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Double Bass Small Crack Questions

A

AaBass

Jul 23, 2009
9
0
#1
Hey everyone. So I took my Bass out of its case at a rehearsal last week and I noticed this tiny crack thats starting to develop along the bottom edge (sorry I'm not sure what the correct term for that area is). I took some pictures:

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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Anyways, this is a brand new bass so i'm quite freaked out about this. I'm not sure what to blame for it because I never dropped it or anything so I don't think it was caused by an accident. Could it be due to humidity?

My main questions are:

A. Will continuing to play it make the crack get bigger?

B. Should/Can I take it to a luthier or other instrument repair shop and get it fixed?

C. How much would this cost?



Thanks guys.
Any comments, advice or stories of similar situations would be GREATLY appreciated.
 
#2
A. Will continuing to play it make the crack get bigger? It might.

B. Should/Can I take it to a luthier or other instrument repair shop and get it fixed? Yes, take it to a bass luthier.

C. How much would this cost? It is probably a simple glue and clamp job and won't be that expensive.

That's the lower bout rib area. It could have been caused by dryness if it wasn't knocked by something (you might see an indentation, too, if it was hit). Being a new bass, it may just be adjusting to being a bass! But if you start getting many of these and you are keeping the instrument in humidified rooms (as you should), somewhere between 35-45%, you may have a more serious problem with "green wood". Are you sure it's a crack and not a scratch?
 
#3
Thanks for the information. I'm planning to contact the company I bought it from as soon as possible and see if they can repair it. I am completely sure that its a crack, even though the picture looks a bit like a scratch. Also, since it first appeared it seems to have gotten slightly longer so I don't think I will play it again until I get it sent in. I guess at this point i'd like to know what I can do to keep it humidified. I'm going to college right now and I keep it in a locker in the music building at night. Should I purchase a humidifier? Any ideas?
 
#6
Hey Aa, take that bass to David Nerad pronto! He'll glue that crack before it gets any bigger and he'll cleat it if necessary.

Not strictly a DB guy but an excellent craftsman who builds award winning violas and repairs all strings.

You'll find him in the B'ham phone book. :)
 

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