Neck set - bridge height question

[Matthew Tucker]

Interesting. So you are going to cut the back of the Storioni to fix this



so that the new button is made from the intact back wood, and including the centre stripe, then re-purfling??

Are you grafting the scroll, or using the existing heel?

Are you also cutting the front?

[Sked James]

sorry for butting in here , but was watching this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfSONJgwBIM&NR=1

of Ray Brown on u-tube just now , take a look at 3m31 secs , where he gets up off the stool , freeze frame ... you can get a really good look at the overstand , ... THERE ISN'T ONE !
...Ha ! the fingerboard looks to be flat on the bass ribs .

Watch the whole clip to see Ray play , especially the 'A flat ' blues , this 'incorrect' setup doesn't seem to hinder or bother Ray . And he sounds marvelous.
makes me wonder about all the importance you guys are placing on the optimum overstand. i think neck angle to achieve optimum bridge height is more critical , this bass looks like it has a tall bridge .
if the bass plays ok , why 'fix' it .
if this bass in the clip wasn't a good player , you can betcha Ray wouldn't be playing it .
just my 2 cents worth .

[Arnold Schnitzer]

You can drive a car on bald tires, but you can drive a lot better on good ones.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Interesting. So you are going to cut the back of the Storioni to fix this



so that the new button is made from the intact back wood, and including the centre stripe, then re-purfling??

Are you grafting the scroll, or using the existing heel?

Are you also cutting the front?

'

First off, sorry for the late reply..

Let me explain the current condition of the Back/Purfling/Button/Neck/Scroll and what ever else is involved in this.

The original Back Button is long gone before our time so something was done in that area and I am not 100% sure what. The Neck/Scroll graft is currently on too shallow of a plane which probably caused the Scroll to be cut for the previous C-Extension. Actually I think Riccardi mentioned that HE himself made the current Neck that is in the Bass and grafted it but the Extension was done some 30 years earlier. Probably to keep the Extension fit he just made a new Neck to his liking (or for whatever reason) and did the graft the same to match the Extension that was there since the Scroll was already cut. The Neck is a tad long and nearly an Eb stop so that in itself is not what we need for this.

This bass will get a clean Block Cut around the Shoulders of the Ribs and will loose the tips of the Top of some inch or two (not sure what we measured) and set the Neck lower into the Block which will probably be lengthened inside as was done with the 'Hart' Neck Block that was shallow inside and the 'Big Ben' Neck Block which was not only cut an inch but also modified from a *******ized Dovetail and mortised quite deep to set the new Neck.

The Back Purfling will be restored to a degree to follow the New Button that will be made from the upper Back just below the replaced button now on the bass. If the purfling cannot be re-used, I imagine that Arnold will make some to match unless we do a Back Button Plate like was done on the Big Ben Gamba.

The String length is now well over 44" and needs to finish up at 42" maximum. Cutting the Block will help bring the Bridge closer to the Octave. Doing all the shortening from the Neck alone will just push the Octave notes further down and away, not closer.

So, the Bass will get a Block Cut, Neck Block modification and re-mortised, new Back Button, new Neck/Scroll graft, Scroll repaired to match up as best as possible to look original.

The Top, Back and Ribs will be also repaired in this restoration. This Bass will also get a new chromatic C-Extension as well which will hide most of the Scroll repairs if anything is visible at all.

In the end, this bass sould play at least as easy as before but without the needed hand/finger stretching from playing it at over 44". Tone-wise I expect it to be slightly more focused as well as maybe some added Volume. Volume is not something this bass ever lacked as far as its reputation goes. Still, I welcome any improvements in tone after the restoration but would be just as happy if it stayed close to the same it was before.

Condition and playability is the main reason for this restoration, not sound improvement.