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Originally Posted by gbarchus  I'm getting a new carved bass and would appreciate any input on round vs flat back. I've read that flat back basses project better but can have added maintenance problems because of the extra bracing.
This will be my fourth bass. My first two were round back Kays, the second one a blonde '60s that really boomed. My third bass was a carved Romanian bass that had a flat back and sounded really tight, but I know that other factors are involved.
Gale |
Hi Gale--
There has been quite a bit of discussion here concerning the flatback vs. roundback issue. There was even a recent treatise on this topic that, I believe, was referenced here. You would be well served to search the threads first. Personally, I hope this discussion doesn't start all over again (but it probably will
).
I will say this much. The distinctions usually discussed are among carved basses. Your Kays were plywood and, of course, their round backs were not carved. When you read the numerous posts here on the topic you will find that some believe that generalities can be made while others do not. Among the former group, not all agree on what the general characteristics are. There is great variance among carved basses. That variance might swamp any generally expected differences. The bottom line is that you should play a bunch of basses-- roundback or flatback-- and buy the one that speaks to you. Please go search out the existing threads.
