Welson Bass I REALLY want, but . . .

[Roland Owner]

This bass is a Welson from 1962-1965. Italian made. Optical design.
There are pictures of others like it at


The one I want looks pretty good except;
Neck at headstock has a crack that appears to have a brace on it.

What is this bass worth as is and how serious a repair does it need?

Thanks

[Bassassin]

That's a remarkable looking bass! I really like the out-there designs & finishes of many of the 60s Italian instruments.

Can't really say much about the value because there's no market as such to compare it to, but the rarity of these things does make them collectable. Brands like Wandre & Crucianelli can command some downright silly prices.

The repair's ugly but a competent luthier could fix this invisibly and it looks like it would be a fairly straightforward job. Breaks like this are glued back together and wooden splints inserted to reinforce the repair, like this:



Being black, the damaged area can be refinished to conceal the repair.

Jon.

[Roland Owner]

Well, The bass sold for $482.99. Too rich for my beginning collector wallet.