Double Bass scratch repair?

[Mr.Phil]

Hi,

My new Shen Willow 7/8 just recieved a 1 inch scratch along the side bout all the way to the wood. Any quick fix ideas?
thanks!
-Phil

 

[toman]

If its a dark varnish and the mark isn't too big, hit it with a black Sharpie. That's what I do...

 

[bassplayer57]

Wouldn't brown look better??

 

[drurb]

If its a dark varnish and the mark isn't too big, hit it with a black Sharpie. That's what I do...

The Sharpie is a good idea--BUT it can look bad if you hit it directly. I bleed the a brown Sharpie into a cloth like an old T-shirt and then wipe it on the scratch. It gives much better control.

 

[reedo35]

Home Depot sells touch up markers made for furniture scratches. They come in all different colors, and you should be able to get a closer match than using a sharpie.

 

[Eli_Upright12]

Would any of these fixes negatively effect anything like, resale value, or if your luthier need to do a re finish of an area? and would the sharpie bleed through the wood?

Personally I think while one large scratch by itself looks nasty letting scratches show on your bass is part of the maturing process , and lets it become a beautiful antique bass over time.

 

[Paul Warburton]

Unless you have a very light color bass....Old English Scratch Cover at your grocery store.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Most "violin varnish" is shellac-based (with denatured alcohol or Bekhol as the solvent). If you're going to use a touch-up marker, you might want to consider applying a few coats of shellac to the damaged area first; the shellac seals and protects the raw wood, and with a barrier layer of shellac in place, if you aren't satisfied with the look imparted by a marker, you have a better chance of wiping it away and trying something else.

When I use "tinted" shellac to make cosmetic repairs, I usually seal any raw wood with super-blonde dewaxed shellac (like Zinsser SealCoat) first because it provides a degree of reversibility; by "tinted" I mean either various shades of naturally colored shellac (e.g., button, garnet, orange...), or shellac to which I've added Transtint aniline dye.

Hope this helps

 

[bassplayer57]

Unless you have a very light color bass....Old English Scratch Cover at your grocery store.

I have some of that at my house, and was thinking of using it on my bass!! It's good to know that it works!!