Double Bass At what point does crack repairs negate a carved top ?

[Anglico]

What I'm getting at is if the carved top has one or two cracks repaired properly, did the repairs somewhat negate the benefits of a carved top ? I'm just talking loss of tone or resonance, is it now much closer to the higher end plywood models available ?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

That depends.

Not all basses are equal. Some plys are better instruments than some carved basses.

Financially, the point of diminishing returns hits when you experience a bad bass bar crack. The cost of repair can exceed the value of a cheap carved or hybrid bass.

Sonically, you have to lard up a decent carved top with a lot of weight for it to sound worse than a mediocre ply top.

The question frames a false dichotomy. Find a good bass. Play the heck out of it. Care for it appropriately. Have a talented luthier on speed dial when it inevitably needs repair.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Never?

 

[damonsmith]

Some plys are better instruments than some carved basses.

I have never found this to be true in 25 years playing a lot of basses, traveling and touring. I've heard it said but have never experienced it. A carved bass has more going on than just tone, it is how you co-operate with the instrument, the ease of moving from one sound to the next, etc. The cracks do not seem to be a big deal, just have them repaired properly.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

I see your point, but not every individual instrument excels at every possible application. If that was the case I wouldn't own multiple instruments optimized for various applications.

 

[RSBBass]

I have experienced a ply bass sounding better than a carved one. Once. Under unusual circumstances. My bass is a Shen SB 80 ply. My teacher has several basses but uses a pre-war German carved bass to teach with. One time in August with the humidity insanely high his bass sounded like mud and mine sounded better. A note, his bass is strung with gut which may well be the reason.

 

[Anglico]

Thanks everyone for the feedback