"Cornerless Italian & Spanish Basses"

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Ken McKay

Ken,

Could you please look inside there when you get a chance and tell me the bracing on the sides. I am at that point in my cornerless construction and need some help.

Hi Ken,

I think you do nothing good by putting braces in the ribs of your cornerless bass. The 90 degree attachment will likely lead to rib cracks, just like at the corners of old basses where the rib shrinks and the block stays put. If you are concerned about a small rib crack developing into a "zipper" and traveling around the whole body, you can run some linen strips across the ribs about every 8-10" or so. Put them in with weak hide glue and run them up onto the linings, otherwise you'll cause a new stress point where the linen ends. My experience is that these strips remain a tiny bit flexible, and while they stop small cracks from spreading, they don't cause new ones. I have been using this technique in all my handmade basses. Old Martin guitars have similar strips I've been told.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Hi Ken,

I think you do nothing good by putting braces in the ribs of your cornerless bass. The 90 degree attachment will likely lead to rib cracks, just like at the corners of old basses where the rib shrinks and the block stays put. If you are concerned about a small rib crack developing into a "zipper" and traveling around the whole body, you can run some linen strips across the ribs about every 8-10" or so. Put them in with weak hide glue and run them up onto the linings, otherwise you'll cause a new stress point where the linen ends. My experience is that these strips remain a tiny bit flexible, and while they stop small cracks from spreading, they don't cause new ones. I have been using this technique in all my handmade basses. Old Martin guitars have similar strips I've been told.

So in other words Doctor Schnitzer, 'don't throw out your old sheets'!

Gee, I wonder if I can sell them on Ebay under 'Luthier Supplies'..

[Martin Sheridan]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Hi Ken,

I think you do nothing good by putting braces in the ribs of your cornerless bass. The 90 degree attachment will likely lead to rib cracks, just like at the corners of old basses where the rib shrinks and the block stays put. If you are concerned about a small rib crack developing into a "zipper" and traveling around the whole body, you can run some linen strips across the ribs about every 8-10" or so. Put them in with weak hide glue and run them up onto the linings, otherwise you'll cause a new stress point where the linen ends. My experience is that these strips remain a tiny bit flexible, and while they stop small cracks from spreading, they don't cause new ones. I have been using this technique in all my handmade basses. Old Martin guitars have similar strips I've been told.

Good input, Arnold. Stradivari, according to Saconni, used linen strips in his cellos. He said in the cellos where they had not been removed those cellos still had no rib cracks.
(Edit) I've been thinking about this, and although I agree with your logic, the addition of braces isn't that different from having corner blocks, is it? I made a Benedetto style archtop guitar a few years ago and although I didn't put them in that guitar Benedetto recommended them along with the linings. It might help add some stability? I do like the idea of the linen strips. I used them in my basses and cellos for awhile, but haven't done so lately.

[Ken McKay]

Linen linings in place on my cornerless bass.

Actually Martin, I did try some cross strips at first but took them out because I didn't like the feel. I think they made the sides too stiff. I had the ribs without mold and I could bonk them to assess their stiffness.

Just like Arnold, who advised me, I would advise you to forgo the wood and go with linen if anything.

[Martin Sheridan]

Are your linings wider than normal?

That's going to be a nice bass. What do you use for varnish and sealer or ground?

[Ken McKay]

Originally Posted by Martin Sheridan

Are your linings wider than normal?

That's going to be a nice bass. What do you use for varnish and sealer or ground?

I hope so Marting, thanks.

Olde-Italian authentic varnish of course.

[Matthew Tucker]

Have we seen this one before? Supposedly Italian.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Have we seen this one before? Supposedly Italian.

Sorry for the late reply Matt...

Yes, to my eye it looks very Italian or could be Spanish as well.

Where is this bass?