Graphite Double Bass bridge

Bob Gollihur · #1 09-05-2001, 09:28 AM

Just ordered one of these Moses Graphite bridges; my experience with graphite in other applications on instruments makes it something worth checking out:

[img]//www.mosesgraphite.com/images/products/UB-30.jpg[/img]

"4-String Graphite Upright Bass Bridge: This unique and stylish composite bridge can substantially increase sustain and volume while enhancing the instrument's tonal characteristics."

I'll probably fit it to my Juzek - I saw it, along with other Moses stuff, including at graphite double bass fingerboard and their very cool EUB at NAMM. I've become a Moses dealer. They have another new product coming out; I've ordered one of those as well to check it out. Cool stuff.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #2 09-05-2001, 10:17 AM

Bob,

Not to be a party pooper, but where are you gonna stick your Bass Max on that thing?

I'd love to see, touch, feel, and hear a graphite fingerboard. Last time I talked to my luthier, he told a story about a bass with a graphite FB that had the LOWEST action he'd ever seen, with no buzzes.

DURRL

Bob Gollihur · #3 09-05-2001, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald
Bob,

Not to be a party pooper, but where are you gonna stick your Bass Max on that thing?

I'd love to see, touch, feel, and hear a graphite fingerboard. Last time I talked to my luthier, he told a story about a bass with a graphite FB that had the LOWEST action he'd ever seen, with no buzzes.

DURRL

Yeah, that was my own first thought

Since I'm putting it on the Juzek, which seldom sees any high volume level sort of work, I'll probably just use it with the K&K Golden Mic, which is great all by itself - I may also see how a K&K Double Big Twin does on it - it will be interesting to hear how it handles the graphite. I'm excited to check it out since my Juzek has had a temporary bridge, not closely fitted, for far too long - just like the auto mechanic's car that doesn't run.

The graphite fingerboard is something to behold. Steve Mosher says it is pretty easy to work -- I'll know after I work the bridge. My Juzek has some craters in its fingerboard, which I was going to fill, but the temptation is great.

Of course, the Moses EUB has a graphite fingerboard, and it was wonderful, as was the whole instrument -- the fingerboard felt and looked like ebony. I am sorely tempted to order one of the EUBs - of course, I'll tell the wife it is to sell

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #4 09-05-2001, 01:01 PM

Just out of curiosity, can you even plane a graphite FB at all, or does it just have to fit perfectly in the first place?

Bob Gollihur · #5 09-05-2001, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald
Just out of curiosity, can you even plane a graphite FB at all, or does it just have to fit perfectly in the first place?

I think that was my first question to Steve Mosher at the NAMM show. He said the graphite is easy to work. I know it dulls tools faster than wood, so you'd probably have to resharpen tools as needed. I will get some first-person experience with the bridge very soon - it should be in my hands on Friday or Monday if it was shipped yesterday as promised.

Bob Gollihur · #6 09-07-2001, 12:25 PM

Just arrived:

I'm gigging Fri-Sat night, and have some other obligations, but I hope to make the time to install the bridge over the weekend or shortly thereafter. It measures about 7" tall at the middle, with a 6" foot spread.

And while this probably belongs over in the Amps and Pickups section, it arrived today as well - a magnetic pickup for URB. I hope to install this into my EUB in the next couple hours, in time for tonight's gig - it luckily seems to be a perfect fit.

While I know it probably won't be appealling to most purists, it very well may be an excellent system for homebuilt EUBs (it's also optional on the Moses EUB) as well as for Rockabilly and other high volume URB players who want to defeat the feedback monster once and for all.

These are my photos, just taken.

Don Higdon · #7 09-07-2001, 01:34 PM

Bob
Is the maker producing these in the standard varying leg spans, to accommodate the particular location of the bass bar?

Bob Gollihur · #8 09-07-2001, 01:52 PM

I'm not sure if they are or not; I suspect that the top section is molded or machined (however they make the damn stuff) to handle the feet below. I imagine within those restrictions the feet might be altered a bit one way or the other, but I'm not sure what you have in mind, width wise, but could ask.

The measure from adjuster center to center is about 3 13/16". He also makes the bridges without adjusters.

