type of repair...
 
#16
Send to it to the man himself. Thats right ..... Michael pedulla. I think he has listed on his site he only charges a small fee for looking over a bass & giving an assessment & if it is just finish cracks you could just pay mr pedulla to refinishing, it might be on the pricy side but what do you expect? The guy is a pro at painting basses & your instrument will be like new & look like a piece of glass again. No one on earth would know better about what's going on with this instrument than him so if you are really stressing just contact the best!
 
#17
I'd have to second Joshua's thoughts. The folks at Pedulla (All two of them!) are super helpful with any questions. If you sent off a picture they could probably at least give you an idea of what is occuring.
I know with my bass, even though I've never dropped it, the finish in some spots is actually cracking like a spiderwebbed windshield. So, in my non-expert opinion, it looks like you have a heck of a surface finish crack. If it is in the wood, at least the bridge is screwed down to the uncracked wood!

Good luck. I know I'd be devastated if my MVP hit the floor. EEk! :crying:
 
#18
Samophlange said:
I'd have to second Joshua's thoughts. The folks at Pedulla (All two of them!) are super helpful with any questions. If you sent off a picture they could probably at least give you an idea of what is occuring.
I know with my bass, even though I've never dropped it, the finish in some spots is actually cracking like a spiderwebbed windshield. So, in my non-expert opinion, it looks like you have a heck of a surface finish crack. If it is in the wood, at least the bridge is screwed down to the uncracked wood!

Good luck. I know I'd be devastated if my MVP hit the floor. EEk! :crying:
Click to expand...

How old is your pedulla? Can I see a pic of the spots you were talking about?
 

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