Double Bass Warning: Gruesome Photos Ahead!

[Carl Hillman]

Pulled the bass out of its case for a gig a week ago and found that an old repair had given way.

This repair held for over 20 years, and fixing it the same way as before (hide glue and a single lag screw going into the heel) might last another 20, but I've decided to get the permanent fix of a neck graft.

Aidan at KC Strings is going to do it. It will take approximately 6 weeks, and I'm sure I'll be jonesing during that time, but when I get it back, the bass is going to be better than when I bought it.

 

[rolandm]

Holy stink on a shingle! It's in good hands. But holy moly does that absolutely suck!

 

[Carl Hillman]

Holy stink on a shingle! It's in good hands. But holy moly does that absolutely suck!

Yeah, when I first saw it, it felt like kidney punch.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Ouch. Can you get your mitts on something to play in the meantime?

 

[Carl Hillman]

Ouch. Can you get your mitts on something to play in the meantime?

They're going to be kind enough to give me a loaner.

My old Englehardt has its own problems and is unplayable. (warped fingerboard)

 

[james condino]

Bummer, but don't stress too much about it. There are two types of bass players: people with bass necks like that and people who are going to have bass necks like that soon enough. A modern neck on an old bass body is my favorite combination!

J.
Condino.com
Kaybassrepair.com

 

[turf3]

Did it break at the old break location, i.e., glue failure, or at a new location, i.e., wood failure?

 

[Carl Hillman]

Did it break at the old break location, i.e., glue failure, or at a new location, i.e., wood failure?

The glue cracked. No new wood damage.

It could, potentially, be reglued and last for years, but the idea of this same failure happening in the pit in the middle of a show curls my hair.

Besides, I think it would be good karma to leave it in better condition than I found it...for the next owner.

 

[james condino]

?......the idea of this same failure happening in the pit in the middle of a show curls my hair....

About a dozen years ago, I had an old Framus bass with a loose neck joint. I took the strimgs off and had it on the workbench getting ready for a neck reset. Friends called up and said their bass player broke his arm snowboarding and could I fill in- in 25 minutes. The place was two blocks from my house, so I scrambled, strung it up, and walked to the gig. Everything was going great and we were playing great; we were packed soooooo tight into a tiny space with a full house standing room only at the first pub coming back into town on a huge powder day at Mount Bachelor in Bend, Oregon....and then the neck completely flew off the body of my bass in the middle of the second set while it was plugged in...bridge and strings and neck chunks all flying into the audience.... They all thought it was just part of the schtick and kept raging while the rest pf the band picked up the slack and finished the tune like we were a punk band....definitely one of my more memorable gigs!

 

[Carl Hillman]

The patient on the operating table...clamped to measure projection.

 

[Carl Hillman]

My bass is back in action and playing and sounding great.

Many thanks to Aidan and Alex at KC Strings. They made the whole process of the repair actually enjoyable. This was hands down some of the best customer service I've ever experienced.

The new neck and fingerboard are smooth as silk.

 

[james condino]

Great to see someone do a nice job on that old bass rather than another duct tape and drywall screw story!