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04-20-2011, 12:31 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New Delhi, India | |  In Real trouble and Really need help!
Hi Guys,
So here's the thing: I play with a bebop quartet here in New Delhi, India and I picked up a hofner (for brandsake, it's just a chinese made) upright bass about six months ago from Bombay. It gets out of the house a lot as we play pretty often - so that's a lot driving, carting up and down - and a lot of bumping - seeing as how pot-holed the roads here in Delhi are (not to mention the extreme weather).
Over the last week, my D and G strings have really started to misbehave - as has the C note on my A string. I'm getting faint buzzing from both the high strings when I play pizz - and as I go higher on the fretboard, the note definition gets blurrier. I've totally lost a note on the G string. I have a feeling that the buzzing is getting worse - and will continue to do so unless I do something.
I also play some acro - and I can't bow the D string at all - the G string is catching up with the same.
The reason i'm in a LOT of trouble is because there are no luthiers here in Delhi. I'm pretty much the only person with a double bass here - save one or two people, who are now well over 70. There are people who fix electric guitars and basses, but I know that they will Not know what to do with a bass.
I'll post a video of the bass and maybe you guys can help me out? Any advice at all would help !! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8JGTsxC3io (please ignore my technique.. i'm just pointing to the problems!)
The bridge has adjustable wheels.. should I raise the action some? I'm really worried. I'll be in a lot of trouble if this goes off course. 
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04-20-2011, 12:48 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Seattle, WA | | | The video is private, I can't see it.
Here's what I'd check for:
Is the bridge in the proper position? It should be perpendicular to the top and the middle of the feet should line up with the notch in each F-Hole. If it got bumped or started to lean toward the fingerboard simply bringing it back into place could help a lot.
Is the bridge warping? It should be straight on one side, look to see if it's taken on any curve. This would be tougher to resolve quickly and most would recommend a replacement bridge if this were the case.
Is the sound post in position? There are micro-adjustments to be made, but on a macro-level. get a light and shine it in there. It should be also perpendicular to the top and back and be seated cleanly on both sides. You won't be able to see it mate the top unless you have a mirror, but you should be able to tell if it's leaning one way or another. The proper position is somewhere near, but not right under the G foot of the bridge.
If it is none of these things, then my next suspect would be the fingerboard, which I'll let the luthiers weigh in on. The right solution is to have it planed, but in this case or if nothing looks amiss, I'd tune the strings down a bit and then raise the bridge 1/2 turn at a time and see what happens.
It could be a problem with the bass or it could be as simple as humidity causing things to change their position to one another.
I'm not the most qualified to answer here, but I think those are pretty safe starting answers, without seeing it. It's what I would check first if it were my bass.
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04-20-2011, 12:54 PM
| | | | The youtube won't come up.
I was in Delhi in January, and am very sympathetic with your situation, and the temperature variations are hard for many to realize.
The "adjustable wheels" are made to be used. Loosen the strings a taste before you adjust, if you are going to turn them more than a quarter turn. That can help with the buzz, but the blurring sounds more difficult. Take a look and make sure that the bridge has not shifted, nor tilted, and is making good contact with the bass at the feet.
A very useful tool to have is a wood scraper. This is just a rectangular piece of very high quality steel, about .1 cm thick, about 13 by 18 cms which has no sharp edge. You can use this to scrape high points on the fingerboard. It is much more accurate than sanding or planing.
Also, a sympathetic violin luthier might be amused to try his craft on a bass.
Hope some of this may help.
Steven |
04-20-2011, 02:22 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2004 Location: Minneapolis, MN | | | First raise your strings and see if that makes a difference. |
04-20-2011, 03:04 PM
| | Registered User
Luthier, Dallas Strings | | Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Dallas, Texas | | | First and foremost problem, your strings are on backwards. The G string should be on the opposite side. You finger with your left hand and pluck with your right.. |
04-20-2011, 03:47 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Seattle, WA | | | I watched your clip and I see your point, it's not working. I would still go through and check things in the order I suggested. If none of those things seem out of sorts, bring the strings up about 1/2 turn. If you're still having problems, it's likely the shape of the fingerboard and would need to be planed or dressed.
One other thing to look for, though I doubt it, is make sure the top isn't sinking. Specifically under the bridge feet. I doubt it, but look for it's natural, consistent shape.
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04-20-2011, 03:48 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Houston, TX | | | Is the camera flipped, or do you play left-handed? If you are going lefty, is the bass set up properly for that? The sound post needs to be on the G side, the bass bar on the E side. You can't just switch the strings around.
Are there any open seams? Is the neck firmly glued in place? Is the fingerboard firmly glued to the heel?
