What Bass Do You Have??

There are three categories of acoustic double basses.

1. Fully Carved - Top plate, back plate, ribs, and neck are all hand carved from selected wood. This is usually the most expensive category of bass, as well as the most desirable tonally.  Fully carved basses offer the most complex dynamic and tonal palate in addition to being the most aesthetically pleasing.

2. Laminate (Plywood) - Designed with durability and stability in mind these basses usually have anywhere from 3-5 thin compressed layers glued together and pressed into shape for the top and back plates, and often have laminated ribs as well.  While these basses are often inexpensive, durable, and resistant to seasonal changes, they offer the player a limited scope of tonal expression.

3. Hybrid - In an effort to combine the stability of the plywood bass with the tonal complexity of the carved bass, manufacturers offer a hybrid bass; usually consisting of a plywood back and/or ribs, and a carved spruce top.  These basses tend to be in the middle price range, and can offer the player more resonance, dynamic capacity and tonal range.  

How humidity effects each type of bass.

While drastic changes in humidity can effect every type of bass, some types exhibit more issues than others.  Below are a list of issues to be on the look out for with your particular make of bass.

1. Fully Carved - As mentioned before, the main structures (Top, back, neck, ribs) of the fully carved bass are made from just wood.  They typically are glued together using hide (animal) glue.  

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