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Old 06-07-2010, 07:36 AM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
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Lightbulb addition..

On some of my basses that were restored, the angle break does NOT have a brace there. My Hart for one has Linen over the break and a few long vertical 'finger' patches over the joint in places. I think in this case it was determined than the Back was very strong and in near mint condition and didn't need any more wood added than necessary. It has a center brace of normal width and a lower brace shaped like a bass bar.

My Lott copy bass has a modified single 1/2 X style brace with a bass bar shaped piece opposite it on the bottom as well. The upper angle break has mainly just Linen across it.

I would have to put both of these up on the Bench to better map out and explain things. Also, my Panormo school bass which is a round back has spaced out Studs across its break point as did my previous owned attributed Dodd/Betts bass of which was pointed out to me 'done in the style of Panormo'.

All in all, there is NO standard way. Those that put 3, 4 or 5 braces in by measurement alone are just not thinking things over all the way. Depending on where you and your bass live, the bracing might need less support so that the Back can breathe and move a bit rather than having something come apart.

Consider the sound of the bass before the job, the strength and thickness of the back, its repairs and condition of them, the size of the bass including length of the bouts and their width and then just take a guess at what would be enough to hold it together and not too much so as to hamper its vibration of sound transfer. Unless you continuously do it over and over in several ways on the exact same bass and do nothing else each time but alter the braces, it would be impossible to tell what the differences are. Weigh your options and 'why' and choose a sensible method.

I have seen more ways to brace a back than I could list.
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