French Bass full restoration

[Brian Gencarelli]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

If anyone has any real, practical, tried tips about keeping a flatback flat for reglueing, send them through. This one wants to curl up like a potato chip. I've tried lots of things, dampening and clamping flat, using heat and clamps etc, drying out under lamps etc, but as soon as I pull the clamps off it starts to curl again. And not in the direction I want it to. Quite frustrating!! I'm now considering sealing the inside surface to slow the moisture loss.

The back on my Tarantino was the same way. When I took it off it when haywire. Looked like a big pringle. I did the same thing and clamped it flat. I also added the center strip to it, which was a crazy challenge. every thing I did I tried to make sure that it was clamped flat for final shaping. I think that it finally relaxed, but I just kept it in a really regulated room. (Clamped to the dining room table... the wife loved it. )

I think it finally relaxed to a point that I could get it re-joined, but it didn't come out perfectly. I had at least one or two proud spots and one dip. I think that was due to a flaw in my clamping process. Which I will know better next time. However, the bass sounded much better after taking all of that stress out of the back and making it function as a unit.

Do the halves at least match in their warpage? are they going different directions?

Don't have all the answers for you, but hope you get it worked out.

Best,
Brian