Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg
How does one decide if a bass is a good candidate for this process? Is it strictly through measurement? Are there any generalizations that can be made about the appropriateness of this for other German shop basses?
|
If a bass is not working as a musical instrument, and its components are considerably thicker than average, it might be a candidate. Also, many shop basses were carved by machine and the graduation work is haphazard. By that I mean that there are thick areas in the plates that act like anchors, preventing the instrument from vibrating. Sometimes just smoothing out the lumps can be very helpful in improving the tone and response.
Major regraduation of master-built instruments is a controversial subject. Some enthusiasts believe it is disrespectful and destroys the value of the instrument. I have seen regraduation "butchery" where the plates were thinned way beyond what is customary or reasonable. And guess what? These instruments sell all the time, for big money. But the owner now has a time bomb on his hands. I feel that respectful, reasonable regraduation is something that should be done only with sober professionalism by luthiers who understand the ramifications. And as little original wood should be removed as is feasible.
In the case of German (or other) shop basses, regraduation or "de-lumpification" is often helpful, as is thinning out the doubled rib linings, and correcting the generally poor neck joints. Also, many of these basses have improperly located and/or oversized bass bars.