too much wood ?

[Adrian Levi]

ken , is it possible to hazard a guess as to the age of the bass ?I'm guessing
early 1900s ..

Also I'm guessing that one cant expect a huge difference in tone by merely cutting the linings down ?

Could it be worth it sound wise to replace or cut down the end block.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Adrian Levi

ken , is it possible to hazard a guess as to the age of the bass ?I'm guessing
early 1900s ..

Also I'm guessing that one cant expect a huge difference in tone by merely cutting the linings down ?

Could it be worth it sound wise to replace or cut down the end block.

The end block has water damage, maybe from a Dampit. Seal the cracks with something on the block and don't trim too much from it or, make a new block fresh.

The linings being smaller will free up the Rib vibrations and it WILL make a noticeable difference in the sound/tone. Give any bass going thru a full restoration from 2-5 years to settle in with the sound it will have going forward. Re-repairing after a big restoration within that time is sometimes done as the bass settles from all the work as well.

[Adrian Levi]

Another question regarding this bass ... Is there an 'ideal' when it comes to top thickness ? The top on this bass measures 11mm and then graduates quite quickly to 9mm and then to about 8mm about halfway from centre seam to just before the ribs . This is a 4/4 or 7/8 size instrument so the plates would be slightly thicker than a 3/4 .

The reason Im asking all these questions is that this is one heavy mother of a bass , the heaviest I have seen . The neck is also thick.

Im just intrigued by the fact that it is an instrument that has been built/carved well and with obvious care, but seems to lack the finesse in design needed to bring out the best possible sound

[Matthew Tucker]

the Spruce top is the lightest wood in the bass; the back and ribs and neck will contribute to most of the weight. That said, it sounds thick; most basses have graduations down to 6mm or less just inside the ribs. But it depends a bit on the wood.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

That bass bar is way too long.

[Adrian Levi]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

That bass bar is way too long.

Arnold do you mean that the bar is too long overall , here is a pic of the whole bar ...

[Arnold Schnitzer]

I may be mistaken. In one of the earlier pictures it looked like the bass bar went almost to the tailblock. In your new picture that does not look to be the case.