How Loud Should My Bass Be?

[johnfowles]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

What happens when you raise it another 2 mm and what are your string heights at the end of the fingerboard, from the wood to the underside of the strings?

G = 5mm
D = 7mm
A = 8mm
E = 5mm

[uprightben]

johnfowles said:

"I've just put my bridge up a mm or two and the strangest thing has happened. The D string is now booming (and the volume i'd expect of my bass) and the E string is really really quiet.

Does this sound like a string issue now?

(My Evahs arrive on Tuesday...)"

You need to make sure that you have someone else play your bass or try the playing into a wall technique to asses volume, esspecially the e string. That said, i have the same corelli's on my bass, and the e isn't the most powerfull. I also wonder at the string height measurments you posted, I would think that the e should be the highest and the g the lowest with the d and a falling in between. it seems that the arch of your bridge is not accurately reflecting the radius of your fingerboard, but i could be completely wrong.

[Jake deVilliers]

You might want to check out the string heights posted in the Poll here String Height Poll

Then try your strings at 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 mm and see how your string balance changes.

[johnfowles]

Wow... Just moved the bridge up to be 6mm - G and 9mm - E. It's made a world of difference. Completely different bass to play!

I'll let you know how the Evahs change it.