Tailpiece Inside Wood Cracking

[mksolid]

Hello all. I just got a double bass today and I guess I accidentally bumped the tailpiece on something and if I shine light down inside the bass the wood is slightly cracking up around where the tailpiece pole comes up into the body. Does this generally eventually happen to everyone? I mean, everyone can't be perfect at handling these things, right?

[Charles Shores]

I hope im wrong, but it sounds like your endblock is cracked.

[mksolid]

Well to better describe it... here is what I see

I look down inside the f holes and I see the (im brand new to double bass so I dont know any terminology) pole extending straight up from the bottom of the body of the bass... the pole seems to be connecting to the tailpiece which is ebony and lets the bass stand up properly. Right around where the tailpiece is... I guess.. mounted into the body, the wood around it is "chipping up". Like there's flakes of it starting to stick up. The tailpiece is still in there rock solid. I laid the bass down and examined it and it is held in very well..

[mksolid]

Hmm I guess it's technically where the endpin connects.

[anonymous0726]

Those flakes might be left over from the reaming of the end pin.

Some Terminology For You:
The tailpiece is the piece of wood that accepts the ball end of the string. This is attached to the end pin with a piece of cable or wire. The end pin is the thing that you balance the bass on. The bottom block is the piece of wood that the endpin is mounted in.

When you look inside the bass and down at the bottom, what you're see is the bottom block. The hole is drilled and reamed to fit the endpin. Since it a bitch to reach inside the bass, any flakes left over from making the hole in the endpin were likely left there.

[mksolid]

Thank you for the terminology, Ray. So pretty much as long as this thing feels rock solid, I should have nothing to worry about I suppose, as the surface of the wood would surely flake up from a proper firm mounting of the endpin.

[ToR-Tu-Ra]

I got those same flakes inside my bass. Any idea how to get them out? It's not like an acoustic guitar where I can lift and shake it 'till they fall out.

[WalterBush]

Originally Posted by ToR-Tu-Ra

I got those same flakes inside my bass. Any idea how to get them out? It's not like an acoustic guitar where I can lift and shake it 'till they fall out.

Sure it is. You just need a bigger space to do it in, and the willingness to wave a hideously expensive instrument in the air over your head.

Seriously, though, I just stuck some (unused) gas-line hose into my vacuum's hose partway, secured and sealed it with duct tape, and wiggled it around inside my bass through the F-holes until it stopped shedding bits of itself.

[ToR-Tu-Ra]

Good idea, thanks!

[EJ_Dad]

My teacher/repair man says to use a dowel rod with some double sided tape on the end, to get things out of the bass.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by EJ_Dad

My teacher/repair man says to use a dowel rod with some double sided tape on the end, to get things out of the bass.

Here's what I do. I take a length of clear, flexible tubing (1/2" diameter?), wrap one end with duct tape, and shove it in the end of a vacuum-cleaner hose. The other end can be easily snaked into the bass through an f-hole and does a fine job of pulling out the nasties. Because the tubing is soft, it leaves no scratches around the f-hole. Works like a charm!

[bassbaterie]

i use the air compressor to blow out dust and stuff (impressive when the air gun is pressed into the endpin hole and clouds puff out the ff holes), and lie on my back on the living room floor, shaking the bass above my body, to get out the pencils and other solid objects my kid drops in.

for what it's worth.