1958 5f6-a Bassman Baffle questions: repair or replace?

[YankeeTeacup]

Hello all,
First time poster here, so I apologize if the formatting is sub-par.

I recently acquired a 1958 Bassman from a long-time friend in the VA area for $240...God Bless him!
It was recovered to look BF many many years ago, as the petina is legit, and the materials (grill cloth, logo, tolex) used are period.
I'm curious if the Fender factory took in people's gear for recovering once the new cosmetics were unveiled?

I disassembled it and confirmed all of the electronics are 100%. I moved on to the cabinet and found the typical damage to the mounting "wings". cracks that run from the inside corner of the input jack tot the finger joint, and a little separation along the cabinet finger joints.
These cracks are not concerning to me, as I can glue/clamp everything back into place and replace the reinforcement dowels.
The worse damage is to the baffle, which has several cracks. Two of the cracks are in the webbing between the upper and lower left, and upper and lower right speakers, and one of the worst is from the upper edge of the baffle into the upper right speaker cutout.

I'll need to address this damage either with some very careful glue-ing to salvage the original wood, or getting a replacement.

In your collective experience, what is the best way forward? I could call Mather Cabinets, Armadillo, Mojotone, etc. to RFQ on repairs, or RFQ on a new baffle.
If replacement is the right path, I'd prefer not to DIY a new baffle and just pay/wait for the pro solution, as my living situation cannot accommodate woodworking.

If the information would be valuable, I can also post my detailed notes and measurements of the original baffle. I know that there is always some discussion as to thickness, material, etc and maybe that information would shed some light on the truth.

Attached are two pictures, one of the amplifier fully assembled and running, showing the BF cosmetics, and the second is a disassembled shot of the baffle, showing the cracks.

Again, please advise if my formatting or attachment of the files is flawed! I need more practice posting!

Cheers all, glad to be a part of a community dedicated to this information!

-YT

[martin manning]

Nice amp! I think I would try gluing the original baffle by gently spreading the cracks and forcing some Titebond into them, with some plastic slipped between the grille cloth and the baffle to protect the cloth. You don't have anything to lose. If it fails, replace it. As far as who redid the cosmetics, I'd guess a local shop, or owner with access to the materials and logo plate.

[YankeeTeacup]

Nice amp! I think I would try gluing the original baffle by gently spreading the cracks and forcing some Titebond into them, with some plastic slipped between the grille cloth and the baffle to protect the cloth. You don't have anything to lose. If it fails, replace it. As far as who redid the cosmetics, I'd guess a local shop, or owner with access to the materials and logo plate.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll give that a try. I have plenty of teflon sheets that I use and reuse as glue release film. I'll also attach my dimensional drawings here.

[Phil_S]

Initially, I thought exactly what Martin suggests. On further reflection, I'm not sure how well PVA type glue will work on plywood layers that run in the wrong direction for glue. I think I'd be inclined to use thin viscosity CA glue (superglue) to be sure it gets inside the crack or maybe epoxy. I might supplement that by gluing and screwing a cleat over each crack. I'm inclined to believe that will work. If it fails, as Martin says, you've lost nothing. Any local cabinet shop should be able to make you a baffle.

[martin manning]

CA doesn't fill gaps very well, which is why I suggested Titebond (aliphatic resin). I considered epoxy, but thought that its relatively short working time and the inability to put some pressure behind it (like you could do with a Titebond glue bottle) might hinder its penetration.

[jabguit]

Initially, I thought exactly what Martin suggests. On further reflection, I'm not sure how well PVA type glue will work on plywood layers that run in the wrong direction for glue. I think I'd be inclined to use thin viscosity CA glue (superglue) to be sure it gets inside the crack or maybe epoxy. I might supplement that by gluing and screwing a cleat over each crack. I'm inclined to believe that will work. If it fails, as Martin says, you've lost nothing. Any local cabinet shop should be able to make you a baffle.

Titebond will work better than CA glue here - trust me.


cheers,

[Phil_S]

I see my logic on CA glue doesn't hold up. I'm sorry for the misdirection. In any case, the right glue can go a long way. FWIW, I think repair is totally within reach.

[Geeze]

I'd use an art or casting grade epoxy - longer working time lower VOC / smell. It takes a full 24 hours to cure. Hobby lobby has it. The 5 or 30 minute epoxies may be too stiff and may crack as the baffle flexes with use, they're also not as forgiving as the art grade. Tyvek tape is a good nonstick backer - home centers. I'd run some under the cracks by pushing the grill cloth out a bit to ensure no offside leakage occurs - don't ask me how I know this... Brush and blow out the cracks and use toothpicks to force the epoxy into the recesses. Sand flat when cured - I use a file for aluminum for quick stock removal - it doesn't gum up as fast as wood files.

If you want the epoxy to be black you can mix in mica powders - Hobby Lobby.

Russ

[powerwagonjohn]

I know this is an old thread but.... Sam Hutton, who worked at Fender originally covering cabinets. Later after Leo sold, Sam recovered amps and cabinets in his garage. Sam also made tweed covered clocks with the Fender name. So it is possible it could have been recovered by Sam, especially if it was a west coast amp.
Thanks John