To Cut, or Not to Cut? (TB Save)

[Phil Maneri]

That's a smokin' hunk a lumber on that neck graft.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

That's a smokin' hunk a lumber on that neck graft.

But it finished up quite nicely as you can see here. Most Graft blocks start out like that, big and chunky. Many times like with my Bass in restoration a Cello Top is used but usually one with a cosmetic defect that down grades it to a Graft Block. For a neck, you can cut around it but not on a Cello Top smack dab in the middle.

Phil, this Bass was sold to a player in Columbus. You should have seen it by now.

[Phil Maneri]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

But it finished up quite nicely as you can see here. Most Graft blocks start out like that, big and chunky. Many times like with my Bass in restoration a Cello Top is used but usually one with a cosmetic defect that down grades it to a Graft Block. For a neck, you can cut around it but not on a Cello Top smack dab in the middle.

Phil, this Bass was sold to a player in Columbus. You should have seen it by now.

Really? I've never even heard about it. Symphony? Maybe they are gone now. They've been dropping like flies around here since the Symphony stopped cutting paychecks.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

Really? I've never even heard about it. Symphony? Maybe they are gone now. They've been dropping like flies around here since the Symphony stopped cutting paychecks.

Well, maybe he's gone and maybe not.?

He did play in the Section and commented to me that now with this Bass, Morton's Gagliano 'wont' drown him out anymore.. lol

By the way, we were talking Neck Grafts?.. Lol

[Phil Maneri]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Well, maybe he's gone and maybe not.?

He did play in the Section and commented to me that now with this Bass, Morton's Gagliano 'wont' drown him out anymore.. lol

By the way, we were talking Neck Grafts?.. Lol

I'm sure the Gagliano won't be a problem anymore. Morton's now in Phoenix.

Speaking of Grafts, does the neck graft have to fit the scroll original dimension exactly or can the scroll where it enters be enlarged to fit a wider neck width?

I ask because if I ever get around to redoing the neck graft on the German/French I wouldn't mind it being a little wider. It's pegbox seems slightly narrower than many I've seen.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

I'm sure the Gagliano won't be a problem anymore. Morton's now in Phoenix.

Speaking of Grafts, does the neck graft have to fit the scroll original dimension exactly or can the scroll where it enters be enlarged to fit a wider neck width?

I ask because if I ever get around to redoing the neck graft on the German/French I wouldn't mind it being a little wider. It's pegbox seems slightly narrower than many I've seen.

Humm.. well I think maybe the Neck and Fingerboard can be flared out a bit to go wider. That would be better asked of your Luthier Nick Lloyd than myself or maybe Arnold can chime in having done countless Grafts and that was just on my Basses..lol

Does this help answer your question?



And from the Back;



and...



Although that Pexbox was already quite wide, the Neck still needed Flaring for the 5-string conversion. Arnold did a great job on it, as usual.

[Craig Regan]

On a neck graft, do you try to duplicate the original neck profile? or replace it with a different shape. It seems to me, the riskiest part of doing a neck graft is the final shaping of the profile.
You must have a lot of faith in your Luthiers.

By the way, I found this article on your friend who is working on the bass.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...57C0A961958260