Quote:
Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer
The main reason slab-cut wood has been used for basses over the centuries is that it is cheaper. A log will yield lots of slab wood, and it's also easier to cut. Slab-cut wood will contract and expand twice as much as quarter-sawn wood across its grain. That means a bass with slab-cut plates will be more likely to develop bulges and open seams. Slab-cut wood is also weaker in withstanding the pressure of strings on a bridge, so over time it will tend to sink and distort. On the plus side, this weakness makes it vibrate more in the lower frequencies, generally resulting in a strong, boomy bottom end tonally. Many old Italian basses have slab-cut plates; nearly all of these have sunken and required re-arching and reinforcement. But of course the tone can be fabulous. Nowadays, makers like myself are expected to produce handmade instruments that will last centuries (not decades) with proper care. Utilizing high-quality quarter-sawn wood makes the most sense with that in mind. Having said that, I'll admit to having a nice stash of slab-cut wood for tops and backs. Letting it age for as long as possible helps it to be more stable.
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My post took longer to write and you beat me to the board.
Please define a few things where I mentioned your Name with a
?.
Also, elaborate as much as you like if any on the copy bass in progress. I am not sure which excites me more, the restoring of the original or waiting for the copy to be completed.
