Overwhelming doesn’t begin to describe what I’d think seeing how badly the laminate layers were separated. Wow!

Luthiers, always protect from sawdust even when you think it isn't needed. I have a friend-luthier who had to stop woodworking completely because of severe allergy. In the beginning you feel nothing, but over the years it seems to build up ... and there you go!

Sure enjoy, and I learn so much from your video repairs. Thank you.

Nice looking wooden/homemade clamp! May try that design next time (I used 3/4 inch pipe to make mine).

Having never seen the inside of a Bass I find it so strange that it looks like the entire top is made of plywood. For an instrument as expensive as this I would have thought Top, Sides and Back would be made of solid woods. Learn something new every day!

Enjoying your channel,found you via Randy !

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

Great Michael, welcome aboard.

I know this is old... but honestly this one I would have been in the 'replace' camp. I've run into this with plywood top guitars - once the adhesive fails it's curtains. You can re-glue 60% of it and in a year or two the other 40% will fail - it's all the same glue, just a matter of time. I would have made a new top for this puppy assuming the owner would pay for it. If not - it's time to repurpose as a decoration /wall hanging / garden raised bed box LOL

@RosaStringWorks

7 жыл бұрын

Tioga Fretworks She wouldn't pay for that. It took her forever to just get it fixed. the good news is she still plays it all the time and it hasn't created any further trouble. thank you for watching

@coffeefish

6 жыл бұрын

My first thought was to use a putty knife to disassemble the whole laminate, then re-glue the plys.

It’s never a good day when a Luthier needs a giant pry bar.😉

Really funny you got in a guitar someone hot glued, then I got one similar, now you're working on acoustic bass and I just had one in here last week! Strange how that happens. lol All I had to do was put the sound post back in and set up the action and intonation, nothing compared to the job you have here! I'm surprised the one you're working on didn't collapse a long time ago, it looks like it made it to you just in the nick of time! Really good video Jerry, looking forward to part 2!

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks Randy. Maybe we were separated at birth with all the coincidences. I have another bass in the shop right now for setup. Primarily its in for a new bridge.

nice video and thank you for sharing the experience , it doenst sound orthodox but i would have glued a carved bowed bracing under the curved area.

That bass sure was in bad shape. Thank you for sharing the repair process.

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

You are welcome Dale. Thanks for watching.

Love the video. The worse the condition the more interesting the repair! :)

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gray. Spoiler alert... it turned out great.

That's almost exactly how my double bass top looks. I got it for free, knowing it wasn't great. I had to build a bridge, and re glue the nut on. I was thinking about peeling the top off my self and trying to repair it. But I ended up deciding to contact a luthier. I also want to have the fingerboard plained and a couple other things repaired too.

A suggestion on that dent that I use to use when I refinished furniture. It works on occasion depending on the severity of the dent. But I would take a clothes Iron and lay a brown paper bag over the dent and iron over the dent and it would raise the grain of the grain of the wood. Take a wet sponge and wipe the dent and lay the brown paper over it, and hold the iron on it for about 10-15 seconds at a time. Any longer than 10-15 seconds, you'll burn the wood. Hope this helps.

@zapa1pnt

3 жыл бұрын

This is not a dent in the grain. The plywood is bowed in, due to excessive pressure. over a long period. It's not coming back. The other side went back into shape, because it was a bend and the bass bar straightened it out.

Yer sqeezing PVA glue into a delaminated ply that was most certainly was glued with urea formaldehyde. You can inject glues with syringes, works well. Good Luck.

@RosaStringWorks

5 жыл бұрын

That was at least a couple years ago. I tend to make do with what I have on hand. I just saw the lady Friday night and the base is still holding up perfectly.

@RAkers-tu1ey

3 жыл бұрын

@@RosaStringWorks Nothing says "good job" like success!

That string winding device looks about like a common tool here in Florida. Made of steel they are called a "wing nut driver". They are quite prized before and after hurricanes! Many people have storm shutters that are attached with wing nuts. I love your videos sir! I was just telling a guitar player buddy of mine about you the other night. His dad is a luthier and his shop is called Resurrection Guitars.

I hope you get some relief soon bud . The ragweed around here is giving me fits. Come on frost hahaha

You can pull thread through the glue and under the brace to spread it more completely.

Steam the dent spot, make a jig to apply pressure to the inside of the dent as it cools.

You got you a song to write Jerry "Every clamp in the house"

@RosaStringWorks

6 жыл бұрын

Mel Superable one thing's for sure. You never have too many clamps. Thank you for watching.

