Some instruments have a fragile button (the area underneath the neck root), the result of old repairs not performed very scrupulously. The neck can no longer maintain a right angle and the result is decreased tension of the strings and therefore decreased loudness. In addition, playing becomes more difficult as the action (the distance between the strings and the key) is increased. The artist loses out on comfort and virtuosity.

In such cases, the neck needs to be reset. Sometimes is it necessary to double the button, the area under the upper block. I call this type of restoration a “cat’s tongue shape” doubling because its shape increases the resistance below the upper block.

Just as the case for the soundpost patch, the restorer will have to assess the size of the doubling. To ensure that the instrument is fully free to vibrate, the reinforcement must end with a thickness of zero millimetres to avoid any brittle points (at the elbow).

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