Restoration of French bass

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by Dave Whitla

I would like to keep the beautiful, dark sound this bass had before as much as possible, but I would also like to return it towards what it might likely have been 200 or so years ago.

Those two conditions MIGHT be mutually exclusive!

I think I'd measure the existing grads and aim for them, and depending on what they are, and what the arching SHAPE is like, leave it a bit thicker all over. Like Ken says, you can always take some wood away later. Just make sure you glue the top on with thin glue!

Yep, unless you're going to double the whole inner surface you're going to have to feather the new wood into the old grads anyway. so that's going to force your hand a bit, unless you want lumps at the edges.