Double Bass Action Adjustment?

[Chasarms]

G 4.5, 5.0 max
E 7.5, 8.0 max
Spiros get the low setting; weichs, solos, or Obligatos get the higher.
Believe me, I can be heard.

Do you play arco with this set up?

 

[Alex Scott]

I've seen and played good arco with lower, maybe 3.5 g and 6 E. That being said, you do have to vibrate the strings in an oval fashion, side to side, which involves not pressing down into your fingerboard with the bow. You can get a very good sound, but if you are a presser, you would have a lot of work to do to get there.

 

[Giacomo]

I purchased a 1984 Eng with a rosewood fingerboard and took it to a luthier to set up. He made a bridge with adjustable wooden wheels , took the shine off and planed the fingerboard to remove high spots. When done he told me that I could never bow because of the shape of the fb, it flattens out on the bass side, and he carved the bridge accordingly. The fb is beveled at the E. I measured the height of the strings at what I feel is the best compromise of height. tone, volume, etc., and the measurements are: G 10mm; D 13mm; A - 14mm; E - 11mm. I find that the G and D sound a lot warmer than the A & E ( Eurosonic UltraLites), and the higher I go the volume it sounds better but is no fun to play, too much of a struggle to walk, run, etc.


I'd appreciate any opinions and suggestions. Thank you.

 

[Bob Branstetter]

It sounds to me like your luthier doesn't know too much about double basses. The bevel under the E string is called the Rhomberg Bevel and up until the advent of modern steel strings was the standard shape for bass fingerboards. Even with steel strings, many players today prefer to have the bevel rather than the now more common rounded FB. The Rhomberg was created to give the large diameter E string more room to vibrate and make bowing easier on that string. The clearance you listed for the strings seem very odd to me. Normally the E string will have the largest clearance of all the strings with the clearance decreasing with A, D, and the least under the G string. If your luthier made the bridge the same shape as the end of the FB, he did it wrong.

 

[Giacomo]

It sounds to me like your luthier doesn't know too much about double basses. The bevel under the E string is called the Rhomberg Bevel and up until the advent of modern steel strings was the standard shape for bass fingerboards. Even with steel strings, many players today prefer to have the bevel rather than the now more common rounded FB. The Rhomberg was created to give the large diameter E string more room to vibrate and make bowing easier on that string. The clearance you listed for the strings seem very odd to me. Normally the E string will have the largest clearance of all the strings with the clearance decreasing with A, D, and the least under the G string. If your luthier made the bridge the same shape as the end of the FB, he did it wrong.

Now this is really something, and I don't doubt what you say at all since I have felt this way all along. Everything I have read bears this out. What's crazy is that I have seen his name in this forum mentioned as one of the better luthiers!

Any suggestions on how I should address this with him, other than showing him a copy of your reply? Thanks?

 

[Don Higdon]

Do you play arco with this set up?

Chaste:
Sorry for not getting back on this. Yes. Action is the same either way. The basses are very responsive.