Old double bass for almost free

Got this old flatback double bass in exchange for a few bottles of good french wine (St. Emilion). There are no signs of who build this, no name or brand anywhere. Tuners do make it look old, I'm guessing Czech/south German prewar.

Overview. It's a very matte looking bass, not much red in the front or sides, but there's some livelier reddish color apparent in the backpanel.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6501859129_89a7b64c49_z.jpg

Headstock with great old tuners:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6504790019_336f39c54f_z.jpg

It's in a rough shape. Nasty crack in the lowe bout, two cracks in the center of both shoulders:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6504784479_08597b1344_z.jpg

Backplate is lose on one half of the lower bout:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6504810449_a04a37bbf3_z.jpg

Front plate is lose on the other half of the lower bout...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6504788071_6a33f7b3c0_z.jpg

The strings run like 1 or 2 cms too much to the bass side over the fingerboard...

So that's the bad stuff. The good stuff is that as far as I can see, it has an all wood top that is not damaged or cracked; it sounds pretty ok, much better than the double bass I learned to play on in the 1990s; I even get a nice even note from it using my bow (that I kept all those years for an occasion like this).

So, lots of work to do, but I'm happy!

wow REALLY GREAT score!!!! Looks like with some tlc it could be a winner...I'd be grabbing for the epoxy and seafoam green paint and then the airbrush for some hot rod flames...LOL. You might check this seller out on EBAY for nylon strings, http://www.ebay.com/sch/lowstrungstringman/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686 , I've bought two sets from him and am really happy with the quality. You can specify the sizes and colors to boot. Way cool trade:mrgreen:

That is awesome.

Are you going to fix it up, because you should make a thread for it, if you do. Something that cool deserves it, and you don't see them much around here.

Very cool! I had a couple of old Kays years ago that I learned on, but the best one I had the privilege to play was an old Czech 4/4 size bass in the practice room at Ball State...thing was so loud it was off the chart! My Kays both had some serious wolf tones when played arco, and I didn't know anything about set-up back then, so they both played pretty hard, wish I had one to work on now.

Thanks for the nice comments!

Bender, I come from the classical bass school... played Beethoven and Dvorak concertoes with a university student's symphony orchestra in some past life... so I like it to be a dignified old bass :mrgreen:
What is the advantage of nylon strings? There seem to be metal wounds on now.

Jimmy, I do plan to fix it up. I have no idea how though... what kind of glue I should use, if I should take it apart completely or just ease all parts into place again, how I should glue op the cracks in the side, or if I should try to fit in new pieces of wood...
I am trying to find some info on it but cannot find much yet.

Dan, I agree with the loudness on this one, it's got a great booming bass (for what I know on bass sounds that is). I can imagine it gets better when the body is sound and closed again.

I never dreamed I once would own a double bass... so it's all good, doesn't matter the shape the thing is in... :wink:

I'm waiting for moments like this to happen to me.
Sometimes they do, so I'm getting ready :D

I can't wait to see pics of it being fixed. Nice score nd good luck

Immo, I just took a chance and said that I'd like to have it when the owner said she didn't do anything with it anymore... And that's basically it, dare to come forward when a chance like this comes on your path.

I'd like to see it fixed too! But I have got no room here to work on it, except in our unheated garage which doesn't seem a good place to keep a bass to me...

Nice!

Woof!

Some more pics...

This is how much the strings are off:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6506223001_fb2ecb78c6_z.jpg

Top, doesn't look like plywood. Not too sure about the sides:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6506209311_cc9175f5bc_z.jpg

f-hole:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6506199055_3bffde3875_z.jpg

The top has come off at one side of the lower bout. Side sticks out:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6506192465_fe4928c801_z.jpg

Towards the pin, the side has caved in under the top:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6506163759_d9f07bd5aa_z.jpg

And at the other side of the cave-in, the side sticks out with the back plate:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6506145699_5a401b30f7_z.jpg

Looks like a lot of torsion going on...

Pretty cool!

About twelve years ago, I got a gig playing bass for a dinner theater production of "A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline", and a co-worker offered me her upright bass to use for the show, free of charge. The only problem: she had kept it in her garage since graduating from college a few years earlier, and between the cold of Colorado winters and the heat of the summers, the glue joints holding the neck to the body and the fingerboard to the neck had both let go.

A professional guitar repairman friend of mine glued it back together, and it was great! I used it for four months, and then had to give it back (tried to buy it from her, but no dice!).

