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

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Craig Regan

On a neck graph, do you try to duplicate the original neck profile? or replace it with a different shape. It seems to me, the riskiest part of doing a neck graph is the final shaping of the profile.
You must have a lot of faith in your Luthiers.

By the way, I found this article on your friend who is working on the bass.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...57C0A961958260

Yes, I have seen that article. Fantoni, his mentor was mine as well so in some small way, we were cut from a similar cloth. His piece was much bigger than mine.. I just got a small tear of it..

On the neck Graft, the old Neck is most often something other than what you like so the new one is an improvement all around. Also, on occasion the Bass might go back and get re-shaped on the Heel, profile, depth or any of all mentioned.

With this Bass we do not have much to go on as the old Neck was junk. I trust Paul will make something that I like. We have had some brief discussions of my set-up preference plus he is a professional player. Imagine going to try a Bass and getting a Spicatto lesson or excerpt lesson just about every time you go there. He takes whatever Bass I am trying or grabs another and demonstrates for me the way to play it properly. He has a degree in Bass playing from Manhattan School of Music, studied with Homer Mensch and also played 14 years with the New Jersey Symphony as well as other Orchestra jobs. I always enjoy my time with Paul as I did with Fantoni as well. Different between the two of them but always educational to say the least.