How To Tell When Saw Meets Bass?

[bassics1975]

I know it was a common practice in the nineteenth century to cut large 7/8 and 4/4 basses down to smaller sizes. How can one identify an instrument that has been modified from its original profile? I know looking for the original perfuling channel veering-off the upper and lower bouts is a giveaway but are ther other signs that this has been done? Just curious.

[bejoyous]

If the whole table was reduced, the F-holes will be closer to the edges than usual. In this case there may also be no purfling as well.