Quote:
Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer
Lest one assume that every repair/restoration job includes regraduation, I just want to point out that it is far from the first thing considered when trying to improve tone. Most well-made basses are in pretty good shape from day one as far as plate thicknesses. With those, the initial attempts to improve the sound will include string change, soundpost adjustment, fingerboard and bridge set-up, tailpiece change, etc. If all that fails to bring good results, and dis-assembly is on the menu, the bass bar may be altered or changed, linings reduced, and/or lumps removed. Complete top and/or back regraduation is more or less the last resort, unless the instrument is so obviously overly-wooded as to make it a clear necessity. An example would be a Claudot flatback I worked on several years ago. The top table, very strong spruce, measured 12mm thick in the center and 9mm around the edges. There's no way a heavy bass with a top that thick can make a reasonably good sound.
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Ok Arnold, so a bigger bass like this French Claudot at 12mm-9mm, what were the approximate finished thicknesses when all was said and done?
I want to point out to others (Arnold, you can agree or correct me) that the size of various basses being
not created equally, the graduations need to be different for a 3/4 as compared to a 4/4.
When my Mougenot (a French Bass for the most part) was recently opened by your (Arnold's) esteemed colleague Jeff Bollbach, I asked about the graduations because from the outside looking at the f-hole thickness, it looked quite 'healthy' to say the least. He mentioned that for a bass of this size (a 4/4 by Europe's standards, 7/8 here) that the Top should be thicker for its length ad width. Also, this bass being a 'makers instrument' and not a factory French production, it was done as it should be with proper and thoughtful graduations as you would find on a hand made Vuillaume.
So, the Claudot I assume from what I have seen was a 7/8ths by our local language? What were the final numbers if you recall them?
I mainly want to point out as mentioned above that size in length and/or width will alter the needed thickness as much as the density of the wood and its arching as well.
Oh, and to make a bass sound better without any repairs at all, the first thing one should try is lessons and a lot of practice.
You would be surprised how much better a bass sounds when played rather than sitting in a case.
Also, played correctly is so much more pleasing to the ear..
