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

[Ken Smith]

Member Question; were you intending to replace the neck block entirely?

We don't know yet if it is even usable. It is not the original from what we can tell. Actually the Bass had a small piece of Maple left in the back like a Tab from a blockless Bass so this could have been Blockless and with the smaller notch in the top, a previous restorer so fit to do a dovetail neckblock. Just speculation as we don't know what went on exactly in the last 200 years with this beast. A new Block will be no more disturbing than replacing the lining where needed. It's just a utility piece of wood. Both my Morelli and Prescott got new Blocks during their restoration so it's no big deal. It gets what it needs.

String length is an issue mainly due to playability. The measurement from the Bridge to the Neck is way long. Getting over shoulders is one thing but reaching the end of the fingerboard is another. This Bass will be set-up as a full sized Orchestral Bass and not at all intended for solo work. It's a 'sit back and enjoy the ride' type of Bass in my eyes.