Starting a DB Project

[Ruben E garcia]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

NONE, Ever, unless you want the top to sink at the ends sooner or later. Flush fit only. Sprung Bars break basses, period.

Yes I remember you mentioning something similar before, thumb pressure on the bar, very little or no pressure

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Ruben E garcia

Yes I remember you mentioning something similar before, thumb pressure on the bar, very little or no pressure

The Bar should be fit Flush to the Top, no pressure at all. Even clamping without forcing the ends down at all.

[Ruben E garcia]

Ok I am going a little crazy with the Edges:
I can not make the south part of the top to flush, everything else is making contact with the surface, and If I keep removing material from the whole top so the south part can touch, I am going to be removing a lot of material from the original top... I don't know what is wrong... I also notice that the top curve from west to east is not perfect should i be concern about that? u can see it the pictures ???

[Ken Smith]

Show me/us the Fitting problem you are having and do not remove anything original.

Sometimes the Blocked frame shifts. Sometimes you have shrinkage of the Top grains and the Top is shy of the Ribs i n the lower bout. In this case, The Ribs are cut and trimmed at the Block. For this you have to remove the lower Ribs from all blocks and re-fit it o the Corner possibly but if not, just at the Tailblock, Cut and pull together to fit the Top and maybe Back. The Plates should overhang just a bit. In the Blocks with Ribs twisted inwards, then the Top will overhang more. Still, nothing is ever perfect on an old bass.

[Ruben E garcia]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Show me/us the Fitting problem you are having and do not remove anything original.

Sometimes the Blocked frame shifts. Sometimes you have shrinkage of the Top grains and the Top is shy of the Ribs i n the lower bout. In this case, The Ribs are cut and trimmed at the Block. For this you have to remove the lower Ribs from all blocks and re-fit it o the Corner possibly but if not, just at the Tailblock, Cut and pull together to fit the Top and maybe Back. The Plates should overhang just a bit. In the Blocks with Ribs twisted inwards, then the Top will overhang more. Still, nothing is ever perfect on an old bass.

I see what are u saying, I am sorry I did not explain my self clearly, the problem that I am having is the south part of the edges are not making contact with the flat surface, in this case the Edges thickness is about 7mm, for me to make the south part to touch, I will have to remove original material from the top edges bottom and this will result and a thinner than the original edge… I know that is not right… I don’t know if the top got distort during my repairs or what should I do…
Should I clamp it knowing that there is a little stress anyways?




but the rest of the top is resting ok

[Ken Smith]

Show the Top sitting on the ribs, dry clamped around lightly. See what gives and doesn't. The bass Bar is in already?

[Ruben E garcia]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Show the Top sitting on the ribs, dry clamped around lightly. See what gives and doesn't. The bass Bar is in already?

It still have some of the old bar or most to the old bar since I did shave down the bass bar hump only.