@steveandrews8301

4 жыл бұрын

Or call it, "Jed Clamp-it".

That bass looks like it arrived to your customer on the Mayflower.

@johnhulsker9123

2 жыл бұрын

Probably came across the Atlantic by itself,

Jerry Rosa "Miracle Man"

Did they drive the tractor over the top to see if you could put it back together. That is a lot of small parts to put together. Very good job the things you do for a friend. I see that was in your old work shop.

Jerry: Whatta bass viol trainwreck. Could you have fabricated a new top for it? You are one committed to excellence Luthier IMO. I've owned 3 bass viols. (None were Laminated) and never had a problem like this. Didja ever consider wearing a mask when working arround sawdust? Those lil guys in Asian instrument factories do.

Like I keep saying thanks for the video, very helpful info. I find compressed air helps to blow glue down into tight spaces, I've used it on peg head repairs and delams with good results. I do realize on something as fragile as that top it could be risky. Was wondering why not just build another top about the time you mentioned you had done that before. Would adding a brace on the treble side be a bad idea? By all means take care of your health, never to late to wear a dust mask. You know they really are terribly comfortable.

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

I have used compressed air a time or two myself. May have helped here, just didn't think to try it. Hand carving a top is a great option, but these folks wouldn't go for it since it cost about 5 times as much. I basically did put a brace/patch on the treble side just not the same kind. The sound post is the traditional brace so I didn't want to put anything inside that would interfere with that. Changes like that would change the value/resale, (tradition is extremely important to most old time Country and Bluegrass folks) so I tend to follow that trane of thought. But brace/tone bar would have been a potentially better fix for this specific problem though it may have also changed the tone/volume too. As it turned out, the customer was very happy with it. In fact I heard from them recently and they are liking it better all the time. They said they really like the increase in volume. Thanks for watching and commenting.

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

Dane, regarding the dust mask. I have been using a respirator more often. Should have been using one more often over the last thirty years. They did find spots in my lungs. They don't seem to be cancer. Will be doing further testing in a month or so. Thanks for the concern... as I age, there seems to be no end to the issues. You have to be tough to get old.

Wow. I’ve never seen that type of extensive delamination. Makes me wonder, aside from sentimental value, when it an instrument like this, too far gone to fix? Given the amount of damage you can see, I’ve got to think there are pockets of delaminated wood throughout the top, and that the problem will continue.

Looks like that top was completely dried out. This would make a great PBS TV show. Maybe “The Luthier."

If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone took a garden hose to the inside of that thing LOL

Believe it or not I used to tote my Marquis bass in a 72 VW Bug. Slid bottom of bass into Bug 1st Peg head just barely fit insid passengers side space. Often left passenger window open if it wasn't inclement weather.Used DeAngelico gut strings

I'm learning a lot from you. I have 2 vintage guitars, a really nice Takiame made in 76 and a really nice Yamaha made in 1973 both I think are described as "Martin Lawsuit Guitars" . I think I know enough to be dangerous from watching your vids. I'm going to pull the strings and detail them myself, really just clean them up more than anything. How do I tell if they need humidifying? I'm from Florida and we never have low humidity problems there. Also I heard a girl singing on one of your Vids yesterday and she reminded me a lot of Iris Demint, it was a, beautiful song. Was that your daughter?

@texasdeeslinglead2401

4 жыл бұрын

Man , I'd love to get ahold of a tokai love rock . I'm not add ure about my spelling , but I've played on a couple at a guys house . They were lawsuit les b Paul guitars. Absolutely impeccable builds . I think better than gibson.

Think of how many violins can be built with all that wood : )

Did they use it as a boat? It definitely got very wet!

@RosaStringWorks

7 жыл бұрын

micheloderso maybe... I had been telling her for years it needed to be fixed. She finally brought it in. And NOT A MINUTE TOO SOON! lol Thanks for watching my friend.

Oh just stick that ole bass out in the garage. It'll be ok...not! When​ i started building instruments 5 yrs ago i learned real quick to wear a respirator. Spanish cedar and indian rose wood were the worst.

Could you have used compressed air to blow the glue down in between the laminations?

@RosaStringWorks

5 жыл бұрын

Quite possibly.

Can't wait to see how it turns out, but sorry you still have that cough, Jerry! Drink lots of fluids! By the way, in your opinion, what caused all the laminate separation? Age? Lack of humidification?

