Nasty, shiny finish removed = better sound

Tyler_W · #1 01-01-2010, 10:43 PM

After hearing that my carved Eberle is a highly undervalued instrument, I'm trying to do some things to make it sound good. Such things would include: Marvin Elastic Tailpiece, New Strings, etc

However, does the nasty, shiny finish on my bass have any impact on the sound? If I remove it, and get it re-varnished, will I notice a difference in tone? What else could I do to improve the overall sound?

Thanks!

--Tyler

**Matthew Tucker** · #2 01-02-2010, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler_W

After hearing that my carved Eberle is a highly undervalued instrument ...

what does that mean, exactly?

Tyler_W · #3 01-02-2010, 01:58 AM

Well, I bought my W. Eberle carved bass for a ridiculously low price from this one distributor in New York. Since this person was just liquidating inventory, he was able to sell the basses for really cheap, which decreased their value quite a bit.

*edit*

so, with that said, I'm trying to squeeze the most sound I can out of it, before buying a new axe

**Matthew Tucker** · #4 01-02-2010, 02:59 AM

There's probably a bunch of things you could try before spending thousands on refinishing your bass. But I can't really make any suggestions because i'm too far away to hear your bass

What does your luthier suggest?

Paul Warburton · #5 01-02-2010, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler_W

After hearing that my carved Eberle is a highly undervalued instrument, I'm trying to do some things to make it sound good.

So, are you saying that it sounded OK before you found out that it was undervalued.? What was the value before it became undervalued and who undervalued it in the first place?
Just not sure exactly what you're saying here.....

EDIT: At 19, yer into cigars? I love reading Profiles.

Eric Hochberg · #6 01-02-2010, 09:16 AM

Tyler, just because you got it for a good price doesn't mean anything significant in terms of its worth as an instrument. If you do sell it, you'll get more money for it if it sounds and plays well. The next owner isn't going to know where you got it and how much you paid unless he hangs around TB!

What don't you like about the sound or playability? Go see a good bass luthier to sort things out first. He'll know how to tweak things out for the style of music you are concentrating on. I'm guessing the bass did not come with a high level setup. He'll look at the soundpost, nut and bridge slots, fingerboard dressing, etc. Good strings never hurt, what is on there now? Is the TP cable braided or solid? Braided is much better. You don't need to get a Marvin TP at this point, get to know the bass first, the way it plays and its basic sound quality and any problems that are cropping up. Then you can ask specific questions here about possible changes.

Nagrom · #7 01-02-2010, 10:26 AM

I have one of these also, and yes the finish is a bit thick. I did not like the helicore hybrid strings it came with and much prefer the Belcanto strings it now has.

The bass has a nice deep acoustic tone, and can be quite loud although that depends on the room it is in. I'm told (by classical musicians) that the bass sounds 'slightly muffled'. The bass amplifies very well, and this could very well be due to the thick finish providing a damping factor.

I get the feeling you just got this bass. If so, I would suggest just leaving it as is for awhile, possibly trying a different set of strings.

Marc Piane · #8 01-02-2010, 10:33 AM

I have a ply bass as my B bass with a pretty heavy finish. I though about stripping and refinishing but then I played a gig in the rain and got a beer spilled on me and the bass cleaned up great.

Just put some Spiro Mittels on that bad boy and get to playing!

ctregan · #9 01-02-2010, 11:04 AM

A home refinish job will devalue almost any bass.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #10 01-02-2010, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fingers

I have a ply bass as my B bass with a pretty heavy finish. I though about stripping and refinishing but then I played a gig in the rain and got a beer spilled on me and the bass cleaned up great.

Just put some Spiro Mittels on that bad boy and get to playing!

