String Height

[ajaxon]

I measured the string height at the end of the finger board on my bass, a KC strings. I come up with 7/32 on the G string and 9/32 on the E string. I know that string height is relative to the player and bass , but does this sound like a normal string height??

[Jake deVilliers]

Check in with the String Height Poll in the 'Jazz Technique' section.
String Height Poll

We've been measuring in millimeters.........

[Chris Fitzgerald]

<--- (Click)

Go to "search", then "Advanced search", then enter "String Height" in the keyword box and select "Double Bass Forums", and you'll find about three pages of the info you seek.

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

We've been measuring in millimeters.........

Jake habib you gotta be kidding. My G string height is set at 0.0147 Egyptian Cubits!

(or 0.0198 Shaku for our japanese bassists ...)

[TimWilson]

My simple formula has always been:

NEARLY straight neck - just a hair of bow

Drop the strings 'til they buzz, then back 'em up a gooch.

Yeah... A gooch.

[Jake deVilliers]

Tim, we don't use gooches to measure ANYTHING on a double bass.

Most of us measure string height in mm except for certain Aussie luthier-types what appear to start their drinking earlier than North Americans!

[Pentabass]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

Check in with the String Height Poll in the 'Jazz Technique' section.
String Height Poll

We've been measuring in millimeters.........

Hi Jake,

I thought that poll was an excellent idea, except I want to take it a bit further: how about measuring string to fingerboard height not only at the fingerboard end, but also at the octave, the fifth and the forth. And the Nut. You know, to quantify the 'scoop'. So that makes 4x5=20 measurements.
Of course you need the width between strings at the nut and the bridge. Add another 6 measurements.
Ok, how wide is your fingerboard at the nut and the other end? And how long? Add 3 measurements.
This is all meaningless without the string type and diameters. Another 4 measurements.
Given the context of you playing, of course.
Ah, yes, don't forget total string length. That makes a grand total of only 32 measurements, if we want to attempt to describe that elusive system that is more than it's parts: The FingerBoard-String Unit.

So that's why I am working on a spreadsheet, for easy comparison of the ratio's between various size instruments.

Are you interested in revising my first attempt to bring some kind of order into these measurements? Maybe I will post the spreadsheet for critique.

(Ok, you noticed that I did not quantify the arc at the bridge, and the nut. I have a solution for measuring and describing the bridge, but I am not happy yet with a good solution for the nut arc.)

Stefan in Winnipeg

[arnoldschnitzer]

I live on a horse farm. Therefore I set up all basses to 0.00014 hands on the g side, 0.00019 hands on the E side.

[1st Bass]

What would that come to in Gooches?

[llacnayr]

The width between the G string and the bottom of the fingerboard should snugly fit an eraser of a pencil in between.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by llacnayr

The width between the G string and the bottom of the fingerboard should snugly fit an eraser of a pencil in between.

What? Huh? "Should fit?"

I suggest you take some time and look over the many threads here on this topic. Most of us measure string height at the bridge-end of the fingerboard. It is the distance between the fingerboard and the bottom of the string. There really isn't a "should." It depends on personal preference and style of play. I don't think Ray Brown and Brian Bromberg would agree on "should."

Edit: I just grabbed a caliper and a new pencil. The eraser is about 6.4 mm wide. At the G, that would be too low for me.

[Gearhead43]

We have had alot of semi-literate slabbists posting over here lately.

Seems like every day now.

[llacnayr]

Originally Posted by drurb

What? Huh? "Should fit?"

I suggest you take some time and look over the many threads here on this topic. Most of us measure string height at the bridge-end of the fingerboard. It is the distance between the fingerboard and the bottom of the string. There really isn't a "should." It depends on personal preference and style of play. I don't think Ray Brown and Brian Bromberg would agree on "should."

[/i]

Sorry, thats the way I talk (I'm Nebraskan) I meant, that is the height of my strings.

[Eric Swanson]

Originally Posted by llacnayr

Sorry, thats the way I talk (I'm Nebraskan) I meant, that is the height of my strings.

Easy there, big fella. I'm from NE too, originally, but I generally know the difference between width and height (on the good days).

Don't you dare place blame for your personal verbal challenges on the Cornhusker State, the virtual Cradle of Civilization!

(Sings:
"...Good Old Nebraska,
Where the girls are the fairest,
The boys are the squarest..."