Bass Oddity- Swanson DB.

[Jeff Bollbach]

Brian-
Without knowing what is "wrong" with the bass it is of course difficult to proffer any thoughts on whether it is worth tackling.
jeffb

[Brian Gencarelli]

Jeff,

Where do I start? Well positives... the tailpiece, tuners, strings, and bridge are in pretty good shape.

If I were to take this bass and do everything I think it needs:

1) Open the top and "clean up" all the shabby repair work to the back... there are these awful "patches" to reinforce the flat back. Really thick and I can't tell exactly what kind of glue... probably alpharetic resin.

2) Try to reshape and patch the top to relieve the sinkage and deformity.
(Get rid of the second sound post. )

3) New fingerboard, saddle, nut, endpin.

Setup and hope for the best. It will be a long and expensive process. Who knows what I will find when I crack the top? I am also going to have to be really careful and patient with glue removal, etc... Hard to tell what multitudes of sins have been committed here.

Thanks,
BG

[Jeff Bollbach]

Brian-
Why not just set it up without taking it apart? Unless you are looking for a learning experience a restoration on a plywood is almost always a losing proposition.
jeffb

[Brian Gencarelli]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bollbach

Brian-
Why not just set it up without taking it apart? Unless you are looking for a learning experience a restoration on a plywood is almost always a losing proposition.
jeffb

Jeff... Thanks for the advice. I am wondering if that might be the course to take. There are a few too many cracks for plywood to me... just curious about what "makes this one tick".

BG

[Anselm Hauke]

while bass-surfing i found this:
http://www.holmesbassviol.com/photos_and_prices
a shop that has THREE of these basses...

what happend with yours brian?

[Robert Kramer]

Brian,
That thing is haunted, get it out of your house! LOL! It's a frustrating, dirty afternoon just waiting to happen without reward. You'll have a hard time getting it apart without the wood cracking from all that slathered top coating. Save yourself now!

[Tim Bishop]

Or...mount a trolling motor on that bad boy and take it bass fishing .