Restorations

There is nothing that can’t be fixed…

As luthiers working on fine vintage basses, our first objective is to do no harm. The original varnish and the original wood are protected and conserved as much as possible. When removing the top is unavoidable, we take measurements and make jigs that record the position of the neck and fingerboard relative to the upper corners of the body. This ensures that the instrument plays and feels the way it did before the repair.

Basses are vulnerable to all kinds of wear and tear, mishaps, and the ravages of climate. There may come a time when, after a thorough examination of previous repairs and unsuccessful attempts to address a worsening problem, it calls for a complete rebuild.

There’s nothing that can’t be fixed. We keep the shop stocked with repair wood that has been seasoned and is ready to be integrated into the structure of any bass, new or old.

Sometimes a top has become so distorted that repairs are impossible without first correcting the shape of the arching.
Sometimes an older bass’s geometry needs to be brought up to date by resetting the neck or cutting down the ribs in order to make it easier to execute demanding new repertoire.
We have developed techniques for making repairs through the f-holes and endpin hole that obviate the need to remove the top. This saves the owner money and prevents needless wear and tear on the instrument.
I met Robbie in 1997 while performing Dvorak’s bass quintet in Robbie’s hometown of Cambridge NY. The concert was in the fantastic acoustic of Hubbard Hall, one of the many venerable New England venues for music.
Since then Mr. McIntosh has become a master luthier and has seen to significant repairs and restorations of many of my basses. His work is nothing short of miraculous. He has a genius and tenacity for problem solving and is willing to go to great lengths to fix problems with the least invasive techniques- often entailing greater skill and obstacles. One case in point was with my M. Bergonzi which had suffered significant damage (at the hands of a stagehand!). The neck block was cracked and an internal two piece cross brace was split at its seam. I had always felt that the neck was a bit too short (having been replaced in the 19th century when the 3 string bass was equipped with a fourth string). I begged Robbie to make a slightly longer neck, preserving the 19th century angle and also to fix the cross brace without removing the top- this a seemingly impossible request. Well he invented a solution. Building a superstructure around the whole bass- he was able to use 7 steel fulcrums (3 through each F hole and one through the end pin housing and repair the cross brace without taking the top off! This was some 20 years ago. He showed me pages and pages of logo rhythms he had done to get the new neck and its angle just right. The bass sounded better than it ever had before- I was and remain thrilled.
Another miraculous repair and evidence of his tenacity at problem solving:
Several years ago my house was flooded (burst pipes) and my beautiful 19th century German bass and my 1937 Paul Toenniges diamond bass had severe damage done to their varnish- effectively ruined. Once again I begged (sorry Robbie!) to see if he could somehow fix it while preserving the original varnishes. Robbie consulted with museum furniture conservators, studying and experimenting with chemicals for months until ultimately solving the problem and restoring these instruments to their former beauty, preserving the original varnish- miraculous.
Now it is an inspiration to see his collaboration with his daughter, Helen, who has already become a maker of beautiful basses.
The quiet undistracted focus in their rural shop is a beautiful and inspiring thing to witness.
--John Feeney
Principal bass Orchestra of St. Luke’s, The American Classical Orchestra and Opera Lafayette. Founder of the Serenade Orchestra, Quartet and Trio.