took my bass in for a tune up

flint · #1 06-10-2006, 02:33 PM

(if this needs to be in the "setup" section please feel free to move it)

I dropped my bass off with Mr. Jackstadt today to have some detail work done to the Christopher. Mostly I did it because my bridge was too flat. This made it hard to dig into the D string without playing either the G or A inadvertantly. So he's going to recut the bridge, thin it a bit, dress the fingerboard, replace the coathanger wire on the tailpiece with flexible cable, and adjust the soundpost.

I really enjoyed talking to him, and seeing the latest bass on the workbench.

I'll let you all know how it goes. I have high hopes.

Rick Auvil · #2 06-11-2006, 07:27 PM

I have a hybrid 304 Busetto...played with my bridge a bit.
I'd really like to get an etching of your bridge once the luthier adjusts it. I can't get mine quite right either.

flint · #3 06-18-2006, 07:04 PM

Wow!!

I am going to have a hard time putting this into words, but I'll try. I got my bass back from Mr. Jackstadt yesterday, and as soon as I tried it out at his place I understood why he has such a good reputation as a luthier. Simply put, it was like having a whole different bass than the one I dropped off with him. The best way I can describe it is to say that the tone is "woodier". Before my bass had what I thought of as a new and "plastic" sound to it, now it sounds like it's been aged 50 yrs. It's still not as good as my teachers bass (a 100 yr old german flatback) but it has an earthy character that makes me not hate the sound of my bass anymore.

The only physical difference that I'm going to have to get used to is that the action is a little higher than it was when I dropped it off. It's not uncomfortable, but it's a slight difference that I'll have to get used to. I was a little nervous about detensioning the strings (their obligatos) because I've had trouble with retensioning causing some strings to die. But they sound as better than new.

On a side note-I was very suprised when he said he'd help me with my bass building project when I get finished with the violin I'm building now.

All in all this was a great interaction with a great luthier. I wish I could afford one of his basses (but I really wouldn't do it justice even if I could afford it).

Mike Goodbar · #4 06-18-2006, 09:01 PM

I had some touch-ups done to my Christopher a couple of weeks ago by Chicago luthier Michelle Fiore. She shortened the soundpost, lowered the nut, closed up an open seam, and I had her put a new endpin on (ULSA Massif).

I have to say that the difference in the sound wasn't huge -- a little woodier as Chortle Nut mentioned -- but it FELT great. So much easier to play and extract my sound out of. More responsive, more dynamic range. Made me wonder why it took so long to take the plunge.

Michelle was great, but the way. I went in expecting to replace the bridge, but she said that while Christopher stock bridges can be a crapshoot, I got a decent one. Saved me almost $300 bucks on the job.

Johnny L · #5 06-19-2006, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chortle_nut

Wow!!

Yeah it's cool when luthiers get ahold of our axes!

When I was in bass camp last week there was a luthier at the school who helped me out BIG TIME with my bass. I had been living with a sh*tty setup for a long time and finally hooked up to get mine fixed.

I got to watch him plane and dress up my fingerboard and nut and ask him lots of questions, and even got my bow rehaired too by one of the local symphony players hanging around that week (she did a great job also!).

ctcruiser · #6 06-19-2006, 10:23 AM

As a newbie with a budget, I bought my Engelhardt and took it home basically out of the box with the only work performed by my luthier was setting up the soundpost and the stock bridge.

Over the last year, I had additional work done with the setup.

First, I had the fingerboard dressed, switched the stock strings to Obligatos, and added a new adjustable bridge.

Just recently, I replaced the stock tailpiece with a compensated tailpiece and had a flexible tailpiece wire added to replace the wire hangar that came with the tailpiece along with replacing the stock endpin with a new cork lined endpin..

After both visits to my luthier for this work, the change in tone and volume was noticeable. If I had all of the work done at the beginning, I never would have realized how much effect a luthier's work can cause a change in the sound of a bass. I can appreciate their knowledge and ability.

If I am lucky enough to have the money to upgrade to a better bass in the future, I now know what I would ask for right at the beginning of the buying process.