Plywood Bass Restoration, Part One

from his 2011 GAL Convention workshop

by James Condino

Originally published in American Lutherie #109, 2012

See also,
Plywood Bass Restoration, Part Two by James Condino



There were five different bass shops in Portland, where I used to live. Nobody came to me looking for help with a bass. About five years ago I moved to Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville, like most towns, has a million guitar players and lots of builders, but you have to drive 150 miles in any direction to find someone else who works on an upright bass — especially someone who plays. Within about ten months, just hiding in my dusty little shop with no advertising, I was the bass guy in North Carolina.

A lot of people ask why I want to work on those old plywood things that take up so much space. Just nine days working on basses allows me to do whatever I want for the rest of the month; then I can go back to making funny-looking green mandolins and prototype stuff. From a customer standpoint, bass players are the most gentle, mild-mannered, low-maintenance people I work with. They usually don’t ask for help until the action’s so high they physically can’t play it. After dealing with mandolin buyers, who will blow a gasket if it’s off .001˝ on the first fret, it’s like being on vacation.