You and me both! My B bass is the ugliest beat up ply with a home refinish/poly treatment. The perfect 'rain' bass. It sounds very dark but strung with mittels it sounds great.
OP, If your bass sounds dark, put mittels on it. If it's bright, go with EP weich. Then play your bass AS IS for at least a year. You can tweek/modify it all you want but it ain't gonna change much. It's in the wood and in your hands. Paul is right around the corner with a 'wood in yer hands' joke but he has more experience with that type of humor and subject matter than I

.

Paul Warburton · #11 01-02-2010, 02:44 PM

Hehe....he said "wood in yer hands".

Tyler_W · #12 01-02-2010, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

So, are you saying that it sounded OK before you found out that it was undervalued.? What was the value before it became undervalued and who undervalued it in the first place?
Just not sure exactly what you're saying here.....

EDIT: At 19, yer into cigars? I love reading Profiles.

Ha, yep.. I started at the ripe old age of 18, and it's been my hobby ever since.

About it being "undervalued". I did some digging around on the internet and Upton said (when they actually had an eberle for sale) that it depreciated quite, but it's a solid instrument.

I'm just trying to judge what it's worth really is, in order to decide whether or not I want to try putting some money in it to improve the sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehochberg

What don't you like about the sound or playability?

It has a really bright high range (good for solo playing), but the lower range leaves something to be desired. It's not very resonant ("muffled", as another poster called it). As a point of reference, I'm using Tomastik "Super Flexibles". I've already got a decent setup on it (the fingerboard replaned, new SP, new bridge, w/adjusters etc), so I'm trying to find more ways to get a better sound out of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nagrom

I get the feeling you just got this bass. If so, I would suggest just leaving it as is for awhile, possibly trying a different set of strings.

I've had this bass for about two years. It's real solid so far, minus the sound in the low range

Thanks for the input, guys!

Eric Hochberg · #13 01-02-2010, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler_W

It has a really bright high range (good for solo playing), but the lower range leaves something to be desired. It's not very resonant ("muffled", as another poster called it). As a point of reference, I'm using Tomastik "Super Flexibles". I've already got a decent setup on it (the fingerboard replaned, new SP, new bridge, w/adjusters etc), so I'm trying to find more ways to get a better sound out of it.

Sounds like you're doing it all right. The Marvin increased the brightness of my bass. I didn't notice an effect on the low end. Your strings are fine. Evah Pirazzi Regulars really brought out some low end on my bass, but they are harder work to play than other strings out there. Experimenting with the soundpost might be in order. Tell your luthier what you don't like and maybe he will have ideas. Take it to more than one guy if you can.

If all of this fails to satisfy, time for another bass, I think.

Tyler_W · #14 01-02-2010, 03:31 PM

True, the only real experimenting i've done with my soundpost was when my teacher (Chris White, principal of VA symphony) tapped the sound post a few times with his tool. Would some Piastro Originals be a good choice, in terms of new strings?

Michael Case · #15 01-02-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler_W

True, the only real experimenting i've done with my soundpost was when my teacher (Chris White, principal of VA symphony) tapped the sound post a few times with his tool. Would some Piastro Originals be a good choice, in terms of new strings?

I'm gonna leave this alone.

Tyler_W · #16 01-02-2010, 04:46 PM

ha, you might as well spill the beans. I'm curious about what you were going to say.

**Matthew Tucker** · #17 01-02-2010, 05:49 PM

head on down to the gutter and all will be revealed :-\

1st Bass · #18 01-02-2010, 05:52 PM

Redefine tool as "soundpost-setter" and all the gutter humor evaporates.

Paul Warburton · #19 01-02-2010, 05:55 PM

As long as that post stays......it's never too late.

Mudfuzz · #20 01-02-2010, 06:06 PM

Re-finishing a bass is not fun, it is very un-fun. It takes MUCH work to get those hard finishes off. And if you don't want to mess the bass up it will take lots of time and that means you will be without a bass if you only have one for over a month.

Yes I have refinished my bass, yes it came out better then the original finish and the bass sounded better [for what it is] but it was LOTS of work and I knew what I was doing, do you?