Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Swanson
So lovely!
Looks like a glue joint on the neck, maple-to-maple below the fingerboard. Do you reckon this was to stiffen the neck (or change the angle) after the initial fabrication, or did that look to you like part of the original construction?
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to share these photos.
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It is a Neck Shim. This is commonly used in place of re-setting the Neck/neckstand to improve the height of the Bridge and bring the Fingerboard up off the Top some.
I purchased my
Martini,
Bisiach (labeled),
Loveri and
Gilkes Basses with Neck Shims installed. The
Martini was repaired with a different Shim in ebony when the fingerboard was replaced. It really needed a New Neck graft and will be getting one soon. The
Gilkes Bass had the neck re-set and pushed out a bit with a Button graft in place of its pitched shim when it was restored. The Bisiach got a
new Fingerboard with its Extension and Shim removed. The Loveri will stay as it is. That one is the best I have seen.
The Neck on this Italian Bass looks to be the original to that Scroll. Eventually, it would see a Graft as Shims become more trouble than they are worth to keep re-doing with new Fingerboard Jobs. The way we play today and they way they played 100-150-200 years ago is completely different demand wise so Neck Sets are always being re-done to match playing needs. Shims are the cheaper way out but never excepted as permanent work.