French Bass full restoration

[Steve Alcott]

Glad to see you back at work on this massive job, Matthew. I've been anxious for you to get rolling again as I find this saga extremely fascinating-I've had a bass undergo major work a couple of times, and consider myself pretty knowledgeable for a non-luthier, but this sort of crack-by-crack documentation of a full restoration is an education for all of us, especially when it's done with so much care.

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by Steve Alcott

Glad to see you back at work on this massive job, Matthew. I've been anxious for you to get rolling again as I find this saga extremely fascinating-I've had a bass undergo major work a couple of times, and consider myself pretty knowledgeable for a non-luthier, but this sort of crack-by-crack documentation of a full restoration is an education for all of us, especially when it's done with so much care.

Steve, thanks for the feedback (again). I don't consider myself much of an expert in this. I was trained as a documentary film editor.

However I spend a lot of time thinking about how to approach these sorts of tasks, and I think I'm getting OK results. Sometimes I wish I had someone to chat to about it though!

[Steve Alcott]

Any updates, Matthew?

[Matthew Tucker]

Steve, you keep me honest, don't you?

I have made a little progress on the button repair since last posting but nothing I want to post here yet. I want to make sure it works!

Will get onto it soon. But I have four school basses in at the moment and have to get them out of the way by end of the month.

By the way everyone I'm looking for recommendations for a small endpin model to replace the crap these small school basses are fitted with. I'd use an ULSA if given the choice, but school budgets creak a bit when I mention the price of these and there's a lot of reaming to do.

[Brian Gencarelli]

Hey Matthew,

I have had good luck with these for that exact purpose. Good value for the school basses.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-PCS-3-4-4-...item3a56d1ec7f

Hope that helps,
Brian

[Matthew Tucker]

thanks Brian they look quite solid.

On this occasion, the schools agreed to pay for the ULSA pins.

[Matthew Tucker]

Small update. Remember how I had tacked the back halves to a frame to help re-align them?



Well, once they were separated, the halves twisted about like so many pringles and try as I might, I found it was impossible to re-align them nicely. But I have learned a thing or two about the process!

So I have now decided to start from square one, back to flat plates as the builder would have done, re-join them, possibly with a 1-2mm centre strip if necessary, then re-brace with a slight dish across the plates, and then re-bend the break.

For the moment, I've been using heat, sandbags and pressure to flatten the plates on a formica worktop. Its very humid here in Sydney at the moment - almost tropical - midsummer and warm, sticky with bucketing rainstorms and hail. the end of La Nina apparently. So not glueing weather or varnishing weather, but flattening seems to be going OK.

this stage is not very picturesque, but I'll post pics if you want.

(edit: here are pics of flattening. It will take a while. I'm using a heat blanket to flatten each plate zone by zone.)





After the assembly has cooled down, there is still a bunch of moisture left in the wood that can't escape through the silicone blanket, so i clamp the whole plate flat under a frame overnight or longer.

[Steve Alcott]

Speaking for myself, I enjoy every picture. I can't imagine being a bassist and not finding this account of a total restoration fascinating-I look forward to every installment, and feel like I'm learning a lot.

[Matthew Tucker]

OK So I just made an executive decision that I am not going to stand for this crappy spirit varnish remnant any longer.



It crumbles, it melts and sticks to the bench, it gets into everything ... enough is enough! No more pussyfooting around - this bass is going to be stripped and refinished! Starting NOW.





Before:



AFTER:





This will make my restoration work SO much easier. I should have done this a long time ago.

Underneath the crap you can see patches of the original colour. And a whole lot of dings, cracks and other damage ...





But the wood underneath is rather special. And it's nice to see the hand of the maker at last!