Neck replacement

[William Stephens]

Hi folks

After a long concert schedule at college that concluded with a performance of Beethoven's 9th I was left in some discomfort from my 43" stop 4/4 size bass!

I think I'm gonna take the plunge and start enquiring locally about the cost of cutting the instrument down at the top in order to shorten the stop slightly and bring the neck heel and bridge closer together.

My bass has also been subjected to the most hideous amateur style neck replacement and scroll graft at some point in the past.

I was thinking about the various methods that exist for replacing a bass's neck - ie completely precarved neck, partially precarved neck, new neck with scroll graft, etc.

At what sort of quality in terms of the instrument would a luthier starting thinking about a scroll graft rather than a precarved neck? and just how much work is saved by fitting a partially carved neck (with the heel left rough) rather than a full on graft?

What would happen if the instrument already has an extension fitted?


It would be interesting to hear some thoughts

thanks

Will