Hector Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 So, I had pretty much the most upsetting experience of my life last night. Was playing with a swing band for a black tie ball out of town, and the ball's organisers offered to take my bass over with their keyboard and amps. "Sure" I thought, "What could possibly go wrong?". BIG. MISTAKE. Opened my case up to take out my bass for sound check only to find that the fingerboard was no longer attached to the rest of the bass! Maybe I'm silly, but I held my head up high and played through the soundcheck/gig on a borrowed electric bass and when the first opportunity came, retired to a quiet room on my own and wept. I mean, I got that bass when I was 18 and have been through all sorts of gigs over the years. I completely babied her, she was the most important thing I own Has anyone had an experience like this before? Is it an easy sort of damage to fix, and will my bass ever feel like she used to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 How the hell did they manage to do that sort of specific damage to your bass? The mind boggles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeatNut Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Wow. I feel for you. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 [quote name='Hector' post='730709' date='Jan 31 2010, 05:02 PM']Has anyone had an experience like this before? Is it an easy sort of damage to fix, and will my bass ever feel like she used to?[/quote] Similar but not ant where near as bad. We were playing a gig at the Point in Cardiff. I left my DB on it's side out of the way in the main standing area. Went to play and whilst on stage I noticed two 5 pence bit missing from the back and a long scratch. Someone (stage crew) either knocked it over or hit it with something very heavy. No one owned up to it though, b@sta@rds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 My girlfriend knocked a bass over at uni- took the neck off. Fortunately I wasn't there, I'd have probably had a heart attack. If its a clean break it shouldn't be too big a job to get put right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardi100 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I left my DB in the car during the day for a rehearsal after work. Twas Australia in summer. Took my bass out of the case and couldn't work out why the strings were flopping around the fingerboard! The bass bar had collapsed in the heat. It was replaced (at great cost) and sounded a million times better afterwards. Expensive lessons learned. Hector, I imagine it's a relatively easy fix. Don't quote me, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Apparently Jaco defretted his bass after the double bass he'd just got burst from the humidity. So great things can come of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 [quote name='Hector' post='730709' date='Jan 31 2010, 05:02 PM']So, I had pretty much the most upsetting experience of my life last night. Was playing with a swing band for a black tie ball out of town, and the ball's organisers offered to take my bass over with their keyboard and amps. "Sure" I thought, "What could possibly go wrong?". BIG. MISTAKE. Opened my case up to take out my bass for sound check only to find that the fingerboard was no longer attached to the rest of the bass! Maybe I'm silly, but I held my head up high and played through the soundcheck/gig on a borrowed electric bass and when the first opportunity came, retired to a quiet room on my own and wept. I mean, I got that bass when I was 18 and have been through all sorts of gigs over the years. I completely babied her, she was the most important thing I own Has anyone had an experience like this before? Is it an easy sort of damage to fix, and will my bass ever feel like she used to?[/quote] You do mean the fingerboard and not the entire neck don't you? If so, fingerboards are routinely replaced on DBs so it shouldn't be a problem for a decent luthier - it might end up playing better than before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 The fingerboard is an easy fix if it just popped off. Often it is better for it to pop off as it would have absorbed energy from a hit. Double Basses are made to be taken apart and put back together again ad infinitum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazy Bass Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 [quote name='Hector' post='730709' date='Jan 31 2010, 04:02 PM']So, I had pretty much the most upsetting experience of my life last night. Was playing with a swing band for a black tie ball out of town, and the ball's organisers offered to take my bass over with their keyboard and amps. "Sure" I thought, "What could possibly go wrong?". BIG. MISTAKE. Opened my case up to take out my bass for sound check only to find that the fingerboard was no longer attached to the rest of the bass! Maybe I'm silly, but I held my head up high and played through the soundcheck/gig on a borrowed electric bass and when the first opportunity came, retired to a quiet room on my own and wept. I mean, I got that bass when I was 18 and have been through all sorts of gigs over the years. I completely babied her, she was the most important thing I own Has anyone had an experience like this before? Is it an easy sort of damage to fix, and will my bass ever feel like she used to?[/quote] You could try Mo Clifton in Blackheath (www.cliftonbasses.co.uk). Apart from building superb electric basses he repairs electric & acoustic instruments, including DBs. The other day he showed me a DB NECK which had been split in two - he'd repaired it & the join was virtually invisible! He's not doing as much work these days as he used to, but if he's available you couldn't do much better. Good luck - Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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