flatter or more arched top

[kurt muroki]

Hi y'all, just had a question that i've been curious about... what differences does the arching in a top make in the sound and playability of an instrument? Also, if someone could say if re-forming a top is bad for a bass? I have a bass that had a bulge down where the tail piece is, and the luthier i took the bass to said that it should be re-formed. The work was done a while ago. I'm curious...is this ok?

thanks,

Kurt Muroki

[arnoldschnitzer]

Originally Posted by kurt muroki

Hi y'all, just had a question that i've been curious about... what differences does the arching in a top make in the sound and playability of an instrument? Also, if someone could say if re-forming a top is bad for a bass? I have a bass that had a bulge down where the tail piece is, and the luthier i took the bass to said that it should be re-formed. The work was done a while ago. I'm curious...is this ok?

thanks,

Kurt Muroki

Arching makes a big difference. It is thought that flatter tops create a deeper sound and more highly arched tops a sweeter sound. However, I've seen and heard so many exceptions to this "rule" that I don't really think it applies to basses so well. This may sound like voodoo, but I think the important thing is to match the arching to the type of wood being used and also to the style of playing the instrument is intended for. A softer top wood should probably have a higher arch and be carved a bit thicker than a stronger, harder wood. A solo or jazz bass should probably have a higher arch than an orchestral bass. But these are just my personal generalizations...I've heard lots of good orchestra basses with a high arch, and the opposite as well. As important as the height of the arching is the arching scheme--where and how much it slopes. The maker can tailor somewhat the sound he's after by assigning strength to certain areas with the arching as well as the thicknessing (graduation).

[nicklloyd]

[quote=Ken McKay] After the golden period after strad lets say, many violins were simply copied. This of course included the arching and as much as possible of the other things that could be measured. However, wood flexibility, density stiffness and resonance were not measured. It was difficult or impossible on an existing instrument without sofisticated equipment. [quote]

You don't need sophisticated equipment to measure/observe wood flexibility, density, and resonance. It's been going on for 300 years. However, spell check is a wonderful new invention; maybe you should try it.

Kurt Moroki- "re-arching" is a common repair/restoration technique. The lower part of the instrument, usually around the end of the bass bar, tends to sink over time. Having this area re-arched and stiffened is quite often the best solution for the bass' sound and overall health. It's not an easy technique, or inexpensive, and lots of shops wouldn't mess with it. Does your luthier want to re-arch the entire top, or just a localized area?


Is there any cracking in the area that is sunken in?

[tim99]

Originally Posted by Ken McKay

I wanted to respond to this question but waited until someone with more practical experience did first.

Welcome to talkbass!

Tim99.

[Ken McKay]

[Quote from Nicklloyd] You don't need sophisticated equipment to measure/observe wood flexibility, density, and resonance. It's been going on for 300 years. However, spell check is a wonderful new invention; maybe you should try it.

Funny! That is a good one. Must have been late when I posted that one. It kind of sounds like you are trying to put me in my place though.

[Bob Branstetter]

Originally Posted by Ken McKay

Funny! That is a good one. Must have been late when I posted that one. It kind of sounds like you are trying to put me in my place though.

No, that's just Nick's sense of humor. If he were trying to put you in your place (as you put it), you would know it.

[Ken McKay]

Okay, thanks Bob. It seems I misinterpreted the original question anyway. So I deleted my response.

[kurt muroki]

thanks for everyone's comments! Arnold, your reply makes complete sense to me and makes me realize more things about my bass. Also thanks to everyone!

kurt