Stringing through the top of the tailpiece?

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Hello, all.
My bass, which is strung with Spiro Mittels, tends to buzz on the E string between F# and A when played pizz. Arco gives me no problems, and the amount of relief in the board seems correct.
Reading the Evah P megathread last night, I saw a comment from a poster who was told by Mike Shank that he could cure a similar problem by stringing through the top of the tailpiece.
Five minutes later, my bass looks stranger but sounds much better. From the change in tension the tailpiece is twisted at an odd angle. My tailgut is braided steel. Is this likely to cause me problems going forward?

[james condino]

The nice thing about braided steel tailguts is that they rarely end in a catastrophic failure; usually a wire or two will start to let loose and then you'll notice it and get things fixed at that point.

There is nothing to really worry about with the non-standard string fitting, as long as it is secure in its position. I regularly string from the top and bottom, and for photo shoots or trade shows, I'll often reverse the string slots so that one or many strings will cross or form a pattern. While it does little or nothing to advance the sound, it generally is all about the cosmetic styling; a side benefit is that it gets the crusty old traditionalists all worked up without ever saying a word!

j.

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Funny you would say that. I rapidly finding myself becoming one of those crusty traditionalists. Goodbye, punk rock. Hello, sensible shoes. Did I mention I'm 34? Must be my German roots.

Anyway: I figured I was probably OK, but thanks for confirming. Are there any other tricks I might try to tighten up the string response before I go crazy and buy a Spiro Stark E? My bridge has an orchestral curve but is about 2mm lower than it probably should be where it's grooved for the E, so I'm working my way up from "free DIY" to "new bridge" in search of a solution. Danka.

[Jake deVilliers]

You can swap the E and A tuner assignments - that will put a little more tension on the E string.

If you want a little more height and can't afford to have adjusters installed, you can always move the bridge towards the fingerboard ...

[james condino]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

If you want a little more height and can't afford to have adjusters installed, you can always move the bridge towards the fingerboard ...

...or add a popsickle stick shim under the bridge foot....

Either way, get the Stark!!!! It is my current favorite E, but not one for delicate hands; more like having a wound Marlboro under your fingers.

j.

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

You can swap the E and A tuner assignments - that will put a little more tension on the E string.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try it tonight. I have adjusters installed, and maxed out. The top of the bridge was cut down about 1/4" when I had it converted back to right-handed string arrangement.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by KUNGfuSHERIFF

Thanks for the advice. I'll try it tonight. I have adjusters installed, and maxed out. The top of the bridge was cut down about 1/4" when I had it converted back to right-handed string arrangement.

Sounds like what you really need is a new bridge!

Good luck!

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

True, but that costs money...

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

You can swap the E and A tuner assignments - that will put a little more tension on the E string.

So what do I owe you? Not only did switching the E and A give me more boom and less buzz where I needed it, but it also calmed down the open D which had been the loudest note on the bass.

How about I refresh your supply of Popsicle sticks? My daughter goes through a lot of them.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by KUNGfuSHERIFF

So what do I owe you? Not only did switching the E and A give me more boom and less buzz where I needed it, but it also calmed down the open D which had been the loudest note on the bass.

How about I refresh your supply of Popsicle sticks? My daughter goes through a lot of them.

No no no - its Condino that's into popsicle sticks! I'm strictly into adult beverages...

Its interesting that such a seemingly insignificant change can make such a profound difference, eh? Glad it worked for you.

Seeya, Jake

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Sorry about the misplaced Popsicle joke. I'll mail you an adult beverage if you can shed any light on this.
I played the mess out of that poor bass for hours tonight and that E string was just not there for anything more demanding than cocktail jazz tunes. Thinking the bass is just too rigid to push any low frequencies, and I'd feel like a jerk playing a three-string tuned A-D-G in this day and age. Stark E and soundpost adjustment here I come.

[Jake deVilliers]

Maybe you should take it to your luthier for an analysis before you start swapping strings etc. Could be you need a thorough setup to bring out the best in your bass - the bridge, tailpiece and afterlengths might not be working together...

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The bass and I visited Bill Merchant shortly after I bought it, and he gave it a quick-and-dirty setup just to get me started. Great guy. We've planned for it to go back, but schedules, etc...Besides, it's much easier to bitch about my bass on the Internet than actually drive down and have it fixed.

[forester]

stark E = da shidt (wait till you hear F&F#)!