petercullenbassist Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 hey guys, I just bought my first double bass!!! but, there is lacquer on the fret board and its peeling, what can i do? i didnt think the finger board should have lacquer on it, or am i wrong in saying that? also, any ideas what it would be worth? just so i know if i got good deal or not. Thanks [attachment=89972:85784537.jpg]Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin spangles Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) congrats on your bass. Re Lacquer on the finger board. There should not be lacquer on it. Perhaps some plonker thought it was a good idea. I'd try using some isopropyl alcohol to gently rub off\dissolve the varnish. Be careful to avoid spilling on to the body of the bass though. You ask whether you got a good deal. Well that's a really difficult question to answer. Also you don't say what you paid. Perhaps you might want to think of it this way. Are you happy with the sound of the bass. Does it fulfil your needs at this stage? Bearing in mind that a decent gigging bass can cost anything from £1000 upwards. I'm assuming that this is a plywood bass. Have you got a luthier to set it up for you? A good set up can make a world of a difference. Looking at the pic it looks as though your bridge is slightly out of alignment with the f holes though it could be the angle of the pic. Get a luthier to check it out for you. I really don't think anyone on this forum can really give you the answers you'd like to hear. good luck Edited September 21, 2011 by marvin spangles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKing Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) Could be a nice bass, looks like a B+H Excelsior, though difficult to say from one picture. Any label inside? What did you pay for it? A good 60s Czech ply bass could be worth £900 or more, although no basses seem to be selling for good prices at the moment, so something like this could easily go on ebay for £3-400. Bridge: Definitely wonky. Lie it flat, slacken the strings until bridge becomes easy to move around, adjust position until feet lie in line with the notches on f-holes (centre of feet to inner notches), gradually tighten strings making sure bridge stays at 90 degrees - you may well need to nudge it back to 90 degrees as the strings try to pull the top of the bridge over. When strings close to tension, pick up bbass and continue tuning. Fingerboard: +1 to the above ... does the wood below look a nice colour? Alternatively, if you go slowly and carefully you could sand down the laquer with a fine grain sandpaper, finish off with wire wool unttil perfectly smooth, then rub the exposed wood with strking oil / almond oil / olive oil, polish and let dry. Go slowly, evenly, long single strokes, do not rub and rub back and forth cos that will introduce lumps and bumps on the board. Are you sure it's a lacquer peeling off, or is it just a stain wearing away? Sometimes rosewood or other hard wood fingerboards were 'ebonised', stained with black to make them look like ebony. After 50 years this staining could easily be wearing away, so it's only cosmetic and i wouldn't worry. The stain is only on the surface so it can easily be sanded away, but you really must go slowly and evenly! That said, i decided to do exactly this to my czech bass - beneath the worn black stain was a lovely reddish rosewood with a nice grain. It looks beautiful. Edited September 23, 2011 by PaulKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMech Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Find a DB lutheir, get them to take a look at it. Alternatively, if you've got a teacher they should be able to tell you. Things that can't be checked from a photo include the action, and sound post positioning. If these need adjusting, as well as the fingerboard sorting, you could be looking at a bit over £100, but it'll make the world of difference (it to to mine at least). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fonzoooroo Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 A lot of old ply basses have painted fingerboards. (not translucent, thick, often nastily applied - often with runs!) that wears/chips and generally feels nasty. When I get these in to work on, I tend to scrape them back to bare wood and oil the 'board. A close-up pic of the issue would help suggest the most appropriate course of action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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