Hey, I have to thank Arnold Schnitzer here for his advice along the way. Also, if not for him, I would never have known what a block-cut was. I feel in a way that Arnold was somewhat of a 'ghost' on this project as I guided Biase thru the 'cut' process of the Shoulders but only after going thru several restorations and alterations of Basses with Arnold.
My ex-Morelli and ex-Prescott all needed String Length shortening and I was like a student in class discussing the planning of these Basses and taking mental notes. You gotta be 'mental' to some degree to take all the risks that I have with reviving all of these dead and sometimes oversized awkwardly playing Basses.
I consider Arnold to be my teacher in this part of the process to date. A lesson for all here is when having a bass adjusted, fixed, repaired, fully restored or even 'brought back from the dead' (like I have done many times now), try to learn as much as possible about not just 'what' was done but 'Why' it was done that way. The
Why is often more important then the
How!
The two possible plans originally discussed with Biase for the 'Cut' were either an actual Shoulder Cut and Rib Re-bending/shaping or his second suggestion of cutting the Upper Bout Ribs 2" and sliding them down the Corner Blocks. Then without re-shaping/bending the Ribs/Shoulders, trim the Top and Back plates to match the lowered Shoulders and re-purfle the Top area that was Cut. A new Neck Block might also be required depending on which way we went.
Then, after working with Arnold with restoration planning for a few years on the Basses I had aquired gradually the thought came to me. After several 'cries' from on-line readers of a similar Thread on TB saying to me 'Don't Cut the Bass', I thought.. "Why not do a Block Cut like Arnold did on the Morelli?"
I explained to Biase exactly what to do and how much to Cut up at the tips of the Top and it was done. The Block itself that is in the bass is not original anyway as we suspect this bass was Blockless in the Gamba style sense of the word. The Block in the Bass was dovetailed where the neck sits on Top of the Block, not IN the Block. So, cutting about an inch off the Block, adding some wood to the underside of the Block to make it extend deeper into the Bass and setting the Neck INSIDE the Block over an Inch instead of on Top of the Block made the String length reduction a Breeze. Only the Tips of the Top were Cut and the original Purfling around the Shoulders still remain intact. The String length is now just under 42" with the Bridge a bit above the notches from a length before of about 44". I remember Arnolds words in the beginning like "good luck on getting that Bass down to 42". Well, my good luck came from none other than Arnold himself with his Block-Cut idea that I borrowd and conveyed to Biase.
Arnold?.. Thank You.. Lunch is on me next time regardless of whose turn it is..
