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Old 11-11-2012, 09:24 PM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Thumbs up Tweaking the Hart..

I posted this in the Classical Strings/new Pirastro Deluxe, but it's mainly about the bass itself, the Hart. I think this is something people should be aware of when major restorations are performed.

That Flex proto set I was on the fence about? On and off the Hart, then Mougenot and then back on the Hart? Remember my comments here about that?

Well then, we did something..


Unrelated (partially) to strings, I sent the Hart in to Arnold for a 5-year check-up on the restoration break-in. A lot of new wood in there. The Back has a new center and lower brace, the upper-mid left out and only studded on the angle-break. New half-edging all around and 3 different breast patches. One at each end of the bar and one under the post. so.. I asked Arnold to take off the Top and examine the repair wood and see if anything is making the bass overly stiff. The Flex Deluxe's were smooth one one bass and stiff on the Hart so after some nearly out-patient surgery (some of the repair wood trimmed), the Top back on and re-strung with the
same strings, a 4th time going on a bass, 3rd time on the Hart, the bass is like half new again. Not new in sound, just improved as if it's a different bass. Twice the power on the bottom as before and the upper notes, as smooth as they were before the first restoration. These strings NOW sound and feel great on this bass as opposed to before.

I attribute this to two possible things. The bass is improved and the strings are broken in combined but, they were broken in the 2nd time they went on and the bass sounded like itself, so it's beyond the break-in theory.


If a bass is tight within itself, a tight string will not help it. It will only amplify that situation. Like putting dark strings on a dark bass. In many cases between a bass and its chosen string, opposites attract.


The Hart is a dark smooth bass. Just not overly powerful, before! Now, it's a cannon and the Flex Deluxe set seems perfectly at home with it. I will play these strings till they 'go'. Then I will put a new set of them on that I already tried on the Panormo. I took them off after a brief trial and will have them available for the Hart when needed. These strings can make your day!


Theadditional work just performed on this bass is something I experienced on my old Italian bass over 35 years ago. Trimming the repair wood that was added can make a huge difference but you have to test the bass for awhile with the work done as-is before determining if the work needs to be trimmed. If repaired too lightly, the repairs could fail causing damage to the bass that was just repaired or new damage. Going back in after the restoration within a reasonable test/break-in time (2-5 years) is preferred.
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