Hopefully, a little repair work and a neck re-set should give you a great bass!

Tim

ps- Gollihur Music has tons of info on upright basses. Here's the link to their Strings (http://www.gollihurmusic.com/category/5-STRINGS.html)department.

Congratulations, great find!
My brother got an old King Bass free.
It had fallen over at the school and the peghead had snapped off.
They had planned to burn it at some end of the year party, but he was able to talk the Principal into giving it to him.
It took a lot of work and some $ to get it playable again, but he's gigged with it for over 30 years now.
Here it is, stored in the corner at my place (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v390/skb/misc%20stuff/Guitars/phap_80s_guitars.jpg).

Tim, this bass doesn't really fit into our household... in fact, we are planning to remove a bookcase in order to accommodate it. I have a garage too... but judging your story I guess it's not a good place to keep the bass.

Jazzmaster, great story, glad he could save it!
I was forgotten how much I liked to play upright bass back then (that's around 1990). In between then and now I never even touched one again... But given the fact that so much of the ribs and back and front panel have come lose, I don't dare to play it, for fear it will break.

Also, I am googling "upright bass restoration" to get some inspiration to get started, and I stumbled across this post:
http://www.stringrepair.com/Double_Bass_german_double_bass_full_restoration.ht m

As they say here in Holland: Holy Crap! :mrgreen:

So... where would I get clamps like this, or do those luthiers make them themselves?

http://www.stringrepair.com/images/db6/DB_Strad_During_074.JPG

Some sound clips... recorded on my iPhone.
My bow hasn't been out of its case for almost 20 years, lost a lot of hairs when I unearthed it yesterday, and hasn't seen resin for a looong time. Given all that, I think it sounds promising...

plucking:
http://tuuur.com/mp3/clips/bas-pluk.mp3

bowing:

http://tuuur.com/mp3/clips/bas-strijk.mp3

Those clamps are called 'Spool Clamps', here's an example from Stewart MacDonalds' website. The large ones might be big enough for your purposes, but if they're not, you could probably order the smaller set and simply buy bolts of the correct length to replace the ones they come with. I wouldn't be surprised to find a fair few luthiers/woodworkers just have one set and several sets of bolts as determined by the job.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Clamps,_support_tools/Spool_Clamps.html

These are made specifically for violins, but you might be able to find or fabricate a set for your instrument. Given the amont of edge repair you have to contend with, it might be worth your while.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Clamps,_support_tools/Violin_Clamps.html

Good Luck, well scored!

Peruse these forums, the repair section will teach you alot :
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f44/

beware about saying that you will fix it yourself as you have some incredible builders on there who may not be happy to know your methods aha

Hide glue is what you will need, as well as cleats on the inside if the crack, you are lucky that the top is not split.
Invest in some new strings (nylons are for rockabilly so stay away)
The string alignment is easy, loosen the strings and then move the bridge feet to the correct place which is in the centre of the holes and in standing up in line with the side bouts when viewing from the side.

Thanks for pointing me to talkbass, Winnie! I registered there and started a thread.

I also found this book, Setup And Repair of the Double Bass for Optimum Sound:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PPYJMZ02L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Apparently not everyone agrees on the validity of the methods described in this book, judging this reveiw on talkbass.com (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f3/chuck-traeger-setup-repair-double-bass-optimum-sound-196664/), but as there is very little on how to actually go about repairing an upright bass, I'll guess I'll order that.

Thanks for pointing me to talkbass, Winnie! I registered there and started a thread.

I also found this book, Setup And Repair of the Double Bass for Optimum Sound:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PPYJMZ02L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Apparently not everyone agrees on the validity of the methods described in this book, judging this reveiw on talkbass.com (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f3/chuck-traeger-setup-repair-double-bass-optimum-sound-196664/), but as there is very little on how to actually go about repairing an upright bass, I'll guess I'll order that.

I have heard good stuff about the book, its kind of the starting point for all luthiers repairmen, but it's pricey! David Gage bass columns for bassplayer are online and pretty interesting also.
Good luck with the work, you will have a cool bass at the end, and don't underestimate the soundpost positioning for tone (and frustration :grin:). PM if you have any questions that I am able to assist with.

Beautiful old bass! I can't think of a better project.

I have Traeger's book. A lot of good info in there, especially for a carved bass. It is an
expensive book, but it's kinda what you need for such specialized information.

