question about back graduations

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Good stuff, Ken. But why put spring in any brace? To me, that's just asking for future trouble. The cross or x-brace is under spring pressure from the soundpost, so why also stress the glue joint?

While on the subject of bass back bracing, some colleagues of mine suggested installing what amounts to a single angled long brace, which I have used with excellent results. It's up to our esteemed host whether he wants to post the pics. (Nick Lloyd used this same system in his 2009 Silver Medal ISB bass.) It provides the requisite support for the bassbar, but avoids the cross-grain attachment which makes traditionally-braced flat-backs so trouble-prone.

Arnold, do I have pics from the inside of the Bass? If I do which were sent from you then it would be best that you post them. I do currently have the Bass that has that new system and will welcome it in any other future repair as it's seen fit to do so. The Bass sounds at least as good after as it did before. This is the modern English made Lott copy I currently have made in part by the former owned of the actual Lott who is a Luthier and another older Luthier that did the main 'frame work' on the Bass. After settling in the US/NE its first winter, I gave the bass to our esteemed maestro 'Sir Arnold' to repair and he did quite the fine job as usual I must say..