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

Dean, thanks again for watching. My guess is it wasn't the best piece of laminate to begin with coupled with the stress of many years and drying out. The stress of the strings on the top without proper bracing for such a long time was probably the main factor.

Is it a good idea for the guitar player to hop up on the bass in the middle of the song?

@billberry7444

3 жыл бұрын

watch the Stray Cats sometime(band)

Was the coughing due to the inside of the bass?

Is that a right hand bass that was strung left handed?

@RosaStringWorks

7 жыл бұрын

PlainOldEd it was strung right handed. Thanks for watching.

Would you say plywood instruments are more difficult to repair?

@RosaStringWorks

6 жыл бұрын

Generally I don't see much difference. Thanks for taking a look.

almost looks like a very slow explosion

It could be worse... You might have been asked to move the sound holes?

Jesus man, just glue that top up, climb inside and call it a coffin !! " Need to clean that up before It hardens up on the carpet" yeah, that what she said, I'll let myself out now,

One shot of TX whiskey (small bottle) per day, till the bottle is gone, and so should the cough be gone.

your cough was making me cough.

Seems like the cost of labor would exceed the value on a laminated bass.

Have you made part 2 yet

@RosaStringWorks

4 жыл бұрын

Yes that's a very old video. It should be out there.

@humnpwr

4 жыл бұрын

Rosa String Works Okay thanks

stupid question why is the brace not in the middle of the instrument top

@RosaStringWorks

5 жыл бұрын

It's called a bass bar it runs on the bass side. The sound post supports the treble side.

I don't think I would have tried to fix this. When you get done you will just have a glued together rotten top. I would have put a new top on it which would have made it into an instrument that would last a long time. I would have put the money into real fix.

@RosaStringWorks

4 жыл бұрын

Well that might be what you would do but the customer didn't want that. So I fixed the top and she plays it every day and has been playing it for the last several years no problem at all and it should last another 50 years.

@merlynschutterle7242

4 жыл бұрын

@@RosaStringWorks I'm sure you did a good job with what you had to work with. It isn't that I disagree with you, but if I were the owner I would have made a different choice.

@merlynschutterle7242

4 жыл бұрын

@@RosaStringWorks If she is happy to have her bass the way she wants it then she made the right decision for her. It will probably last longer than she does so let the next owner deal with it.

Looks awful! Is it really worth repairing?

That top looks like it was made from some old plywood .I thought those were one solid piece.

@RosaStringWorks

7 жыл бұрын

Jack thanks for watching. Most all Kays and other less expensive basses are plywood. Solid wood basses are pretty high dollar.

It can be fixed...but should it?

@zapa1pnt

3 жыл бұрын

If it can be (most everything can) and the customer wants to pay for it, Yes.

thought uight basses were carved

@RosaStringWorks

3 жыл бұрын

If you pay 10 to $20000 for a bass they are carved

@billberry7444

3 жыл бұрын

@@RosaStringWorks ok

Firewood . Cost a lot of money. May as well buy a proper non plywood one .Really cannot see the point of all this

@RosaStringWorks

3 жыл бұрын

That was years ago, she still plays it daily.

Wow ! ! ! What a piece of... garbage. Better to rebuild than make new parts? I'll trust the man.

get that cough checked out, please.

Is more easy make new top jajajaja

Sounds like you got the virus 🤣

Dude take a day off when your that sick.

That's the worst quality instrument you ever had on .

Just stop trying to fix rubbish. Make a new spruce top ,only 20 hours work and a new lease of life for the thing. Customer will have a proper bass for the same money

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

I would charge $2500 for a hand carved top. Repair only took about 5 or six hours. Did what the customer wanted. She was quite happy. Thajks for watching.

@jonviol

8 жыл бұрын

Point is the repair was not fully satisfactory. The original construction glue has clearly failed holding the veneers together so unless all the layers were reglued throughout there are bound to be areas of weakness left. Not mine and hate to critisize other's work. If the customer is happy and you've got paid then job done. For me though it's not a happy job.And I think you know that. Jonny UK

@RosaStringWorks

8 жыл бұрын

+jon viol Thanks for your opinion. It is valid. I recommend the options but the customer makes the final call. She has been using it a lot for the last 6 months and it seems quite solid.

@falconeddie1masterpicker671

7 жыл бұрын

I am totally against changing anything on vintage items. I like them original. Old cars, old Harley and old guitars. And like Jerry said it was the difference between a $2500 repair or a $300 repair.