Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker
 Surely, that comment doesn't apply to a flat-back replaced by a luthier who knows what he or she is doing?? |
Matt, in all due respect, living here in the northeast, Flatbacks do not do as well as Roundbacks. Ask any Repairman and he will tell you. Older basses have as good or better chance of survival. If already old with repairs around the instrument then we know where the instrument has relieved its stress from. If a new back or new bass, we are yet to find out but we will no doubt in these parts.
I am not making guesses here when I put statements like this on line. Having played and owned scores of Basses around New York and more recently Pennsylvania, both Northeastern US States, I can tell you from 40 years of 'adult' experience what Maple does in this climate. Even in building Electric Basses we see problems with Maple movement in usage. With a Flatback being so long and wide as a whole, it is bound for movement and if something in or on the Back doesn't give, it gives somewhere else.
Roundbacks are not immune either and this problem is also not exclusive to Maple. Out of about 8 older basses or so I recently brought over from Europe, two of them had Poplar Flat Backs. These moved no less when hitting the NE USA Winter climate than did any of the Maple ones. Another example is a Roundback English made Hawkes that lived for several decades in the South East of this country. It was restored here and then sold within a year to a professional player up here. Adjusting to the NE climate was evident each of the two Winters so far by seams popping on the Back and Top joints as well as one new Top crack from the Bass seam just not giving quick enough.
Unless a Bass falls down a flight of stairs, cracks in the Back like the Bass shown above is from movement and shrinkage. The amount of split is not direct evidence of the amount of shrinkage but rather the amount of stress relieved when it 'does' crack. Maple has irregular grain and does what it needs to do. When attached in case of a Bass, it takes its hostages with it at times like when the Top or Ribs split from the Back moving and 'not' coming apart first.
Old Basses? Fix them when you can. New Basses? Hope for the best. New parts on old Basses? Only when the old part is no longer repairable.
On some of my Basses, we tried a different Back Brace system to allow the back to 'float' more within its destined movement and therefore survive these 'seesaw' Winters we have over here.
I am talking to Arnold now about a 'new' Bass for myself and possibly a being modified copy of my Storioni. Still, we are even discussing making it with a Flatback but with this other type of bracing system. A Roundback moving when new will either pop a seam or a split a Rib or even the Top if the first two do not give first. Knowing that going forward I am just as confident with a Flatback made from old seasoned wood and this new bracing idea.
My vote once again Kurt is to fix the Back you have. It will match the bass better and once fixed, will look better than a New back and make that bass much more marketable to professional players. Try the new Bracing system that Arnold uses when the Back is up to that stage of restoration.