C Extensions & how to make a bass more responsive

[ADissen]

Hey everybody,
Thinking about putting a C ext on my bass. Who would you recommend to do the job.

And on a completely separate note....
The same bass has been a little slow to response under the bow and i think the sound could get a bit tighter. Would this be fixed by a simple trial and error with soundpost positions ?

[Eric Swanson]

Hi ADissen,

Have you searched the threads for these topics? Much discussion to date on TB.

Also some discussion here:

http://smithbassforums.com/showthrea...how+extensions

http://smithbassforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=12

http://smithbassforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=12

Hope that this helps...

[EggyToast]

From what I've heard from a handful of people at Peabody, Shank's Strings in Elizabethtown, PA, are great for extensions. Elizabethtown is outside York so it's not that long of a drive, maybe an hour and a half on a bad day.

[ADissen]

Originally Posted by EggyToast

From what I've heard from a handful of people at Peabody, Shank's Strings in Elizabethtown, PA, are great for extensions. Elizabethtown is outside York so it's not that long of a drive, maybe an hour and a half on a bad day.

Shanks Strings is where i got my bass from
Great Place

[robobass]

Originally Posted by Eric Swanson

Hi ADissen,


Also some discussion here:....

also plenty of diatribe

[Dr Rod]

Originally Posted by ADissen

The same bass has been a little slow to response under the bow and i think the sound could get a bit tighter. Would this be fixed by a simple trial and error with soundpost positions ?

Strings that are rigid AND low tension such as Dominants have helped me deal with that same problem. Do check out the advice on how to install them because they have a high breakage ratio when installed carelessly.

Raising the saddle will take some tension off the top which has helped many of my basses with response, then you have to find strings that match as well. I am using spirocore stakrs right now with a raised saddle, I love it but it's not for everyone.

The pecanic tailpiece or homebrewed tailpiece wires ($10) can help response as well.

In my experience with my basses, soundpost placement doesn't offer as much flexibility. Many people will disagree with me, they are probably more talented that I am with soundpost tweaking. I tend to feel that the soundpost is more of a right/wrong situation.

[ADissen]

i have tomastik dominants on the bass now... they came on the bass when i get it around two months ago. i had obligatos on my old bass and was gonna see what a set of those did on the bass.

would raising the saddle be an "easy" job for a luthier and i to do?
i think it makes perfect sense but would it be as "simple" as moving the soundpost a bit?

[ADissen]

Originally Posted by robobass

also plenty of diatribe

haha
yeah
i noticed that too

[bejoyous]

My bass used to be quite unresponsive as it was only made in 2000. The extension will certainly deepen the sound of the entire instrument as the low notes will shake the wood looser.

What I did was cut the wings off the bridge and installed a wire tailpiece. It is now very responsive. My tailpiece was in the wrong place which causes wolf tones and the heavy ebony soaks up a lot of vibrations that could be going into the instrument. Cutting the wings off the bridge really brightens the sound.

I use Evah strings now and I have found these to be the best perlon core strings- Obi's rolled too much causing lack of articulation in 1/16th notes; Dominants were too scratchy if I didn't bow them just right.

[Dr Rod]

Originally Posted by ADissen

would raising the saddle be an "easy" job for a luthier and i to do?
i think it makes perfect sense but would it be as "simple" as moving the soundpost a bit?

I don't know how skilled you are, but it's usually the kind of job a professional does.

It's not as simple, but there is usually no silver bullet, you will most likely have to do several things to achieve the sound you want.

[ADissen]

http://www.lamario.ca/view.php?NAME=...g&lang=english

i figure this is what everybody meant to some extent of raising the saddle.
correct or incorrect?
anybody ever get one made by Mr. Lamario
everything he does looks like a flipping masterpiece work of art.
i am green with envy over whoever has the bass he made in 2007 on his website.

thanks in advance for dealing with my questions
andrew