French Bass full restoration

[Eric Swanson]

+1. On the other hand, I am continually dismayed by the harm less-than-fully-qualified people can cause.

I look at that screw, with the hole drilled through it, and at the damage. I think of something a coworker used to say, grimly, when surveying the aftermath of others' messy efforts, "Men have been here before us. Men did this."

Thank you, Matthew, for sharing all of this.

[Thomas Erickson]

Originally Posted by Eric Swanson

+1. On the other hand, I am continually dismayed by the harm less-than-fully-qualified people can cause.

I look at that screw, with the hole drilled through it, and at the damage. I think of something a coworker used to say, grimly, when surveying the aftermath of others' messy efforts, "Men have been here before us. Men did this."

Thank you, Matthew, for sharing all of this.

All true. But at the same time I'm continually intrigued, enlightened and amused by the things I see in these old basses - often more so than in the making of the original instrument! For me, it's part of what makes basses particularly interesting as compared with the other strings.

Thanks Matthew for the update - looking good!

[Matthew Tucker]

I'm not quite sure what "qualified" means, actually. I have never apprenticed with anybody nor done any courses in luthiery let alone carpentry. However, I do seek out and - sponge-like - absorb knowledge, filter it, and store it away to use later in my own concoctions. And I love what I do.

Actually i suspect that many of the repairs on this bass, including the metalwork, were done by "qualified" luthiers. The holes were drilled accurately, the dowelling fit properly, certainly the screw through the heel was done neatly and finished with a proper wooden plug. I'm less impressed with the bolt through the button and the damage that caused to the button area. The nails around the rim ... well yes, that's an amateur repair.

I think the problem with this bass may have been the choice of wood for the top block. Probably not quite dry enough and too close to the centre of the trunk; I suspect it cracked fairly early in the bass's life and everything since, the wobbly neck, the cracks in the top and ribs, the open seams, etc etc came about as a consequence.
The only repair worth doing was a block replacement and that didn't happen; everything else was bound to fail at some point or other.

I'm considering a laminated top block, and since I'm going to need to rebuild the neck/scroll from scratch or do a scroll graft, we may opt for a bolt-on neck as I have done for my other basses.

[Steve Alcott]

Thanks for the continuing updates on this project. I for one find it extremely interesting and informative. I've been around basses for 40+ years and have glued the odd seam, run some glue into a crack, filed nut and bridge slots-the sort of thing any bass owner should be able to do. A major restoration like this is a lesson in patience, planning, and most of all, attention to the smallest details. I eagerly await the next installment in the saga.

[Matthew Tucker]

Very small update to complete the picture - here's another shot of the original block with the grain lines highlighted. You can clearly see how it cracked, and why choice of the right wood for even the humble internal blocks is important for the longevity of a bass!

[Ken Smith]

Matt, I would like to point out that I have seen a few Basses with 2 piece blocks across the width as well as Laminated Blocks in the depth. Also, a few of my Basses that were restored had an added piece laminated for the depth to either deepen the neck set and strengthen the bottom of the block or due to the block being cut from the top to shorten the bass.

My Hart had it's original Blocks inside it when it was opened up. The upper and lower blocks were two pieced Pine. It seems that this was either done due to a shortage of materials or perhaps a method for stability. We will never know the actual 'why' these things were done in the past but if they survived 180 years, I think they got it right.

In the case of this French Bass you are working on which looks to be a Mirecourt production rather then a makers individual single made bass, Blocks and other materials were used as they were supplied to the workers. I would assume that if the part was bad in the beginning, it would be tossed and not used but foresight in which what might survive the future or not was not a decision of a single worker.

Also, from the looks of the condition of this bass being left alone for so long, dryness and stress combined can easily split any wide straight grained piece of wood like this Block. It can also split from the other pieces of wood glued to it as the weakest link is what usually gives. So, if you think this Bass needs some extra strength in the block material itself, two pieces glued of slightly different grain might help. Just my 2 cents, or 3 or 4..

Keep up the good work. I bet you can't wait for the next big job to walk into your shop huh?..lol

[Matthew Tucker]

Well funny you should say that. Here's the new block all glued up



grain runs laterally across the bottom and vertically around the mortise. I'm still not 100% sure I'll use this one though. have to cogitate a bit.

The next big job, I hope, is a new bass from scratch based on a Lott Sr pattern

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Well funny you should say that. Here's the new block all glued up



grain runs laterally across the bottom and vertically around the mortise. I'm still not 100% sure I'll use this one though. have to cogitate a bit.

The next big job, I hope, is a new bass from scratch based on a Lott Sr pattern

Well, I have played a Lott a few years back as it was left with me for a possible trade. Despite the severely restored condition (mainly the top) and having a later replaced scroll, I was sorry to see it go back to the owner. It was a sweet bass.

On the new Block, I can't see the grain of the upper piece but looks like it will do the Job, I would yeild the remainder of my time on this to Arnold who has seen more Blocks than I played with as a child..

Hey, on Lott Snr. there was new information published about him back in 1998. J.Lott Snr. was actually his father who was not a Luthier. J.F. Lott the Luthier was actually born in London (1776) and not in Germany as previously believed. Mis-information like this happens when the records searched come up with 2 people of the same name.The same thing happened with John Hart whose father of the same name was a Gunsmith and the Luther was erroneously thought to have opened a Gun Shop which was actually the Father who did. The son, John Thomas Hart, founder of Hart & Sons was given space in his Fathers shop a few years after the death of his master Samuel Gilkes. That is one of the published errors I believe due to father and son having the same name like with Lott who also had a son of the exact same name (b.1805) but thankfully with 3 John Lott's they called him Jack as a nick name, thankfully.

[Adrian Levi]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Matt, I would like to point out that I have seen a few Basses with 2 piece blocks across the width as well as Laminated Blocks in the depth. Also, a few of my Basses that were restored had an added piece laminated for the depth to either deepen the neck set and strengthen the bottom of the block or due to the block being cut from the top to shorten the bass.

My Hart had it's original Blocks inside it when it was opened up. The upper and lower blocks were two pieced Pine. It seems that this was either done due to a shortage of materials or perhaps a method for stability. We will never know the actual 'why' these things were done in the past but if they survived 180 years, I think they got it right.

In the case of this French Bass you are working on which looks to be a Mirecourt production rather then a makers individual single made bass, Blocks and other materials were used as they were supplied to the workers. I would assume that if the part was bad in the beginning, it would be tossed and not used but foresight in which what might survive the future or not was not a decision of a single worker.

Also, from the looks of the condition of this bass being left alone for so long, dryness and stress combined can easily split any wide straight grained piece of wood like this Block. It can also split from the other pieces of wood glued to it as the weakest link is what usually gives. So, if you think this Bass needs some extra strength in the block material itself, two pieces glued of slightly different grain might help. Just my 2 cents, or 3 or 4..

Keep up the good work. I bet you can't wait for the next big job to walk into your shop huh?..lol

2 x French basses with 2 piece neck blocks / the only other French bass I know also has the same , I thought that may be standard with older French instruments !

[Matthew Tucker]

Here we go again.

Remember the scroll badly glued with lashings of PVA?



Well I had to break the "repair" open. Very carefully.



Its very hot and humid here in Sydney and not a good time to be gluing neck blocks so I'm going to clean out all the PVA.

Here's my workshop for the afternoon:



The equipment



The PVA mess







VERY fiddly job. Steam, vinegar, stiff brush, pick pick pick with sharp knife and tweezers and a LOT of patience. More like dentistry than luthiery. All done with a 10x magnifying visor, too.



Scroll side cleaned up