Don Higdon · #9 09-07-2001, 02:39 PM

Bridge leg span
4/4 = 160-165 mm
3/4 = 145-155 mm
1/2 = 130-140 mm
1/4 = 130 mm
1/8 = 115 mm

Bob Gollihur · #10 09-07-2001, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Higdon
Bridge leg span
4/4 = 160-165 mm
3/4 = 145-155 mm
1/2 = 130-140 mm
1/4 = 130 mm
1/8 = 115 mm

With the bridge I have at 150mm, I guess it was designed to fit a 3/4 size bass. I will inquire if any other sizes are planned, but I suspect not. I haven't really seen mention of the bridge anywhere as of yet, and I would anticipate that other sizes might be made available if the demand were generated. I have a long list of questions I'm developing for Stephen about the EUB and other topics, I'll add it to the list.

Monte · #11 09-07-2001, 03:22 PM

If you decide to go for the fingerboard on your Juzek, let me know. I just might put one on my Juzek eventually, if high grade ebony stays as high $$ as it appears.

Monte

Monte · #12 09-07-2001, 03:25 PM

Speaking of fingerboard material, I wonder if any of te newer exotic woods that they are using these days has been tried for a fingerboard. I know bubinga is as hard as ebony, and wenge and purpleheart might be good candidates as well. I suspect if the supply of good ebony continues to dwindle, more luthiers may experiment with some of these.

Monte

Bob Gollihur · #13 09-07-2001, 03:29 PM

High grade ebony really isn't that bad; more than the graphite board, but not THAT much more. Contact me off-list if you're interested.

I will probably put off any decision on my Juzek until I

a) get one of the Moses EUBs with the graphite board and experience it for a while (not that I expect anything untoward), and

b) decide it's time to take the Juzek (and fingerboard, perhaps) to a decent luthier for some extensive work. It needs a recurring crack beneath the tailpiece repaired, but also is cosmetically pretty beat - I might consider putting some dollars into some restoration work. It sounds SO damn good and speaks so LOUDLY I'm a little afraid to tinker with it. If it ain't broke... (well, it's a little broke)

Don Higdon · #14 09-07-2001, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Gollihur

With the bridge I have at 150mm, I guess it was designed to fit a 3/4 size bass.

It's a misleading coincidence that you have a 3/4 bass and a 3/4 bridge. There's really no correlation. My Mirecourt is a 7/8, and the bridge is a 1/8, because my bass bar is nearer the center than yours. I'm guessing that the width of the upper bout has the most influence on the bass bar line.

It's one of those (to me) arcane facts I've learned only in the past year. Just wondered if Moses was DB people.

Bob Gollihur · #15 09-07-2001, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Higdon

It's one of those (to me) arcane facts I've learned only in the past year. Just wondered if Moses was DB people.

No. He's electric bass people.

thomas · #16 09-13-2001, 07:07 PM

I've had this in the back of my head for a few days attacking the problem of attaching a graphite FB to a wood neck without using the dreaded epoxy, being an industrial designer this is right up my alley.

Is there any reason from a technical standpoint why you couldn't epoxy the graphite to a piece of veneer then use hideglue to attach that assembly to the neck? You could always dye the veneer black to match the fingerboard or maybe leave it natural to get a nice little line of light wood down the side of the neck.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

Don Higdon · #17 09-13-2001, 07:51 PM

I like it, I like it.
Still don't know if I like the graphite fingerboard, but that's why we all love Bob Gollihur. Let him spend the bucks.

Bob Gollihur · #18 09-13-2001, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thomas
I've had this in the back of my head for a few days attacking the problem of attaching a graphite FB to a wood neck without using the dreaded epoxy, being an industrial designer this is right up my alley.

Is there any reason from a technical standpoint why you couldn't epoxy the graphite to a piece of veneer then use hideglue to attach that assembly to the neck? You could always dye the veneer black to match the fingerboard or maybe leave it natural to get a nice little line of light wood down the side of the neck.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

Sounds like a plan. I have one of the fingerboards coming for a fellow who will be using it for his EUB project.

pkr2 · #19 09-13-2001, 08:54 PM

I could be wrong cause I've never tried it, but I believe hide glue probably would bond graphite to wood.

As an experiment I once bonded two coke bottles together, bottom to bottom with hide glue. I held one bottle by the neck and struck the other bottle against a cement block. The bottle broke but the glue joint didn't.

Not very scientific but it surprised me.

Pkr2

mpm · #20 09-14-2001, 09:11 AM

I've made fingerboards out of Purpleheart and Pau Ferro. The purpleheart is surprisingly well suited. Tight grained, finishes extremely smooth, and when treated with boiled linseed oil, has a pleasant dark brownish purple color that does darken with age. Just finished a Chinese bass where I took out the bevel, dressed the board, then applied 4-5 coats of black fiberglass resin. I polished it to a satin finish with 0000 steel wool. Works pretty well if you don't want to replace the whole thing.