Chandler Bass - remove-able neck.
 

hello everyone. i have a bass here - a peter chandler (author of 'so...you want to make a double bass') and it needs some serious work.

a list:
-top is sinking under the bass bar
-fingerboard and neck need to be finished/planed
-crack in c bout on the bass side (very near the top)
-back has an open seam in relation to the ribs on the bass side (about 2-3 inches)

basically, its the same question i've seen on here many times previous: is it going to cost more than its worth? i'm thinking it is. any suggestions as to repairs are certainly welcomed! i'm an armchair luthier/enthusiast. i've read a lot of books on luthiery, but haven't done anything with wood other than play it.

i know that these pics are pretty basic. requests? i will post new ones if any of you guys want to see something else!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...f&id=187910179
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...b&id=187910179
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...6&id=187910179
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...8&id=187910179
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...f&id=187910179
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...0&id=187910179
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...c&id=187910179
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...f&id=187910179

Hey Tomas, that's a nice looking bass you have there. Are you testing it out or have you already purchased it?

i'm taking it for a test-run. i'm trying to find out how much it will cost to put it back into gigging shape!

Tomas, before you consider purchasing the bass you should know that there are a few stores in Southern Ontario that refuse to work on Chandlers basses due to their construction issues.

The bass looks like it has some very nice wood but honestly, I would never purchase a bass known to have such construction issues.

Chandler was a very nice man but he built basses solely as a hobby and he'd sell a couple "just for fun". He used good quality wood but half his basses have either imploded or cracked. There's one guy that I know that's had a bass of his for 8 years without any problems...He's a lucky man, considering he paid only about 4-5k for the instrument and it sounds quite nice.

yes, this is the kind of information that i want/need. is there anyone else out there who either owns/plays/has friends etc.... that own a similar bass?

Yes, please send me an e-mail at calvinmarks@gmail.com and I can put you in touch with some people that own/owned Chandler basses.

Kindest Regards,

Calvin

will do, good sir!

Remember Calvin: try not to post your email address on public sites. There are bots and crawlers all over the net that look specifically for email addresses (i.e. you may get spam). Next time, either PM the address, or put spaces or other characters when you post your address so that the bots can't send their junk to you actual email.

This has nothing to do with Chandler basses, though. :D

Oh, wow! Thanks for the heads-up...That's pretty sketchy...I had no idea there were these things out there.

Thanks!

No problem - just trying to help. :)

alright - nobody has any other experience with these instruments? i was on the phone with andrew downing the other day, turns out that he co-designed the instrument, commissioned it and actually owned it for a while.

I have no experience with Chandler basses, but you need to take it to an experienced bass luthier to discuss the sinking top issue. The other problems are relatively minor. Get a price to repair the top properly assuming it is repairable. How much is the bass worth to you in good shape? That's the main question to be asking. You don't say what you can buy it for as is. Add the cost of repairs to the purchase price, and there you have it.

ok, good points. i could pick this bass up for $3,000. but, his widow was saying that any repair costs will be taken out of the asking price, which is pretty awesome. my only concern is that i've heard estimates of around $5,000 to fix it up. the wood and materials (and hardshell box) are worth more than the asking price.

uh huh..
 

This is what we call 'negative value'. The bass if offered for free could be a loss if the repaired value is not higher than the total costs.

When I sell a bass, I usually deduct more than the amount for repair from the total price as the buyer is the one taking the risk and deserves some 'wiggle room'. Never buy a bass for just the repair costs deducted. You deserve some risk factor expenses as well.

thanks for the advice ken. i like the prospect of getting some 'wiggle room'. i know that this instrument (more-than) likely has negative value, but i like the way it plays (39" string length!). i guess i'll have to do some serious thinking about it.

I understand the negative value concept, but here, if you pay 3k for it and put 5k into it, is it worth 8k in the marketplace of basses? You like it for various reasons, can you find something you like as well or better for less than 8k?

is it worth 8k in the marketplace? i don't think so. there are many, many things i like about the instrument (the biggest plus being that it plays easier than a 'cello!) and how it looks. i don't think i could re-sell it for any price near 8 g's.

His basses sell from 4-6.5k.

Tomas, stay away from the 39" string length, you're 6'8", you will sincerely regret the small string length later when you upgrade to a nicer instrument and realize you can't play it!

hey, thanks for the warning! i'll consider it a case-closed type deal, ok? thanks to everyone for helping me out!