Recommendations for repair of feral vintage bass case

[GuyR]

Evening all,

 

I have a particularly down at heel fender case dating to 1962, owned for 20 odd years.
Repaired prior to my ownership in a perfunctory manner with new MDF ends and gaffer tape, it has deteriorated from barely functional to complete decrepitude.

Other than the ends missing, faults include, but are not limited to; lining detached & mouldy, spine broken, leather and associated metalwork absent.

On the positive side, the Tolex is sound-ish, although filthy, the handle is ok, hinges and locks function after a fashion.

 

I’m never going to use it other than for indoor storage. Does anyone have recommendations for a restorer capable of a sound, functioning structural repair? 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2024 by GuyR
Typo

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

If it was mine I'd put it on ebay and make it someone else's problem.

 

Sorry that I couldn't be more help.

[Reggaebass]

Have you enquired at any local upholstery companies Guy,

I tried sourcing the lining once for a couple of mine and couldn’t find anywhere that supplied anything close 

[GuyR]

7 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Have you enquired at any local upholstery companies Guy,

I tried sourcing the lining once for a couple of mine and couldn’t find anywhere that supplied anything close 

I I don’t want a new lining. The old one is fine, just probably a fibreglass repair to the spine, new ends and leather.

[GuyR]

18 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

If it was mine I'd put it on ebay and make it someone else's problem.

 

Sorry that I couldn't be more help.

I have the bass that it was supplied with, should have mentioned that, otherwise I’d agree.

[OliverBlackman]

I’m sure somewhere like Charlie chandler’s, new king’s Road, or Martin Peterson would know of places that can do a job. They must have seen loads over the years in worse shape.

[pete.young]

Looks like a job for Suzie Fletcher on the Repair Shop.

[GuyR]

2 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said:

I’m sure somewhere like Charlie chandler’s, new king’s Road, or Martin Peterson would know of places that can do a job. They must have seen loads over the years in worse shape.

Martin is a good call. It came from him. 

[GuyR]

2 minutes ago, pete.young said:

Looks like a job for Suzie Fletcher on the Repair Shop.

Coincidentally she is on my to screen right now. Having said that, after what was done to the 66 Jazz bass on that show, maybe I won’t…..

[Happy Jack]

Staying with the Repair Shop concept, YouTube is awash with scarily clever people doing astonishing restoration work, resto-mods, and complete rebuilds as a way of getting people to watch a 20- or 30- or 60-minute YouTube video.

 

Maybe trawl through a few dozen of those, find some suitable craftspeople (phew! just for a moment there I thought I'd typed "craftsmen"), and offer your case up as a content source?