Hi all, new here.
I've just purchased a hybrid bass (Boosey & Hawkes Golden Strad, made in Romania, a student bass about 45 years old). The previous owner gigged it hard for 30 years, but it plays well enough for my purposes. However, it carries all the scars you would expect!
I'm not looking to restore it cosmetically, but I want to fix the lumps knocked out of the edges of top and back over the years. The front is easy - I've built several guitars and many ukuleles, so I can splice in some spruce using HHG.
The laminate back is more challenging in places, particularly this one which is on the lower bout at about 7.30 (if the neck is at 12 o'clock):
After some thought, my current plan is as follows, but I'd like advice whether it's sensible or a bad idea (alternatives definitely welcome!):
1. Remove the damaged edge back to the line shown - I can just avoid cutting into the external lining.
2. Build up the external lining at the repair site to the height of the overhang with maple, and blend its contours so it doesn't jump out. It looks as if this knock caused a separation which was fixed on the road with hot melt glue, so I might first use a razor saw to clean out that part of the seam and reglue with HHG.
3. Glue a piece of 1.5mm aircraft ply in and shape to match the contour of the lower bout. Glue up a couple of small delaminations in the surrounding laminate.
4. Build back up to the surface with maple veneer, probably removing and replacing some of the existing veneer around the splintered areas. I'll match grain direction as well as I can, but the join will obviously be visible. The picture below shows where I'd likely add veneer.
5. Finally, colour match as close as I can using watercolour paint and garnet shellac. I've done a test patch elsewhere and got fairly close making the birch of my plywood match, so should do better with maple.
Any thoughts? From reading the most recent few pages of this sub-forum some of you have experience with laminate repairs. If I were a bass repair shop I'd have a stash of old laminate backs, in which case this would be much easier. As it is, my aim is a functional repair to remove the jagged edges and not be too noticeable from a distance.
I've just purchased a hybrid bass (Boosey & Hawkes Golden Strad, made in Romania, a student bass about 45 years old). The previous owner gigged it hard for 30 years, but it plays well enough for my purposes. However, it carries all the scars you would expect!
I'm not looking to restore it cosmetically, but I want to fix the lumps knocked out of the edges of top and back over the years. The front is easy - I've built several guitars and many ukuleles, so I can splice in some spruce using HHG.
The laminate back is more challenging in places, particularly this one which is on the lower bout at about 7.30 (if the neck is at 12 o'clock):
After some thought, my current plan is as follows, but I'd like advice whether it's sensible or a bad idea (alternatives definitely welcome!):
1. Remove the damaged edge back to the line shown - I can just avoid cutting into the external lining.
2. Build up the external lining at the repair site to the height of the overhang with maple, and blend its contours so it doesn't jump out. It looks as if this knock caused a separation which was fixed on the road with hot melt glue, so I might first use a razor saw to clean out that part of the seam and reglue with HHG.
3. Glue a piece of 1.5mm aircraft ply in and shape to match the contour of the lower bout. Glue up a couple of small delaminations in the surrounding laminate.
4. Build back up to the surface with maple veneer, probably removing and replacing some of the existing veneer around the splintered areas. I'll match grain direction as well as I can, but the join will obviously be visible. The picture below shows where I'd likely add veneer.
5. Finally, colour match as close as I can using watercolour paint and garnet shellac. I've done a test patch elsewhere and got fairly close making the birch of my plywood match, so should do better with maple.
Any thoughts? From reading the most recent few pages of this sub-forum some of you have experience with laminate repairs. If I were a bass repair shop I'd have a stash of old laminate backs, in which case this would be much easier. As it is, my aim is a functional repair to remove the jagged edges and not be too noticeable from a distance.