Here's a good link for info on making a bridge:
http://www.musictrader.com/fittingabridge.pdf

Between Traeger's book and the link just above, I got pretty good at fitting bridges
and soundposts.

I have an Engelhardt EC-1, which is laminated. I wouldn't expect it to respond to many
of the things that Traeger feels are important. But things like bridge and soundpost fitting
would apply to any bass.

Also, gollihur.com has lot's of links for all kinds of bass stuff.

This is where I got most of my ideas for my own Kay bass neck repair project:

http://www.stringrepair.com/index.htm

It is a stringed instrument repair shop.

They have some great bass repair pictorials.

There's even a link to a "German Full Restoration" on the homepage.

The crack is getting bigger on the back...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6522551321_dc86813f4f_z.jpg

Guess a humidifier is in order. And a double bass luthier.

oops!

I just noticed you posted that link before I did.

I just used aluminium bar clamps for my repair, because I already had them.

The crack is getting bigger on the back...

Guess a humidifier is in order. And a double bass luthier.

I have had an upright bass sitting in my closet for the last 20+ years! My sister found it at a High School rummage sale. It appears IMHO to be in worse shape than yours. I finally got the courage to take it to a luthier a few months bach and asked what it would take to make it playable. It needs some pretty big cracks and a "crushed" area repaired as well as the replacement of a missing sound post, tail piece, strings, etc.

Bottom line: this luthier, who I have come to trust, is willing to work with my small budget ($500.00) to transform this back to a playable instrument.

Note: I provided the strings, sound post and tail piece separately. Also-there will be other damaged areas to maybe fix later ( the head had been broken off and reattached with wood screws and wood glue :shock:)


So - I would encourage you to talk to some luthiers in your area and see what they suggest and estimate the costs to be. Maybe you can actually work with them... who knows!

Thanks tagruvto! I think we both have about the same budget... :wink:
I'd like to see some pics of your bass if you have them!

I've taken some pictures today as we have nice weather and I am home by daylight for a change...

Scroll:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6530063455_23fd7c8828_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6530060893_c5dc21738a_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6530084233_39c4bce664_z.jpg

There are some pictures of my Bass, and my repair project, in this thread. My bass was not in quite as bad shape as yours. But I did some pretty extensive repairs on my own.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bad-dog-cafe/163953-first-stradivarius-build-2.html

A small update...

My cousin and I brought the bass to a double bass luthier.
He estimates this is a early 20th century south German all wood bass, probably current value unrestored ca 800 euros, restored 3000 euros.........

He offered to restore it, but I cannot afford a price like he asked unfortunately; my first idea was to have it restored structurally by a pro.

Now I am considering actually doing the repair myself (having only some beginner electric guitar building experience), without thinking too much about the possible actual value.

But... I'd like to do that without lifting the front from the body.
Any ideas on how to get the sides into place with the top still attached are welcome!

Great to see update tuuur, wish I had expertise to offer and sure wish I had that bass.
Go for it and best of luck. Keep us informed.

Sweet !
In the early 80s a double bass playing friend of mine got a tip that the music department at the local U
was cleaning out and getting rid of some basses, he double timed it to campus and found 3-or 4 sticking out of a dumpster. Most were pretty far gone, but one was a early 50s German in roughly in the condition of the OPs. He had it repaired and played it semi professionaly up to a year or two ago when he got a offer that would allow him to buy a newer bass & still have a chunk of change left over.

OK, I am going to let the bass go to a pro double bass player who is going to restore it...
Should be able to get a playable bass in return!

Are you going to get another upright?

Definitely yes! :)

Plus... I'm going to try to create a Thunderbucket. ;-)

gAt9uga34JU

Already got the bassdrum for my project!

http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/165989_592469127447163_601700558_n.jpg

I love playing upright bass. Way more than electric. If it wasn't such a bugger to haul around, I'd get another one and play it more than guitar.

Just got back and electric upright that I sold to a freind a few years ago. (see my thread a few ticks below.) I've had a ball playing it.

OK, I am going to let the bass go to a pro double bass player who is going to restore it...
Should be able to get a playable bass in return!

In a very strange change of plans, the bass is now glued together again, and solid enough to play!
I had to promise not to sell it though... :wink:
Action is quite high due to the neck having quite a bow.

I found this setup guide (http://www.dennishavlena.com/bassetup.htm), where it says you can simply sand the fingerboard until it's straightened... would that seriously be the way to go?

Here it is in its current state.