Corvette splitting apart at bottom - how bad is this?

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guermo

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Just bought this 2003 corvette standard for 550 bucks. Upon receiving, I noticed this small gap in the wood at the bottom of the bass where the wood seems to be splitting apart. It is right where the two pieces of the body come together, they have drifted apart. There is no glue in the gap, it's just hollow there. How serious is this to the structure and value of the bass? Any suggestions?
 

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Hi Guermo & welcome.
What you have is a "raised seam".Your neck is a multi-laminate design & sometimes the seams between the laminates becomes swelled due to humidity or temperature.This is common in a new basses first 3 years when the wood is still settling in.I've given you a link to some very usefull info on this very subject.Best of luck mate. :wink:
 
Thanks so much Greg for the nice welcome! I appreciate your advice and I will read up. Edit - I read your post again - it's actually not on the neck but on the bottom of the bass under the bridge. The article you referred me to is about the neck also - is my situation the same - I can see all the way to the bridge through the gap in the pieces of wood at the bottom.
 
Welcome to the family!

The Corvette Std. is a BO model, but the repairs to laminated necks also apply to two and three piece bodies, so the links Greg gave should apply to the situation with your lower body. Otherwise, the best thing to do is have a professional luthier do the repair.
 
My vett had a split in the same spot,I sanded down the body a bit to smooth out some heavy wear spots and I saved the wood dust mixed it with some superglue and filled the split.after it dried I sanded it once more now the split looks like the rest of the glue joint.sorry I don't have any before and after pictures to show.I sure there's other ways of fixing the seperation but this one worked good for me.Hope this helps.
 
Welcome home :-)

I've seen Warwicks like this and except the visual effect you will not have problems with it, don't worry.
 
King David said:
The bridge will hold it together from getting too bad.
Click to expand...

If that neck wants to separate nothing is going to stop it.The grain on the laminates runs in different directions & if it wasnt for the glue,it'd be like trying to keep 2 magnets together.This design affords great stability. :wink:
 
james brunnning said:
My vett had a split in the same spot,I sanded down the body a bit to smooth out some heavy wear spots and I saved the wood dust mixed it with some superglue and filled the split.after it dried I sanded it once more now the split looks like the rest of the glue joint.sorry I don't have any before and after pictures to show.I sure there's other ways of fixing the seperation but this one worked good for me.Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

+1... I believe the pros do this... save the sawdust and mix it with superglue or epoxy. If in doubt, though, I'd take it to a pro, but I suspect there isn't too much to worry about
 
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