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Double Bass Knots in top?
- Thread starter Bitters
- Start date
There are plenty of very expensive Italian and English basses that have knots in their tops. I’m not an expert but I think it comes down to the skill level of the maker and their understanding of the materials used more than anything.
There are knots and there are knots. As a general matter, I suspect it would be unusual for a maker to intentionally choose a terribly knotty slab for a top. A straight, even grain is just one factor contributing to a solid, resonant box. Knots generally weaken wood. I would imagine that an unblemished straight-grained top would vibrate in a "purer" fashion than one with a large knot. Also would likely be relevant where on the top the knots occurred. I would imagine that out towards the corner blocks, near the top block, or outside the f-holes (where I believe the top is the thickest) any weakness/variability would have less effect on the top's vibration than, say, right over the soundpost. But I am the furthest thing from an expert.
It is not unusual for a blemish to appear as a top is being carved. The maker will decide whether or not it interferes with the plate's tone. My wife has one such fiddle. We call it scarface. It sounds great, and we like the look of it, but she has never been able to sell it. Not all buyers appreciate an unconventional look.
Coincidentally, I get emails from Upton, and today's mentioned a new build of theirs that features a knot.
It is not unusual for a blemish to appear as a top is being carved. The maker will decide whether or not it interferes with the plate's tone. My wife has one such fiddle. We call it scarface. It sounds great, and we like the look of it, but she has never been able to sell it. Not all buyers appreciate an unconventional look.
Coincidentally, I get emails from Upton, and today's mentioned a new build of theirs that features a knot.
Sometimes a knot is loose or has voids, in those cases you either have to cut the knot out and fit a patch or abandon the piece of wood and start over. If the knot is tight with no voids or bark incursions it can potentially be left in without compromising the structural stability of the plate. In those cases we call it "character". I don't know what a knot does to the tone of an instrument, I suspect its not very much. If I was selling an instrument with a knot in it, I would definitely call it a "tone knot" tho