It sounds like your strings have suddenly sunk down. The bridge could be out of place or warped. The neck or fingerboard could be coming unglued. Your sound post may have shifted or fallen. If everything seems to be in good shape, I'd try just raising the strings.
Usually the answer is to take it to a luthier, though you may need to do some of the work on your own. It might be worth your while to call some violin shops first to see if any of them could do some double bass work. The anatomy is more or less the same. |
04-20-2011, 11:31 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New Delhi, India | | | Hi guys, thanks for the all the feedback. I'll see what I can do - and that's the camera.
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04-21-2011, 12:41 AM
|  | Supporting Member
Luthier: Bresque Basses, rep: Paulin EUB | | Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by TroyK  Is the bridge in the proper position? | that's where my money is too :-) ... you can pretty much see the strings are pulled over to one side, which is why the g string is crazy low. |
04-21-2011, 03:26 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New Delhi, India | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker that's where my money is too :-) ... you can pretty much see the strings are pulled over to one side, which is why the g string is crazy low. | I'm looking at the bass and the bridge and the bass and everything looks okay. I don't think the bridge has moved.
When you say the strings are pulled over to one side, what does that mean and what should I do? Sorry.. I don't mean to sound so helpess (except that i actually am  )
The bridge feet seem to be making proper contact and it doesn't look particularly curved.. but maybe i'm missing something.
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there are in this world, primarily two things, things that are worth it and things that are not.
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04-21-2011, 04:12 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Houston, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by x15 I'm looking at the bass and the bridge and the bass and everything looks okay. I don't think the bridge has moved.
When you say the strings are pulled over to one side, what does that mean and what should I do? Sorry.. I don't mean to sound so helpess (except that i actually am )
The bridge feet seem to be making proper contact and it doesn't look particularly curved.. but maybe i'm missing something. | He means it looks like the bridge has moved to the side. Take some pictures of the bridge and f-holes from a few different angles. |
04-21-2011, 04:40 AM
|  | Bartle doo? | | Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Missing Mountains | | | That really sucks man. I hope some of the pros on here can help you out. Sorry I can't provide help, but I wanted to post to show some sympathy to your poopy situation. Best of luck.
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04-21-2011, 05:37 AM
| | Supporting Member
Luthier: Bresque Basses, rep: Paulin EUB | | Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia | | | are the strings symmetrically placed across the fingerboard? |
04-21-2011, 07:41 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Maryland | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker that's where my money is too :-) ... you can pretty much see the strings are pulled over to one side, which is why the g string is crazy low. | Matthew, to me it looks like that's just a bad angle of the camera, but who knows. Pictures would help.
George |
04-21-2011, 07:55 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: arlington va | | | I agree with bridge out of position--the bridge looks like it's shifted towards the bass side, maybe as a result of being bumped?
The bridge should be exactly between the two f holes
Also have you checked the bridge angle? tuning up and down will often pull the bridge forward, toward the neck. The neck side of the bridge should be perpendicular to the top of the bass. if it's canted towards the neck, then you should knock it upright.
An easy way to do that under string tension is to take a paperback book that fits between the strings and whack the bridge a bit near where the strings rest on it to move it. You don't want the feet to change position (assuming they're in the right place) you just want the bridge to be angled right.
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04-21-2011, 08:26 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Maryland | | Quote:
Originally Posted by PB+J Also have you checked the bridge angle? tuning up and down will often pull the bridge forward, toward the neck. The neck side of the bridge should be perpendicular to the top of the bass. if it's canted towards the neck, then you should knock it upright. | I was under the impression that the tail piece side of the bridge should be perpendicular to the top, with the angled side facing the fingerboard. The way I set it up on my bass, the wedge-shaped nature of the bridge gives the illusion that it's leaning away from the fingerboard, whereas in fact the south side is perpendicular.
George
Last edited by George700DL : 04-21-2011 at 08:31 AM.
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04-21-2011, 08:55 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: arlington va | | | George I think you're right--my bad
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04-21-2011, 10:02 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New Delhi, India | | | I'll take some pictures tonight. Guys - Thank you so much. I'll keep you posted. Somewhere i'm suddenly scared to even touch it now.
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there are in this world, primarily two things, things that are worth it and things that are not.
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04-21-2011, 11:42 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Chicago | | Quote:
Originally Posted by George700DL I was under the impression that the tail piece side of the bridge should be perpendicular to the top, with the angled side facing the fingerboard. | There are different takes on this. My guy sets up with a middle line bisecting the bridge width perpendicular to the top edge. |
04-21-2011, 11:59 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New Delhi, India | | | not really sure how much these will help but..
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