I am so happy that you have posted here, I have a 1915 German student bass that my cat knocked over about 10 years ago and no one would repair it and was told to just get rid of it. I almost did, but decided to just store it in the basement, that maybe someone would take on the project. Now ten years later your video popped up on my feed...it's a sign from God, you have made it accessible, thank you thank you thank you, you are a godsend
Thank you Linda! What a pleasant surprise to see your video at the top of the list. You rehaired my bass bow for me about ten years ago when I was a student at Westmont. Now I’m in Seattle and a seam in the back of my bass opened up, and it is so nice to have a clear instructional video like this.
Julee!! Hows it going? I just want to add that you will need to go back after about 10 minutes after clamping and remove the hide glue the squeezes out. You can peel it off with a toothpick if it’s a lot. Comes off like a noodle. I also recommend remove a one clamp at a time to wipe any glue residue with a paper towel dipped it warm water then quickly wipe the are dry. Any hide glue left on the varnish can damage the varnish if it dries and starts peeling. Let me know if you need any other support.
Linda, I just inherited a 30's Hans Schlimer violin, with lots of open seams and fallen soundpost! Your video was extremely helpful! I fabricated some clamps, dug out my hide glue, heated it up in some warm water, and did some repairs. It's quite a wonderful sounding instrument given its hibernation in a closet for the past 30 years in Florida!! Thanks again!! - J.G. (Arroyo Grande, Calif.)
Thank you so very very much! I have an antique autoharp and I'm probably the only autoharp owner in my town. I'm also in Amish country, and if you think a hidden population of people who do not believe in music doesn't affect where you live think again. I have been told by more than on luthier not to bother with this, and one even lectured me angrily for asking for advice while telling me they wouldn't bother at the same time- and all I wanted to know was what this video has to offer. So thank you thank you. I just need to find this glue and begin my little project. I am SO SO grateful!!!!!!!!!!!!
They've got some hide glue at Lemur Music if you can't find it anywhere else. It looks like enough for maybe one repair or two. I'm going to hunt the Amazon first.
Thanks so much for a simple explanation. I've got a bass to repair. I thought I got ripped off, but it probably got separated on the way from Rumania. No Big, now I just need to collect these tools. 🤗
Thanks so much! I've done a bunch of violins, but I'm new to bass. And, my new old bass opened up in 3 days in our dry, heat with wood stove house, and minimum 6 hour drive to get to anyone that can fix it. I just got a dampit for it, and already have the clamps and hide glue (used for violins, and guitar repairs). It was fun watching as I forgot how fast the glue gels. And, the cleanup tips were great too. So, thanks and wish me luck! Oh, and I heard someone cut straws to length and slip over the all-thread to provect the instrument.
straws work great as long as they don't restrict the clamp. cut two shorter lengths and hold the top one while you tighten the clamp. I usually go back and remove clamps one by one to clean any additional squeeze out well, then reclamp. good luck!
Yes the fingerboard is glued with Hide Glue. You must clean all the old glue off both the neck and fingerboard. I use hot water to soften it then a plastic scraper to carefully remove the old existing glue. You don't wants gaps when you re glue so don't leave any old glue and don't damage the edges. I always do a 'dry run' and clamp everything together to see how it fits and what the best technique will be . I then use a heat gun to warm the fingerboard and neck. I don't put too much glue on just the top, middle and bottom then I clamp and watch the edges to be sure they are flush both sides.
Thank you. My nephew's violin got an open seam on the neck bcos he pulled the strings too much I cannot even imagine why the bridge was still intact nor any of the string break. Now I know that noone has to open and reglue it. Thank you.
Linda, Thank you. I'll take a closer look at the button. Unfortunately, if it is a more involved repair it will have to wait until I can find the closest repair shop. We don't drive all the way into town unless we have to.
Hi James, yes if you have excessive build up of old dried glue that interferes with the seam closure you will want to scrape it out. Preheating the wood will help keep the glue from gelling too quickly, which could be an issue with a bass. I preheat cellos often when the shop is really cold or I'm gluing thicker wood sections like a fingerboard.
Hi it depends on how much time you require. You can use 192 or 310 . 310 gels faster so you want to do a dry run to make sure you can apply glue and get it clamped quickly.
