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Double Bass Shen SB-200 after 4.5 years.

#25
But honey, it sounded really good...

Girls don't need to go to college...

It's cheaper than an affair...

None of these seem to have much potential


"Is that a new bass? It looks smaller."

"That's just because you've lost so much weight."
 
#27
Uncletoad said:
That's how it starts. Take one hit off that bass crack pipe and you're sunk.
Click to expand...


Man, I have been there. I played a sweet little 19th-century Mirecourt roundback at my luthier's a couple of months ago. Things that I'd been struggling for years to get clean on my hybrid Christopher just poured effortlessly out of that bass with a tone like chocolate mousse laced with hazelnut liqueur.

I knew I'd found my soul mate, and I'm not ashamed to admit I had a tear in my eye as I drove away! Started buying lottery tickets not long after...
 
#29
I hope your repair isn't too pricey. My SB-200 is 10 years old but only 8 of those years with me. It had a couple table cracks repaired when I got it and I've had one or two seams open but no problems.
The problem with mine is it's just too good. I'm interested in a New Standard Cleveland but can't justify it with the big Shen around. Kind of the same qualities between the two.
 
#30
I hope so too, but the top will have to come off, which means it will be expensive. The bass had only last year paid itself off--I'm a small time local gigger--and now it's back in the hole, workin' for the man every night and day, or at least a couple times a month.

Tom seemed to suggest it would not sound exactly the same after the repair. I'm crossing my fingers for "better." But we'll see. It looked to both of us, from the nature of the split, like there had been a lot of tension in the rib, which probably effected the sound.

I have no idea how long it will take. Tom said it depends on how hard it is to get the top off.

When it's done I'll see what I've got. And see if the Grunert is still there!
 
#31
Moment of truth tomorrow morning--it's done. Tom said it was the easiest top removal he'd ever done. That's good. I'll get the details on how he did up the hideous crack.

He offered me a great price on a set of Sloanes, since the stock tuners were rattling and a little chunky. So it's going to have a set of the Sloanes with the lighter aluminum shafts. It ought to sound different, with the crack repair and the lighter tuners. I'll report back.
 
#32
I have the same exact bass. 7/8 size, year 2004. And I have to agree with you that it's quite a sport to lug it around. And I also hear you on the cracks! I got one running from C-bout to C-bout. Repaired, but not pretty at all. But I consider it character. Right now it's in the shop getting a new bridge! (Yay!) The stock bridge action was waaaay too high even when I adjusted it all the way down. (I could fit all of my fingers under each string without stretching). I love the sound though. It's so full for a flat-back. It's probably the loudest/boldest bass I've spent time playing. One thing I hate about the willow is it's softness. The upper right hand side of my body looks like a cowboy belt tried to pull a homicide on the poor thing.

Anyway,
Good luck!
Steph
 
#34
It's been six months since I had the top off and the crack repaired. When it first came back it sounded way too bright. But over time it settled in nicely, and now I'm liking the tone a lot. It seems a bit richer, but that could be my imagination. It was definitely much brighter at first, but it mellowed very nicely. The action is higher than it was--I'm going too take it in for a bit of a lowering
 
#36
Seriously--fix them now. The crack in my Shen started small--I had bumped it while carrying it and a small crack appeared. I kept meaning to fix it and then one night...

Waiting probably added ten times to the repair cost
 
#37
yeah don't wait on repairing the cracks.

my shen had a small (maybe 3" long) crack in the lower bout when it arrived from shipping.
i had the luthier look at it when checking the setup and all he had to do was put a little hide glue in it, clamp it and let dry...
so simple and haven't had any problems with the bass since.
if i would've waited there's no telling how bad it could've gotten.
 
#38
Reviving an old thread. Since the top came off and the rib was repaired, about three years ago, it's been better and better. It's still too big for some of the crappy awkward little venues I play, but I've just grown really used to it, and the sound is getting I don't know, "richer". I've had the same EP weichs on it since the top came off and they sound great but may be near the end of their useful life.


Well last week it developed a big back seam separation at the treble side shoulder

Link Removed

But it's a nice clean break and it looks easy to fix. I ran it out to Tom Wolf and I'm expecting a call later today. He's going to check it for any other cracks or problems. Fingers crossed.

I've had this bass for eight years. It's a really good bass. It's not the best bass I ever played, or a great bass with a distinctive sound. But it's reliably even and easy to play.
 
#39
So this morning I'm out with my daughter doing errands, and wondering "gee, Tom hasn't called, I hope it's not serious."

I come home, unload the groceries, do some chores, make the post right above this, and then say to my wife "I wonder why the luthier hasn't called?" And she says "oh, he called earlier. The bass is done."

:confused:

I made it clear to her that "calls from the luthier" were" code red, top priority, urgent, ASAP, act now , etc etc. She seemed puzzled by this

Anyway it's all repaired, price is reasonable and I'm off to pick it up
 

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