We use Titebond glue now just like we did back then. There were some issues with the original build itself - on the one side the joint was pretty messy - the wood had furred up a bit, and it simply wasn't square. We used a combination of what we call moon dust and glue. The moon dust is the fine dust from all Alembics that settles on the highest rafters here. We collect it and use it for purposes just like this one. The color was a pretty good match. I'll post pictures where I try to highlight the repaired area.
The top plates had lifted on the outside edges. This was an experimental build, and by looking at how we made it and how it aged, we can learn how to make something similar now that will hold up better over time - you have got to learn from your mistakes, right? The Bird's-eye Maple and the black binding and fill extend over the roundover, and that put extra stress on that joint. We managed to reglue it and it should be good for another few decades at least. I think now we would have the inlaid top stop before the roundover started.
Since we stripped the bass down to the wood, the overall finish wasn't difficult to get looking great. What surprised me was the Purpleheart. Even in the original images, I never remember it being very purple, but it sure is now! I always thought the top of this bass was Cherry from the images (the core is). But then again, they are old pictures and have aged plenty themselves.
