Questions: Upright Bass

by James Condino and Randy DeBey

Originally published in American Lutherie #80, 2004 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2013



Dan Poehnelt of Marshfield, WI asks:

I have a client who would like me to make him an upright bass. Do you have any idea where I can get some specs or instructions to make one of these?


Rhett Runolfson of Springville, UT asks:

I mostly work with guitars but the local music store said that if I helped them with setups on their orchestral instruments, which are shipped in from the Orient, I could probably get some of their guitar work too.

Well... I’m getting my butt kicked on this bass. I have to remove the fingerboard and shave the neck down to get the proper angle. How do I get the fingerboard off? Heat and a seam knife don’t seem to be doing the job. And what is the proper angle for the neck for a contra bass? Is there a book that I could pick up on orchestral instruments that could tell me these things or would someone know a secret on this Oriental glue that is impervious to heat?