Beautiful work-I'm always impressed when the hidden work is done with as much care as the visible.

Matt, to my eye looking at that powdery-like soft wood, the first thing that comes to mind is wood worms, like powder post beetle or something of that nature. How does the corner block look that this was sitting on as far as any similar damage? Also, I don't see that much edge damage at all from previous Back removals as we know the Back is rarely taken off if at all.

Very true. the back is rarely removed so perhaps there is another reason. I must have been on autopilot when writing that post! But there is no easily apparent worm or rot damage on the corresponding corner block. And I don't recall being too gung-ho im my removal of the back, either. So, cause uncertain.

Any progress?

nope. too busy with other things. Back is getting flatter and workshop backlog is clearing though ...

Not a huge progress but I think I had better feed you a little more anyway ...

After lot of patience the back is flat enough to deal with.

I don't have a shooting board four feet long so I improvise one on the benchtop. That's a #6 Stanley sliding on a waxed laminex benchtop.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7...4e1ece8c1b.jpg

The centre joint is dirty to the core so I have to plane back to clean wood.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6...9e77d0db3a.jpg

its nice putting the halves together like this because I can see how the two pieces are only a sawblade's width apart from the same plank. At least. i think i can see this.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/7...897909d5fd.jpg

I'll have to chalk fit the centre joint i think. The Stanley is good for getting a nice flat joint and the Veritas low angle bock plane will help me smooth any ripples.

Matthew,will you be installing a strip in the center to make up for lost wood due to planing and shrinkage? Looking good, by the way.

Possibly. I haven't had to plane much off, just carefully skimming the surface so far. I plan to do a test fit with the rib garland and see. I'd rather not if I can get away with it.

Often, over the years the plates shrink slightly and the wider areas over the Bass start to loose they overhang and become flush with the Ribs or worse. I think, even without seeing your bass in person that a minimum of a 2-3 mm center strip will be needed. Of course you have the bass and the birdseye view so I know you will make that call if need be. Unless the Bass had a proud overhang to begin with, the strip might be necessary. It is quite common on old basses, especially when you have to re-joint the center seam.

Well I did a test fit and although i think i could get away with no centre strip, I think I'll make life easier for myself and give my self 2-3mm back.

Dang ... which means I have to make an aesthetic choice of what to use down the centre of this highly flamed back!

A very dark hardwood, like rosewood, walnut or ebony, so as not to detract from the flame?

Rosewood or Ebony will move and shrink at a much greater rate than Maple throughout the seasons. Also, they are Oily woods and should be de-resinated befor gluing. On the Loveri, we used Tropical Walnut which I supplied, aged in my stock for over 15 years.

I'm looking sideways at a nice sliver of very dark zebrawood right now. You can hardly see the brown/black striping, but it is there.

Ken, thanks. I did not know that. I thought being dense they were more dimensionally stable than that, and although I know rosewood is resinous, I didn't know ebony was considered the same. That would make them difficult to glue for a thin stringer. Another dense wood that comes to mind that, in spite of its name, does age to a dark, even brown is purpleheart. What is your opinion of that wood as a stringer? I see it a lot on the electric side of things.
Indeed. I have a chunk of that right now I'm thinking about as a bridge block on an electric guitar to contrast the reddish finish.

Personally, I don't think dimensional stability on a 2mm wide piece of whatever is anywhere near as important as the dimensional stability of the 14" wide pieces of maple its glued to! Even if it is (properly seasoned) wood that shrinks and expands more than maple, it is only a very small percentage of its own dimension, and a small percentage of 2mm is a tiny fraction of a small percentage of the maple, if you see what i mean. And the long-ways shrinkage is insignificant. I'm more concerned about it "taking" hide glue but I haven't yet met a wood that can't be glued with hide glue very well. I'm sure they exist but i haven't found it yet.

I have not personally seen the need to de-resin (or de-oil!) ebony before gluing. And none of my fingerboards have fallen off yet.

The only problem *I* have with purpleheart is the revolting colour. How anyone can love it, is beyond me :-)

Over time with Ebony glued to maple you can feel the glue joint edge. So, something like the back of a bass is not like a fingerboard that can be replaced over time. The center strip of the back must stay for life and by the age of this or any other bass, we are talking 100s of years. Mostly, I see strips of maple being used on maple backs. Nothing fancy but it works. If you want dark, walnut works just fine. Having a bit of experience with all of these woods mentioned, I think maple or walnut are your best choices and colors to work from.

All good points Ken.

On the other hand, a fingerboard is a much bigger chunk of ebony, glued to a smaller chunk of maple. So the movement is going to be more significant there.

Lol, for sure but to find out, you might have to live a bit longer than the rest of us. ;)

Don't worry Ken. I'm planning to!



And May the Fourth be with you.

Well, Matthew, I had missed almost all of this great thread, so I have spent the time to sit and read through every post. Very engaging, fascinating stuff.

I'm looking forward to seeing the final product. I hope to begin another bass this month, but there have been a number of developments lately that might make me postpone again. (Sure hope not-- it has been five years sunce I finished the last one...)

Press on, my friend!

Chet Bishop