Hawkes & Son.. (The Official KSB Hawkes Bass Discussion Thread)

[Matthew Tucker]

Indeed.

This is a beautifully and neatly made bass with excellent wood. The maple has lovely flame under the rather sombre varnish. The two piece spruce top has very even and fine grain right across, if slightly wavy longways. The machines are ultra smooth.

It has almost certainly been sold to a military or touring band or orchestra and its last repair was done in the Phillipines.




This last open top repair, although reasonably effective and neat, resulted in a very tightly glued edge and rather weak wood underneath, and a bit of casein and/or white glue in there too, and a fair quantity of putty and brown paint to "clean up" the edges and corners.

The repair cleats are of some wood that i don't recognise. i think a casein glue has been used for these.