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Originally Posted by Mark Clout  I have a carved DB that sounds nice...except I have multiple wolf tones. The F# is the worst, but the B and the A also are bad enough that I can't draw the bow without the wobble.
Is this a flaw in the bass or can it be corrected. I don't really want to dampen it down with a whole bunch of eliminators if I can help it. |
Mark, I also have a carved DB with a wolf at about "G" (which I sense is the wood note of my bass). The wolf is worst on the A string, less so on other strings. It howls when I bow that note.
From your description, it sounds like you really have wolves, not a soundpost that's out of place. But not knowing, I guess it could be a setup problem: bridge, soundpost, etc. If that is so, then you don't have wolves. Lucky you...
But if you have wolves, they aren't necessarily a flaw in your bass! Even the highest quality violins, cellos, and basses can have wolves. Unfortunately, you cannot get rid of a wolf, even with "eliminators", because the wolf is usually caused by natural resonances in the wood. All you can do is minimize his opportunities to howl. String length below the bridge might be a factor, and if one of your strings vibrates there at the same pitch as your wolf, an eliminator might help. A compensated tailpiece has helped me banish the wolf in my bass. I also try not to bow that note at that spot. There was a recent thread discussion on tailpiece weight and its impact on wolftones.
In case anyone on TB is interested, there is a very good article on the web about the physics of wolftones, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" and the link is here:
http://www.violinviolacello.com/wolf.htm
cheers,
Bill
