In this episode, we start to work on restoring the back of the instrument. This is an essential part of the double bass to give support to as it works together with the front, providing strength. As with many double basses, the break on the back can become misaligned or broken, and the first thing that Dan does is to work on the two parts of the back separately.
Several cracks must be addressed, and some parts have been poorly repaired in the past. To give us precise glueing, you will see that Dan uses a syringe and hypodermic needle to get glue where he needs to accurately.
Although not shown in this video, new braces have been carefully fitted to the back. These provide strength to the backplate, and there is a fundamental skill in deciding where to place them, what dimensions to make them and what strength of spruce to use. The idea is to make sure that the back is strong and stable and also has the freedom to vibrate and make the best sound.
In some areas, you will see that half edging has been added where either the edge work needs rebuilding or where the wood has become damaged over the years. Unlike the front, we use matching hardwood to repair this; in this case, we've used maple. This is then carefully flattened off.
Once the back is nearly ready, we clamp it to the ribs to check how it fits and if any more adjustments are needed.
We then start to look at the break area. This part needs careful planning and consideration, as getting the angle right is vital. We use a brace that covers both parts of the back over the break area. This piece of wood looks very big, but it will be carefully shaped down to give strength and be as small as possible.
Music: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston - www.gardnermuseum.org
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22 авг 2024
