Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg
Arnold, what do you mean by and how do you "season" the bass?
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I think he means to acclimate it and dry it down to current local moisture content necessity. In drying wood, it only says that dry is kept in a dry area. Wood will continue to absorb moisture and release it like a sponge. Take some wood at 8% and put it a dame area and watch the surface moisture rise to 10% in a short time. In China, the have a wet/moist air climate from what I have seen with their exports. This is every brand. China is China. All they can do is dry it as dry as they can over there. When it reaches here it's no where near the moisture content we would use to make an instrument.
If you put the instrument in a fairly moist room here it will slowly dry out over time. If put in a dry area, it will dry too fast and crack. Necks can warp and twist as well including the scroll area. This is have seen where the head was twisted away slightly but noticeably away from the neck.
In making instruments at the prices of China, no way can they afford the time and expense to dry the wood down for 5-10 year minimum like we do here for fine instruments. If they do, it's in China's moist air. That doesn't help much once it gets here.
So, regardless of a Jay Haide, Jeckle and Hyde or Hide n Seek Chinese basses, local manufacturing moisture climate is what it is.