Double Bass Repair Cost Estimation

[Theomcg]

I have a school bass that is in dire need of repair and I need an estimated repair cost to know if the cost is within the school’s price range without getting the bass looked over at a shop.

Ideally the tailpiece and bridge would be replaced, the cracked endpin tightening mechanism would be fixed, new strings the music teacher bought would be put on, the extremely stubborn tuning pegs would be fixed, the soundpost readjusted, the bass bar possibly replaced and maybe new varnish.

The bass is a fully-carved 1/2 1957 Ernst Heinrich Roth

 

[Keith Rawlings]

You’re in the Pacific Northwest, so your luthier costs may be more. I would say you’d be out at least $2K if the bass bar needs to be replaced.

 

[Theomcg]

You’re in the Pacific Northwest, so your luthier costs may be more. I would say you’d be out at least $2K if the bass bar needs to be replaced.

Most likely it’s the original bass bar which should be fine since it’s an excellent quality bass

 

[Keith Rawlings]

Most likely it’s the original bass bar which should be fine since it’s an excellent quality bass

Yes. It appears to not have a lot of repairs on the top or back from the inside pics you posted; so it’s pretty solid. Roth basses are nice instruments. It’s definitely worth the repair costs IMO.

 

[David Potts]

Every thing can be fixed from the outside, mostly not expensive. Are you sure the bass bar needs replacing? Does the bass have a death rattle? Your photos of the inside do not show each end of the bass bar.

The bass has a solid wood front but the back and ribs look as though they are plywood, ie the bass is a hybrid, not as expensive as a solid wood. The neck appears to have been torn out of its block and the horrible bent nail is a very poor fix. The varnish is in a very poor state, especially on the lower ribs, and the front colour differs from the ribs. The original varnish colour is probably best seen around the scroll, peg box and top of the neck. Overall it looks like the bass has been re varnished at least in part with something dark and thick. I am no expert but I doubt that Roth would have used this dark colour varnish, or even as thickly as shown failing at the base of the neck. I think that the cost of revarnishing might be the most expensive.

What do others think?

 

[BobKay]

Why the reluctance to have a luthier look at it now? If you decide to have the repairs done you are going to have to find one anyway, unless you are going to do the work yourself. If that is the case, you should already know the cost.

 

[eh_train]

The external repairs would seem to be a new bridge, endpin, and strings. Even with good quality parts it should be under $1000. The top photos don't seem to show any sinkage on the bass bar side, so hopefully all's well internally.

I wish all school music programs had vintage EH Roth basses!

 

[Theomcg]

Every thing can be fixed from the outside, mostly not expensive. Are you sure the bass bar needs replacing? Does the bass have a death rattle? Your photos of the inside do not show each end of the bass bar.

The bass has a solid wood front but the back and ribs look as though they are plywood, ie the bass is a hybrid, not as expensive as a solid wood. The neck appears to have been torn out of its block and the horrible bent nail is a very poor fix. The varnish is in a very poor state, especially on the lower ribs, and the front colour differs from the ribs. The original varnish colour is probably best seen around the scroll, peg box and top of the neck. Overall it looks like the bass has been re varnished at least in part with something dark and thick. I am no expert but I doubt that Roth would have used this dark colour varnish, or even as thickly as shown failing at the base of the neck. I think that the cost of revarnishing might be the most expensive.

What do others think?

No death rattle, but I assume that at the least the bridge & tailpiece would have to be replaced with new strings put on and the sound post readjusted. I’ll take some more pictures and post them today.

 

[David Potts]

The tail piece may be quite OK if it is not split especially if it is ebony although it looks like lacquered pine. The tail wire could be replaced by steel cable and swages or the newer filament string that is knotted. The bridge does not fit well. If fitted properly and with height adjusters this would be probably cheaper than carving a new bridge. The sound post may need adjustment after this. The splits in the front can be fixed from the outside. As a personal project you could strip and revarnish the bass yourself for little cost but to have a luthier do it might cost more than the bass is worth. Can you live with the way the varnish looks now? I could not. Strings you can fit yourself. Does the end pin still tighten? If so you might leave this alone but cost of replacement might be not so high

I see the suspect base of the neck, the bass bar if it is indeed loose, and sorting out the varnish as being the costliest. IMO you should have the bass looked over and quoted on by two repairers before deciding on its future. You should at least do some research to see what new basses are available of the same construction and cost them to measure the quotes against when deciding.

 

[RSBBass]

The bridge looks pretty warped to me. Otherwise I think David Potts has the mnimum needed described above.

 

[David Potts]

I missed the bent bridge, RSBBass!! It could be steamed/boiled and clamped to flatten it?

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

That bassbar crack doesn’t look too long and it may be glued and a large cleat fitted either through the f hole or by opening up the lower bouts. Might hold for many years like that. I wouldn’t waste my time straightening and adding adjusters to the bridge. It’s a door stop. Impossible to give an accurate estimate without seeing it, but it’s a 1/2 size bass so I wouldn’t put much into it unless financial concerns are secondary. A 3/4 is a no brainer.

 

[Theomcg]

 

[Theomcg]

I’ll try to convince the music teacher to spend a few hundred on at least getting the bass healthy with a new bridge and sound post adjustment, thanks for the advice

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Definitely a hybrid worth maybe $2500 in playable shape. That bridge is shot, so maybe $300 in your area to replace it plus another $150 installed for a new endpin and collar. You already have new strings, and the gears can be lubricated with $1 worth of #10 machine oil when you replace the strings.

 

[David Potts]

School basses !!! I agree with KUNGfuSHERIF.