I do go back now and remove one clamp at a time to do a more thorough wipe to remove all glue squeeze out and get all detectable glue residue off the varnish. I replace the clamp and move on to the next clamp.
I have a crack in a samuel shen from the dry air in the room I believe. The cracks are literally on the left side upper and lower. Is this glue appropriate for the job?
Hi Linda I was told that you need to heat the wood with a hair dryer before applying the glue, also that the old glue needs to be cleaned off the surfaces receiving the new glue. Is this not necessary? Thanks for your wonderfully enlightening video!!! i AM GOING TO REPAIR MY DOUBLE BASS IN A FEW DAYS, BUT I will wait till you respond to this.
SteelyP, is it the neck joint? Between the neck and neck block? That is a different type of repair because it is structural.. I really would have to see it to make any accurate suggestions.
I just noticed an open seam where the neck of the cello meets the body of the instrument. Could that also be repaired in this way? Because of where the seam is, it doesn't look like it's possible to clamp it.
Linda, I have a cello that has separated the neck from the body at the seam. Would I glue this with hide glue or wood glue since it is a structural part of the cello?
My daughter's inexpensive, student cello neck cracked. It did not crack all the way through, but rather at an angle. The cello is not worth paying a professional to fix, so I'm thinking I have to do try and fix it myself. Since the neck is under a good deal of tension, would titebond be a good glue for this type of repair?
You’re correct, I use warm water and wipe it taking care not to transfer glue where the clamps will be. I wipe wet then dry working very fast. If there is squeeze out when clamped a wait until it starts to gel then use a toothpick to remove it while it’s soft. Then I may remove one clamp and use warm damp paper towel to remove any remaining hide glue residue then replace the clamp. Repeat for each clamp. Do not peel dried glue of the varnish the next day. If you discover dried glue drips you missed you will need to remove the glue with warm water and Q-Tips. This takes long so cleaning at the time of gluing is the best.
hide glue has a short set time. heating wood only prolongs this amount of time you have before it sets, once the glue lowers in temperature it crystalizes, but don't burn it, or it'll ruin your batch. and she forgot to mention that if you dont have it clamped before it jells then you MUST clean off glue an start over.
Remember this instructional video is for minor openings not replacing a top. I can't imagine someone working so slow with a 2" opening that they couldn't get it glued and clamped in under a minute.
Tery, that joint should always be done with hide glue. You can use a stronger hide glue like 315.. Often the back button breaks along the purfling line. If your back plate button has broken when the neck came loose you have a much more involved repair. Not a do it yourself repair.
I don't want to go into any major repairs with my videos. If you want to try more involved repairs there are good resources like the Weisshaar book.. A little knowledge can be dangerous so a video is not really a good place to learn more challenging repairs. Seam openings are easy enough and you're not likely to hurt the instrument if you wipe down well and don't tighten the clamps too much. Just snug to close the seam. Too tight and you could crack an edge off at the purfling.
I am so happy that you have posted here, I have a 1915 German student bass that my cat knocked over about 10 years ago and no one would repair it and was told to just get rid of it. I almost did, but decided to just store it in the basement, that maybe someone would take on the project. Now ten years later your video popped up on my feed...it's a sign from God, you have made it accessible, thank you thank you thank you, you are a godsend
I am so glad I found your videos! I just started learning how to do repairs to help my lower income students and I found this very useful!!
Thank you Linda! What a pleasant surprise to see your video at the top of the list. You rehaired my bass bow for me about ten years ago when I was a student at Westmont. Now I’m in Seattle and a seam in the back of my bass opened up, and it is so nice to have a clear instructional video like this.
Julee!!
Hows it going? I just want to add that you will need to go back after about 10 minutes after clamping and remove the hide glue the squeezes out. You can peel it off with a toothpick if it’s a lot. Comes off like a noodle. I also recommend remove a one clamp at a time to wipe any glue residue with a paper towel dipped it warm water then quickly wipe the are dry. Any hide glue left on the varnish can damage the varnish if it dries and starts peeling. Let me know if you need any other support.
Linda, I just inherited a 30's Hans Schlimer violin, with lots of open seams and fallen soundpost! Your video was extremely helpful! I fabricated some clamps, dug out my hide glue, heated it up in some warm water, and did some repairs. It's quite a wonderful sounding instrument given its hibernation in a closet for the past 30 years in Florida!! Thanks again!! - J.G. (Arroyo Grande, Calif.)
