Bracing
Matt, I don't know how many French Basses like this you have done but just in case I would tell the experiences we've had here.
If it has the single step wide brace, good or bad, take it out. Put a normal Center brace, one lower and one upper. On the Mougenot bass of mine just restored by Jeff Bollbach he took out the single center brace which was not so different than your bass. The the replaced center is standard, flat about 5" wide or so. The upper and lower braces are shaped like a Bass bar, higher in the middle and tapered at he ends, maybe about 1 1/4" wide from looking thru the f-hole.
I also have a nice Claudot here, similar high flame wood like your bass and a single center brace as well. The bass is in fantastic shape and has has only a few repairs. On the brace stamped in 2 places is the name "Paul Claudot". Perhaps the stamps in the brace discouraged the past repairers from changing it.
The Mougenot is much more focused sounding now, fuller in tone and less hollow/French sounding like it was before the restoration. Perhaps the new bracing system helped.
|