I was walking to my sink earlier today and my foot caught my strap and pulled my bass of of my guitar stand. This accident cause my baby to smack against the hard floor. I picked it up and popped the pickup cover back in place then I noticed a HUGE crack(7 or 8 inches long!!!!!!!) running from from about the nut down. I'm pretty sure its just a crack in the finish but I'm not sure. So if anybody has any suggestions for what I can do please please please help me out.
-Mike S.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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beatlefreak
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jim_morris
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Man! I am so sorry that happened to you, that is the nightmare of every Rick owner 
Impact damage onto a hard floor usually cracks the finish in a much smaller area, if it is simply a finish crack that has not in any way damaged the wood underneath. Any crack that extends as long as 7 to 8 inches long has very, very likely split a glue joint or actually structurally cracked the wood itself. I second that advice to have it inspected by a professional luthier !!
Impact damage onto a hard floor usually cracks the finish in a much smaller area, if it is simply a finish crack that has not in any way damaged the wood underneath. Any crack that extends as long as 7 to 8 inches long has very, very likely split a glue joint or actually structurally cracked the wood itself. I second that advice to have it inspected by a professional luthier !!Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and sit in with the band whenever you can, to keep your chops up!
Mike that's awful. My worst nightmare. Perhaps send a few hi-res pics to Paul W. He'll advise you how serious the damage is.
“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein
"You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother" - Albert Einstein
"You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother" - Albert Einstein
So with further inspection on my ric, the crack is in the wood as well. I'm really bummed about that. Tomorrow I'm going to call some repair shops and see what my options are but if anybody has any ideas they would be very appreciated. For now I loosened the strings and tapped a sock around the neck for extra support. Thanks again for the sympathy.
Mike
Mike
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jingle_jangle
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Finishes generally do not crack unless from thermal shock. The second I read your post, I knew the crack was structural.
Find a luthier who can properly glue this crack up ASAP; you do not want playing dirt or sweat to penetrate into the freshly-exposed wood. This is often a simple repair for a luthier (haven't seen it, so can't comment definitively). Personally, I'd avoid super glue for this, as it will spoil the finish. See if the repair can be accomplished with more traditional methods.
Find a luthier who can properly glue this crack up ASAP; you do not want playing dirt or sweat to penetrate into the freshly-exposed wood. This is often a simple repair for a luthier (haven't seen it, so can't comment definitively). Personally, I'd avoid super glue for this, as it will spoil the finish. See if the repair can be accomplished with more traditional methods.
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
― Kurt Vonnegut
"if anybody has any ideas they would be very appreciated."
I've had cracks repaired on guitars, and once the repair is done the instrument will be solid and you'll forget its there. In most situations (in my experience) the repair is inexpensive and there won't be a need for refinishing.
One thing to consider, and just trying to help here: you've lost some value on your instrument with that crack, even post repair. If you have an insurance policy that covers that type of loss, don't forget to file a claim.
I've had cracks repaired on guitars, and once the repair is done the instrument will be solid and you'll forget its there. In most situations (in my experience) the repair is inexpensive and there won't be a need for refinishing.
One thing to consider, and just trying to help here: you've lost some value on your instrument with that crack, even post repair. If you have an insurance policy that covers that type of loss, don't forget to file a claim.
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rickaddict
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Ouch! This happened to me a couple times when I was in High School. I got some hacks on the pickguard, but thankfully no cracks in the wood. I had a habit of leaving my bass plugged in while it was on the stand, and another habit of tripping over my cord!
I've seen too many beautiful instruments destroyed from falling off their stands.
After you get the crack repaired, I recommend investing in the On Stage Pro Flip-It A-Frame guitar stand, model GS7465B. It'll only set you back about 30 bucks at your local GC. Scroll down the page to see it here:
http://www.onstagestands.com/2006brochures/guitar_brochure.pdf
These stands are bottom-heavy with a LOW center of gravity, plus the neck support has a locking mechanism. The thing is like a Weeble. It won't fall down!
I've seen too many beautiful instruments destroyed from falling off their stands.
After you get the crack repaired, I recommend investing in the On Stage Pro Flip-It A-Frame guitar stand, model GS7465B. It'll only set you back about 30 bucks at your local GC. Scroll down the page to see it here:
http://www.onstagestands.com/2006brochures/guitar_brochure.pdf
These stands are bottom-heavy with a LOW center of gravity, plus the neck support has a locking mechanism. The thing is like a Weeble. It won't fall down!
Play what you love, love what you play!
OK some good news for a change. I dropped off my broken 1976 4001 FL at the guitar repair shop today and they are able to fix it! First they are going to glue up the broken spot, then they are going to refinish the cracked spots so it will look good as new and they are going to wet sand and put a fresh coat of urethane on the fret board. All of that work is only going to cost around three hundred dollars which I think is a really good deal. Now I"m just going to sit patiently for the next 3-6 weeks wile they fix up my baby. I feel so much better that I got that taken care of!
-Mike
-Mike
Hmmmm...I'm pretty sure a fretboard refin with urethane can be blended into the conversion varnish at the sides of the fretboard. You also might try something different on the fretboard. My luthier's finally doing the fretless conversion on my 4004 this weekend. He specializes in building custom fretless basses and brushes an epoxy with the consistency of water on the board to seal it and make it extra hard to resonate better. Fixing the crack's no big deal though. Just make sure they don't get glue in the truss rod channels.