Hello from St. George Utah. No luthier in town, so I guess that makes me the next best thing after watching your video. Thanks for the tutorial!!!
Rock on!
Thank you so very very much! I have an antique autoharp and I'm probably the only autoharp owner in my town. I'm also in Amish country, and if you think a hidden population of people who do not believe in music doesn't affect where you live think again. I have been told by more than on luthier not to bother with this, and one even lectured me angrily for asking for advice while telling me they wouldn't bother at the same time- and all I wanted to know was what this video has to offer. So thank you thank you. I just need to find this glue and begin my little project. I am SO SO grateful!!!!!!!!!!!!
They've got some hide glue at Lemur Music if you can't find it anywhere else. It looks like enough for maybe one repair or two. I'm going to hunt the Amazon first.
@@phil20_20 I actually had managed to find some! And then life happened. Thanks for the reminder.
thats how an educational video should be. Very nicely done :) thank you so much Linda
Thank you so much, Linda. I'm one of those who lives in the sticks, and this was just what I needed to know!
Such a great, straight-forward, and informative video. Thank you!
Thanks so much for a simple explanation. I've got a bass to repair. I thought I got ripped off, but it probably got separated on the way from Rumania. No Big, now I just need to collect these tools. 🤗
Thank you for the lesson here in New York City trying to learn how to repair violins this video was very helpful I give it a thumbs up
Thanks. Great video. I am handy with wood and this gives me the courage to go ahead and repair my son's violin
Thanks so much! I've done a bunch of violins, but I'm new to bass. And, my new old bass opened up in 3 days in our dry, heat with wood stove house, and minimum 6 hour drive to get to anyone that can fix it. I just got a dampit for it, and already have the clamps and hide glue (used for violins, and guitar repairs). It was fun watching as I forgot how fast the glue gels. And, the cleanup tips were great too. So, thanks and wish me luck! Oh, and I heard someone cut straws to length and slip over the all-thread to provect the instrument.
straws work great as long as they don't restrict the clamp. cut two shorter lengths and hold the top one while you tighten the clamp. I usually go back and remove clamps one by one to clean any additional squeeze out well, then reclamp. good luck!
Many thanks for the generosity in sharing your skills.
Yes the fingerboard is glued with Hide Glue. You must clean all the old glue off both the neck and fingerboard. I use hot water to soften it then a plastic scraper to carefully remove the old existing glue. You don't wants gaps when you re glue so don't leave any old glue and don't damage the edges.
I always do a 'dry run' and clamp everything together to see how it fits and what the best technique will be . I then use a heat gun to warm the fingerboard and neck. I don't put too much glue on just the top, middle and bottom then I clamp and watch the edges to be sure they are flush both sides.
Many thanks. I will try this way for my violin's open seam.
Thank you. My nephew's violin got an open seam on the neck bcos he pulled the strings too much I cannot even imagine why the bridge was still intact nor any of the string break. Now I know that noone has to open and reglue it. Thank you.
Thank You, I am gluing my first bass top. I need about 40 of those clamps
Linda, Thank you. I'll take a closer look at the button. Unfortunately, if it is a more involved repair it will have to wait until I can find the closest repair shop. We don't drive all the way into town unless we have to.
blessings to you dear linda, thanks a lot
Hi James,
yes if you have excessive build up of old dried glue that interferes with the seam closure you will want to scrape it out. Preheating the wood will help keep the glue from gelling too quickly, which could be an issue with a bass. I preheat cellos often when the shop is really cold or I'm gluing thicker wood sections like a fingerboard.
thank you Linda. Do you have any vids showing how to repair Chips to the Body of a Cello please?
Wow so simple and informative
Thanks for your videos. Question: what glue would you use to reattach a cello neck that had a clean break from the body? 192g? Or something stronger?
Hi it depends on how much time you require. You can use 192 or 310 . 310 gels faster so you want to do a dry run to make sure you can apply glue and get it clamped quickly.
Great video, learned a lot, thanks!
I do go back now and remove one clamp at a time to do a more thorough wipe to remove all glue squeeze out and get all detectable glue residue off the varnish. I replace the clamp and move on to the next clamp.
I have a crack in a samuel shen from the dry air in the room I believe. The cracks are literally on the left side upper and lower. Is this glue appropriate for the job?
