Sound Post from scratch

[Ken Smith]

One time, I brought my former owned 7/8 Shen to Arnold for a soundpost problem. The Bass was a few years old and breaking in so the original 'Post would no longer work a few years later as it was too loose now.

I picked a Square piece of Post wood from a Box of sticks Arnold had and I watched him plane it little by little rounding it on the top edge of his vise, rotating it every time he shaved it. This took only a few minutes to make a nice custom picked 'round' Sound Post from a stick of square Spruce. The fitting took a bit longer but this was by all means 'From Scratch'!

I was impressed to say the least.