Slab vs. Quarter, wide vs. fine

[Arnold Schnitzer]

The main reason slab-cut wood has been used for basses over the centuries is that it is cheaper. A log will yield lots of slab wood, and it's also easier to cut. Slab-cut wood will contract and expand twice as much as quarter-sawn wood across its grain. That means a bass with slab-cut plates will be more likely to develop bulges and open seams. Slab-cut wood is also weaker in withstanding the pressure of strings on a bridge, so over time it will tend to sink and distort. On the plus side, this weakness makes it vibrate more in the lower frequencies, generally resulting in a strong, boomy bottom end tonally. Many old Italian basses have slab-cut plates; nearly all of these have sunken and required re-arching and reinforcement. But of course the tone can be fabulous. Nowadays, makers like myself are expected to produce handmade instruments that will last centuries (not decades) with proper care. Utilizing high-quality quarter-sawn wood makes the most sense with that in mind. Having said that, I'll admit to having a nice stash of slab-cut wood for tops and backs. Letting it age for as long as possible helps it to be more stable.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

The main reason slab-cut wood has been used for basses over the centuries is that it is cheaper. A log will yield lots of slab wood, and it's also easier to cut. Slab-cut wood will contract and expand twice as much as quarter-sawn wood across its grain. That means a bass with slab-cut plates will be more likely to develop bulges and open seams. Slab-cut wood is also weaker in withstanding the pressure of strings on a bridge, so over time it will tend to sink and distort. On the plus side, this weakness makes it vibrate more in the lower frequencies, generally resulting in a strong, boomy bottom end tonally. Many old Italian basses have slab-cut plates; nearly all of these have sunken and required re-arching and reinforcement. But of course the tone can be fabulous. Nowadays, makers like myself are expected to produce handmade instruments that will last centuries (not decades) with proper care. Utilizing high-quality quarter-sawn wood makes the most sense with that in mind. Having said that, I'll admit to having a nice stash of slab-cut wood for tops and backs. Letting it age for as long as possible helps it to be more stable.

My post took longer to write and you beat me to the board.

Please define a few things where I mentioned your Name with a ?.

Also, elaborate as much as you like if any on the copy bass in progress. I am not sure which excites me more, the restoring of the original or waiting for the copy to be completed.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

My post took longer to write and you beat me to the board.

Ken, I wrote a post. You wrote a book.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Ken, I wrote a post. You wrote a book.

Back to the bass I am having made which is relevant to the conversation, I have the choice of choosing any wood I want. Cost is no object nor is wood source or geography. I chose matching flamed Eastern Maple Bosnia/Carpathian? (Arnold?), and some fine grained Spruce (Arnold?).

Would you mind confirming the species of the Top and Back woods being used to the new 'inspired' copy bass?

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Would you mind confirming the species of the Top and Back woods being used to the new 'inspired' copy bass?

The top is tight-grained Engelmann Spruce. The back is maple (Pseudoplatanus) that I bought from a wood dealer in Slovakia, so I assume it came from that general area.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

The top is tight-grained Engelmann Spruce. The back is maple (Pseudoplatanus) that I bought from a wood dealer in Slovakia, so I assume it came from that general area.

So Arnold, if this maple from Slovakia happens to 'check' (aka crack) then you would call it Check-Slovakia?

Off of the jokes now and for the readers, so this is the same or similar regional wood as Bosnian Maple and that sort that was considered to be the choice of maple used by Strad' then, correct?

[John Delventhal]

Arnold, you mentioned that a slap-cut top would makes the bass vibrate more in the lower frequencies, generally resulting in a strong, boomy bottom end tonally.

What about combining the two types of cuts? Keep the quarter-sawn wood in the center of the top table for the bridge, neck block, and heel block. But, have the outer sides of the table be slap-cut. Would this help create a strong instrument that could still produce those incredible lows.

I am sure this has been done somewhere. Has anyone ever seen/played a bass like this. How was it structurally, and how was the sound?

[Thomas Erickson]

Wow! Nice posts!