Hi Linda I was told that you need to heat the wood with a hair dryer before applying the glue, also that the old glue needs to be cleaned off the surfaces receiving the new glue. Is this not necessary? Thanks for your wonderfully enlightening video!!! i AM GOING TO REPAIR MY DOUBLE BASS IN A FEW DAYS, BUT I will wait till you respond to this.
Super video, thank you so much!
SteelyP, is it the neck joint? Between the neck and neck block? That is a different type of repair because it is structural.. I really would have to see it to make any accurate suggestions.
Excellent job!!
Thanks for the excellent vid. Would you recommend the same glue strength for bass seams?
Yes absolutely, it’s 192 strength.
@@lindawest6137 Thanks - have a great Thanksgiving...
Thanks! Very clear and helpful.
I just noticed an open seam where the neck of the cello meets the body of the instrument. Could that also be repaired in this way? Because of where the seam is, it doesn't look like it's possible to clamp it.
Nice vid, like the clamps
Linda, I have a cello that has separated the neck from the body at the seam. Would I glue this with hide glue or wood glue since it is a structural part of the cello?
Great video, thanks, Linda.
Thank you for the video. Is the same glue used to glue the fingerboard onto the neck of the cello?
Yes I use 192 it is used for fingerboards as well.
My daughter's inexpensive, student cello neck cracked. It did not crack all the way through, but rather at an angle. The cello is not worth paying a professional to fix, so I'm thinking I have to do try and fix it myself.
Since the neck is under a good deal of tension, would titebond be a good glue for this type of repair?
Is it possible to fix a bended neck in a cello?
You did not show the cleaning of the area where you applied the new glue. I am sure you did clean it but how did you go about doing so? Thanks.
You’re correct, I use warm water and wipe it taking care not to transfer glue where the clamps will be. I wipe wet then dry working very fast. If there is squeeze out when clamped a wait until it starts to gel then use a toothpick to remove it while it’s soft. Then I may remove one clamp and use warm damp paper towel to remove any remaining hide glue residue then replace the clamp. Repeat for each clamp.
Do not peel dried glue of the varnish the next day. If you discover dried glue drips you missed you will need to remove the glue with warm water and Q-Tips. This takes long so cleaning at the time of gluing is the best.
Very helpful!!!
hide glue has a short set time. heating wood only prolongs this amount of time you have before it sets, once the glue lowers in temperature it crystalizes, but don't burn it, or it'll ruin your batch. and she forgot to mention that if you dont have it clamped before it jells then you MUST clean off glue an start over.
Thank yous for sharing!
Hello, my cello seams opened, but I small part also warped, is there any way to fix this?
Sophie Baumann it depends on how badly it warped. Was it the rib? Did it bulge outward?
Thank you!!
thank you for this!
Thanks!!!!! this helped me significantly :) you are a Cello surgeon
If you don`t have hide glue you can use kitchen gelatin (for eg cake). Which is basically cleaned up hide glue.
Great Video. May you share the thickness of knife?
The knife is a very thin painters pallet knife. About 0.3 mm I haven't mic'd it yet.
very helpful, thanks!
Remember this instructional video is for minor openings not replacing a top. I can't imagine someone working so slow with a 2" opening that they couldn't get it glued and clamped in under a minute.
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Nice!
Tery, that joint should always be done with hide glue. You can use a stronger hide glue like 315.. Often the back button breaks along the purfling line. If your back plate button has broken when the neck came loose you have a much more involved repair. Not a do it yourself repair.
oh no 🙁❗️
I wish I had seen this video earlier. I used wood glue.
Thanks for the great video.
You can possibly undo it with De-Glue Goo which is acidic acid. Then clean the joint, let dry then glue it with 192 Hide glue.
Is this basically how to fix a Double Bass with the same problem?
Yes same process. you just require bigger spool clamps.
The second I started watching this video, I was worried about fixing my stereo speakers first...
Staples or small nails will do. :) Kidding.
I don't want to go into any major repairs with my videos. If you want to try more involved repairs there are good resources like the Weisshaar book.. A little knowledge can be dangerous so a video is not really a good place to learn more challenging repairs. Seam openings are easy enough and you're not likely to hurt the instrument if you wipe down well and don't tighten the clamps too much. Just snug to close the seam. Too tight and you could crack an edge off at the purfling.