Double Bass How Much Does Wood Figure Matter?

[bassmanbrent]

Flame is not a disease; it's a folding over (and back, and over, and back...) of the end grain that occurs in the growing of the tree for reasons that are not fully understood.

Thank you Arnold. This is what I thought, but I didn't want to stick my unqualified nose into the discussion. Like KFS said, spalt is rot. This much I knew already. Not really my thing either.

BTW I'm guessing the OP got a lot more than they bargained for at this point

 

[robobass]

I'm just wondering how much acoustic effect there is between flames and plain wood when you're talkin' about the back and sides of a CCB. I totally agree with Arnold that a little more time and care will be spent on basses with the more expensive flamed woods, and that in itself is a good reason to drop the extra bucks. Resale value will certainly also be improved. But still. Put all the lipstick on it you want. It's still a CCB. If the basic model sounds good I'd keep my money in my pocket and buy that one.

My main message here though, is that you should consider buying her the cheaper bass, but dropping way more than $350 on a bow. Understand that the bow is also a very important part of the package, and as a dad, you would would do your health a favor by not researching what some of the current top bowmakers are getting for one. I'm not suggesting you mortgage your house to get one of these Lamborghini bows, but if my daughter gets serious about bowed strings, I'd rather have her playing on a 2k instrument with a 1k bow than on a 3k instrument with a cheap bow.

 

[Bill Enloe]

Thanks for all the knowledge sharing and great advice. I know I sound like an anxious Dad, and I am one, but I also have a small hobby of watching instrument build videos on Youtube. Here is a recent post on the physics of guitar construction that explains how woods are selected and why some trees are good for instruments, while others are not so much. There are also some good images showing how the top moves and what is done to optimize that movement:

We are of course going to another shop, one that has multiple instruments of interest. I will be listening carefully and posting the results...

 

[Ortsom]

Just to share: this poor guy was isolated from the herd and made to spin all the time...

and mutilated on the left shoulder top edge too...