Quote:
Originally Posted by David Powell
Well, all theories aside, I had another practical experience with this last night. I had been playing with a couple of folk fellows for about a year and last year due to other commitments, family, etc., these two fellows took a long break. We have a gig soon requested by an old fan so last night we put the band back together and the perception of both of those fellows was that my bass was both louder now and has more bottom end now. I haven't changed anything about the set-up of the bass in almost 3 years now. They were using amps on the dreadnoughts to keep up with my volume. Of course for the last year my bass has been getting a lot of playing time.
Just out of curiosity, how large are wormholes and the worms that chew on basses? I have some odd looking almost microscopic looking little winding patterns forming under the finish of the bass on the top where the corner blocks are glued to the top. Could that be a sign of an infestation? It is just in the areas where the corner blocks are. I'd take a photo, but I don't have any macro attachments for digital cameras and these are really, really, tiny little lines.
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Worm holes are about the size or a small pin maybe 1mm or so at most. I have never seen the actual worm myself, just the holes.
Basses shift in the summer and winter. Some basses sound better one season or another depending on the bass and its set-up. On wood aging, I doubt your Bass was aged as well as some of the older instruments especially those by the master makers. Then again, many quick made instruments were not seasoned as well and after 100 years, look much worse that well season wooded made instruments well over 200 years old.
One of the secrets is not a secret. It's just good quality and care in every step of the making. This is something that many makers could not afford to do money and time wise. They needed to make a living as well. The
Back on my Hart Bass (c.1830) is to die for while my
Loveri Back (bass made 1873) is just the opposite although I have seen worse, much worse and on Basses half their age!