97% of the time, when I start obsessing over the small details on my bass the problem is me, not the bass! That is why I removed the adjusters on the bridge and use a fixed endpin and remove everything possible from the signal chain on the important gig days. If something is a little off, I adjust my playing rather than searching for "rescue knobs" to turn while everyone else on the gig gives me the inpatient stinkeye...
The soundpost fit things is a pretty important conversation. For folks that really want to know and understand the full potential of their bass, I offer up a session where the clock is running and I'll move and set as many different styles, materials, and positions as you want in an hour. 3 different types of spruce, cedar, hardwoods & carbon fiber. Straight carbon fiber requires a different set of tools. An access panel offers amazing insight into how well (or poor) your fitting skills are.
We also tape a big sheet of paper on the top behind the bridge and make notes as to position, voice, response, et cetera. Usually we'll cover somewhere between 10-12 different options. It gives you a good idea of the full range of possibilities for your bass- on that day, with those climate conditions, and with that specific setup. For OCD players, it allows them to pick one and then move on to the next obsession. I'd say that regardless of my choice, 75% of the time the person goes back to right where it started because that is what they were most familiar with.
On my trapdoor basses, one of the unforseen pleasant surprises is that I will often adjust the post for the room. Some rooms seem to kill the D string or such, so I'll boost it a little to compensate. I've also been known to pull out a big rubber chicken and a few beers from the access panel when I get bored during someone else's too long extended solo!
The soundpost fit things is a pretty important conversation. For folks that really want to know and understand the full potential of their bass, I offer up a session where the clock is running and I'll move and set as many different styles, materials, and positions as you want in an hour. 3 different types of spruce, cedar, hardwoods & carbon fiber. Straight carbon fiber requires a different set of tools. An access panel offers amazing insight into how well (or poor) your fitting skills are.
We also tape a big sheet of paper on the top behind the bridge and make notes as to position, voice, response, et cetera. Usually we'll cover somewhere between 10-12 different options. It gives you a good idea of the full range of possibilities for your bass- on that day, with those climate conditions, and with that specific setup. For OCD players, it allows them to pick one and then move on to the next obsession. I'd say that regardless of my choice, 75% of the time the person goes back to right where it started because that is what they were most familiar with.
On my trapdoor basses, one of the unforseen pleasant surprises is that I will often adjust the post for the room. Some rooms seem to kill the D string or such, so I'll boost it a little to compensate. I've also been known to pull out a big rubber chicken and a few beers from the access panel when I get bored during someone else's too long extended solo!
