question about back graduations

[Rob Menapace]

I have a roundback bass that's had a top off re-graduation plus a new bass bar, the back also was re-graduated, but with the back still on. So the back is still the original thickness around the edges, where it connects to the ribs. How important is it that the back have it's graduations going all the way to the edges? I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth the extra expense to have the work done. The bass is sort of a pet project of mine, I've probably already exceeded the amount that it's actually worth, but I've gone this far, and I'm hearing conflicting ideas about how important the back is. There's the idea of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but I also know that the edges can be especially critical in the graduations. I'm just hoping for some general info on the importance of the back graduations from some of the esteemed experts that post here, thank you!