Double Bass Action too high, and bridge is adjusted to its lowest point

[Jake deVilliers]

yes this would be what he is referring to

Right - as Eric said, shimming the neck is a very expensive process on a double bass!

 

[bigolbassguy]

+1

It should be a pretty quick fix to address string height, but you'll likely need a fingerboard dressing afterward.

Why is that Mark?

It's better than eating it plane.

:/ waa

 

[Jake deVilliers]

It's better than eating it plane.

:/ waa

I guess I just don't see any correlation between fingerboard health and string height. The board can be fine and the string heights too high at the nut and/or bridge - though sometimes a bridge is set high to make up for a bumpy, humpy fingerboard...

 

[bigolbassguy]

I guess I just don't see any correlation between fingerboard health and string height. The board can be fine and the string heights too high at the nut and/or bridge - though sometimes a bridge is set high to make up for a bumpy, humpy fingerboard...

I'm just saying that the odds are in favor of buzzes surfacing after the string heights are lowered. I doubt that the fingerboard somehow received expert attention when the bridge and nut were set up in an amateur fashion.

 

[bassmasta94]

Thanks guys, this really helps a lot. I appreciate it.

 

[normalbassguy]

There's not a commonly agreed upon standard for string height at the end of the fingerboard, because it depends a lot on what kind of music you play

I'm having the same issue with my string height. Is there a general reference resource for what height your strings should be for various genre/strings/playing styles etc.?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

A good middle ground seems to be 7-8-9-10mm G to E. It works with Spiro reds for pizz and basic arco, but the G is a tad low for slap.

I used a chainsaw file to get each string to the height I wanted -- not pretty, but effective enough -- and will take the extra wood off the top of the bridge with a belt sander when time permits.