string length

[robert21]

hey guys,

this may be a silly question but how do you measure the string length of a bass?

many thanks

rob

[anonymous12251111]

Bridge to Nut where the string is playable.

[bonaventura]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

Bridge to Nut where the string is playable.

right, tip of properly set bridge (where tip is on a line between the inside ff-hole notches) to end of nut. if bridge isn't properly set, a 105 cm mensure can vary between 104 and 106 cm...

[tomherrick]

What is the proper string length - nut to bridge - on a 3/4 bass? Should the bridge be set perpendicular to the fingerboard axis, or should there be a slight angle. The bridges on my wife's basses - the rental and the one she just bought - were slightly angled giving the E-string more length than the G-string; 42-1/2 on the E-side and 42-3/8 on the G-side. Are there guidelines for this setup and, if so, where might a new bass owner find them?

Further, we need to understand how to maintain the length as the strings are tightened. Up to a point the bridge can be gently tapped toward the tail, but once the strings are get tighter the bridge rocks toward the nut. Last night the bridge slipped and made one hell of a noise as it hit the front of the instrument.

Thanks,

Tom Herrick

[kurt ratering]

i know the sound of a collapsing bridge, and you have my condolances. try some graphite in the bridge grooves, and while your at it, do the same to the nut. this will help the strings slide in grooves and not grab the bidge as much. always check the inclination of your bridge after a tuning. good luck

[tomherrick]

Thanks Kurt.

We lubricated the nut with graphite; we did not use graphite on the bridge. The D-string groove on the bridge is more than 3/4 the string thickness and fairly well captures it. The bridge is also warped and a replacement is on the way.

All that said, we still need to know about bridge to fingerboard alignment and nut to bridge length. I'd imagine there's a book or two, or a Web page or two containing the info, but being new and having searched for hours without success I thought I'd ask here.

Tom

[zeytoun]

(One of the experts can correct me if I say something wrong here)

The string length (from nut to bridge) will vary from one bass to the next (41-42" ballpark, generally). You align the bridge to your f-hole notches, not to create a specific string length. And the bridge should be perpendicular to the FB (but as a result of aligning the bridge to the f-holes). The fact that it isn't could be sloppiness on the part of the rental place, or maybe indicative of a misaligned FB. You'll know better with a properly aligned bridge.

Next, the graphite solution helps mitigate the bridge gradually angling towards the FB. I hear that many people start it out *very slightly* leaning towards the tailpiece, so that as they continue to tune the strings up, it doesn't wind up leaning towards the FB.

[vejesse]

The Hans Weisshaar book defines the mensure as the ratio between the distance from the nut to the end of the top table: then this distance over the table edge to bridge position. Around 3/4 for a bass. So the mensure defines the neck length, not string length. Am I wrong?

[Gearhead43]

Originally Posted by tomherrick

Thanks Kurt.

We lubricated the nut with graphite; we did not use graphite on the bridge. The D-string groove on the bridge is more than 3/4 the string thickness and fairly well captures it. The bridge is also warped and a replacement is on the way.

All that said, we still need to know about bridge to fingerboard alignment and nut to bridge length. I'd imagine there's a book or two, or a Web page or two containing the info, but being new and having searched for hours without success I thought I'd ask here.

Tom

Tom,

The important thing is to make sure the bridge is properly located first.

The bridge should be centered between the inside ff-hole "notches". If there were an line between the two inner ff-hole notches, the bridge would be bisected by that line.

Once the bridge is located properly, then you can measure the string length of that particular bass.

Common string lengths for 3/4 size basses are 41 3/4" to 42", but many may be slightly shorter or longer.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by tomherrick

What is the proper string length - nut to bridge - on a 3/4 bass? Should the bridge be set perpendicular to the fingerboard axis, or should there be a slight angle. The bridges on my wife's basses - the rental and the one she just bought - were slightly angled giving the E-string more length than the G-string; 42-1/2 on the E-side and 42-3/8 on the G-side. Are there guidelines for this setup and, if so, where might a new bass owner find them?

Further, we need to understand how to maintain the length as the strings are tightened. Up to a point the bridge can be gently tapped toward the tail, but once the strings are get tighter the bridge rocks toward the nut. Last night the bridge slipped and made one hell of a noise as it hit the front of the instrument.

Thanks,

Tom Herrick

Any time I read a "collapsing bridge" story, I feel compelled to ask if the sound post is still standing.

[kurt ratering]

Originally Posted by vejesse

The Hans Weisshaar book defines the mensure as the ratio between the distance from the nut to the end of the top table: then this distance over the table edge to bridge position. Around 3/4 for a bass. So the mensure defines the neck length, not string length. Am I wrong?

i was under the impression that the mensure refered to the stop, the distance from overhang at the neck to the center of the bridge.

[vejesse]

I'm just going by the Weisshaar book here but it looks to me that if you look at mensure as a particular distance, it's the distance from the nut to the neck overstand - in the plane of the top, not the neck/fingerboard joint. Anyone who studied in Cremona want to chime in?

[thewhale]

Don't forget the two sides of a bridge when setting it up. One side is flat while the other side is sloped. The flat side should face the floor when the bass is upright, and this is the side that you make sure is perpendicular to the body of the bass.

Most people align the center of the bridge feet with the imaginary line that connects the inner two notches on the f-holes. Bill Lakeberg, who built my bass, has his own setup practice of placing the bridge generally in this area and then tapping the body of the bass above and below each bridge foot to listen for the pitch it makes. He then moves the bridge feet until those to pitches match on either side of each bridge foot. Has anyone heard of this before? I hadn't but it works amazingly well.

[Jake deVilliers]

DB mensure = vibrating string length

[vejesse]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

DB mensure = vibrating string length

For years that's how I've heard the term used as well. But if the term doesn't mean vibrating string length in the lexography of violin making I don't know why you would use it as such for bass. How can you be so self assured?

[Bass]

Originally Posted by Gearhead43

...The bridge should be centered between the inside ff-hole "notches". If there were an line between the two inner ff-hole notches, the bridge would be bisected by that line....

Like this:

[Gearhead43]

Word.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by vejesse

For years that's how I've heard the term used as well. But if the term doesn't mean vibrating string length in the lexography of violin making I don't know why you would use it as such for bass. How can you be so self assured?

We're not talking about violins, are we?

Check out Kolstein's web page or Gallery Bass in England or the Catgut Acoustical Society or Zaret and Sons Violins or just go ahead and Google 'Mensure of Bass' - then you'll be sure too.

[fdeck]

Are all of you men sure now?

[vejesse]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

We're not talking about violins, are we?

Check out Kolstein's web page or Gallery Bass in England or the Catgut Acoustical Society or Zaret and Sons Violins or just go ahead and Google 'Mensure of Bass' - then you'll be sure too.

Have you googled mensure of bass? Half the listings are descriptions of bass guitar measurements. Now we know that's not correct. One other thing I noticed is that I can't find one use of the word mensure in Chuck Traeger's book. I have a feeling that omission was on purpose - no sense muddying the waters.

The term mensure was evidently corrupted and simplified by isolated bass makers/repairers at some point along the way. We all know bass making and repair is a specialized field but I'm fine with the term 'string length' or 'vibrating string length'. It's a universally accepted term. Obviously the term mensure is not.