Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Pope
There's one other detail I didn't address: break angle over the bridge. Generally, the greater the break angle, the more downforce this puts over the bridge, reinforcing sustain and the fundamental. The less angle, the lesser the sustain and the lesser the fundamental.
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This is overly simplistic. When you increase the breakover angle beyond the "norm", it can have different effects on different instruments. For example, a bass with a lightly-wooded top table may feel choked if the breakover angle is acute. A bass with a long upper bout will by its nature have a sharp breakover angle and will often respond and sound stronger, with more fundamental and sustain if that angle is reduced, not increased. There is theory, and there is practical application. Basses are non-standardized, so the theory is rarely spot-on; issues of "tightness", as our esteemed host mentioned above, are related to many factors, and need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis.