Please help; new buzz

[elena]

My dear 300 year old French bass has started buzzing in a vigorous way for the first time in my 7 years of owning it. Of course I have a massive audition in 10 days....

The buzz is under the tailpiece but there is no visible crack.

My only ideas at the moment are a) hope and b) leave it next to the bath.

Would anyone have a slightly more constructive suggestion?

Thanks in anticipation.

[Eric Rene Roy]

Where in the country (world) are you?

Sounds like the humidity needs to come up...things are bone dry now and places that are usually temperate are colder than usual. We came off one of the wettest springs/summer/falls on record here in the North East, and wood had a long time to soak up lots of moisture. Now that things are drying up (fast)...the wood is giving up the moisture it got used to rapidly. Instruments are like goldfish...they like long acclimation times...sudden changes are not good.

[Gearhead43]

Originally Posted by Eric Rene Roy

Instruments are like goldfish...they like long acclimation times...sudden changes are not good.

Will they also eat and eat until they croak?

[forester]

end pin overlength inside?

[elena]

Dear Eric,

Thanks so much for your help. I'm in London. It's been a very cold winter indeed (for here) and although I don't keep my flat particularly warm, I think my bass is protesting about the inclement conditions.

Anyway, it spent the night next to some damp laundry (very glamorous, I know) and is a bit better today so I'm just going to keep playing it and hope for the best!