Double Bass Anyone have experience with reducing neck thickness?

[csrund]

Bought a nice instrument without approval, due to extraordinary price. Very satisfied overall, however, the neck is thick, and I have smallish hands, which is making it a bit difficult to get around on the instrument. Thinking of asking a luthier to do a redux on the neck.

Anyone here ever done this or have any insight? Any idea of the cost?

Thanks!

 

[mirwa]

The thinner you go the weaker the neck, if it is actually a large shaped neck then yes you can thin it down no problems, but if it is a generic neck and you have small hands, then you will need to have the fingerboard removed and a truss rod syatem installed to compensate for the loss of strength. Yes I have done this, cost runs around 4-500

 

[Ed Fuqua]

You don't have much info in your profile, have you been playing DB very long? Is this your first bass? If not, what were your other instruments?
I ask, because I went the other way eventually. When I switched from Bg to DB, I had a Kay, whih had a pretty thin neck and board. When I bought my current bass, the neck was still a pretty slim profile. But when I had some work done to the bass, about 7 years ago, I asked Jeff (Bollbach) to put a thicker fingerboard on to increase the width of the neck overall. I have pretty small, hammy hands with stubby fingers and have a thicker neck profile overall actually helps keep my hand in a relaxed "C" shape.
And from the way the sustain and depth of sound increased after the work, I'd say having more "material" mass makes for a more stable "table", between the bridge an teh stopped note, for transferring the vibration of the note to the body.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Bought a nice instrument without approval, due to extraordinary price. Very satisfied overall, however, the neck is thick, and I have smallish hands, which is making it a bit difficult to get around on the instrument. Thinking of asking a luthier to do a redux on the neck.

Anyone here ever done this or have any insight? Any idea of the cost?

Thanks!

This is something that's do-able but not something a person can recommend over the phone. Take your bass to a well-experienced DB luthier and discuss it in person.

 

[Thumpie]

As Ed asked, are you an experienced player? If not, you might think you need this because your technique is bad.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're probably a bass guitar player who has never taken a lesson from a good double bass teacher. Am I right?

 

[notabene]

I'd play the bass a good long time before thinning the neck. Not for structural reasons, but because it's a lot easier to take wood off than to add it. I thinned the neck of the first bass I got (120 year old gorgeous sounding blockless tyrolean) for my hands' sake. Now I wish I hadn't. Especially if you are coming from electric bass, give it a year or two before shaving it down. Thicker can end up feeling better.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Not for structural reasons, but because it's a lot easier to take wood off than to add it.

I'm sure there's a cut off point, but when and if you need to put a new fingerboard on, do what I did and a thick board put on...

 

[Phil Rowan]

I had a new ebony fingerboard put on my Engelhart neck (which is a replacement of my Kay's original neck). Sure, it makes it a bit thicker.. but I'm saving up to have a neck/fingerboard shim added because I feel it could still be even thicker. I remember before I had the ebony fb put on though, my left hand would cramp pretty easily due to the original Engelhart neck, with it's rosewood fingerboard, being so thin. 'tis no fun, I says.

 

[csrund]

As Ed asked, are you an experienced player? If not, you might think you need this because your technique is bad.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're probably a bass guitar player who has never taken a lesson from a good double bass teacher. Am I right?

I'm a lapsed classical player. Studied at Indiana with Murray Grodner and his successors. Haven't played much in 20 years. I'm going to practice for a few weeks before trying any mods to the instrument. I've lost a lot of strength and flexibility, and last April had one row of bones removed from my left wrist. All of which may account for the perception that the neck is beefy.

My new instrument is a Shen SB200 7/8. Probably a bit large for me, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse. I could swear that the Pöllmanns and other instruments I played back at IU had more slender necks.

Thanks for all of the responses and advice.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

I'm a lapsed classical player. Studied at Indiana with Murray Grodner and his successors. Haven't played much in 20 years. I'm going to practice for a few weeks before trying any mods to the instrument. I've lost a lot of strength and flexibility, and last April had one row of bones removed from my left wrist. All of which may account for the perception that the neck is beefy.

My new instrument is a Shen SB200 7/8. Probably a bit large for me, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse. I could swear that the Pöllmanns and other instruments I played back at IU had more slender necks.

Thanks for all of the responses and advice.

I'm very sorry to hear about your wrist. Re-shaping a DB neck is eminently practical and effective, I do it all the time to varying degrees.

Please visit your local DB specialist to find out what will work for YOU on YOUR bass.

 

[Thumpie]

I'm a lapsed classical player. Studied at Indiana with Murray Grodner and his successors. Haven't played much in 20 years. I'm going to practice for a few weeks before trying any mods to the instrument. I've lost a lot of strength and flexibility, and last April had one row of bones removed from my left wrist. All of which may account for the perception that the neck is beefy.

My new instrument is a Shen SB200 7/8. Probably a bit large for me, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse. I could swear that the Pöllmanns and other instruments I played back at IU had more slender necks.

Thanks for all of the responses and advice.

I stand corrected! It seems like you might actually be in a rare position to actually need this kind of thing done!

I wish you luck, and hope you're able to make it work!

 

[PeckBass]

Hi cats, I'd just like to offer this-
I'm not sure if this will matter now since these posts are from September but I stumbled on this thread and had to reply.

I once thought my neck was too thin. Then I had it reshaped by a well known luthier. I became very disappointed and wished I hadn't done it. It went from a nice wide C shape to a thin V shape. I then realized its the meat on the sides of the neck that we really need and depend on in order to really make a clean shift. Now if I don't watch out my thumb will slip off! If I want to play anything higher than Ab on the E string my left thumb has to go off and actually touches the ebony under the G string! I would not reccommend it do it unless its just a little bit and make sure it's more of a pure thinning rather than a narrowing. I'm actually getting a new neck soon because I have developed hand problems due to the V shape. I would say that thicker is better all the way in terms of sound and feel. And that it's worth it to pay for a real expert setup on the ebony even if it means traveling to NYC or wherever. Ok cats later!

 

[jnel]

I have heard and read over and over that a neck with some thickness is better than a thin one. drurb gave a good explanation of this a few weeks ago-maybe he will post it again

 

[jnel]

csrund, it would be interesting to hear an update

 

[csrund]

Thanks for all the input. As requested, here's an update:

I decided not to do anything drastic until I got some practice and physical reconditioning under my belt. Played the Mozart Missa Brevis in D at church last November and am now preparing an audition for a community orchestra. As it turns out, the neck thickness isn't bothering me anymore now that I've got some playing strength back.

However, with smallish hands and short fingers, I am wishing that I had closer string spacing. Crossing strings in thumb position during the Bach Bourrees is taxing. The wrist surgery last April most affected the lateral range of motion at the wrist, which factors greatest up in thumb position.

So far, though, I'm pleased with my progress, and I'm starting to regain a lot of my playing abilities that have atrophied over the past 20 years. Just can't play very fast yet. (Damn Mozart 35 is on the audition list, too—wouldn't you know it!)

Someday, perhaps I'll blow a wad of cash and have the Upton guys build a bass tailored to my hands. That'd be sweet.

Cheers!

Chris

 

[jnel]

thanks for the update-email me and i'll tell you about my hand and wrist issues some things that helped. [email protected]

where are you located

you can close in the bridge notches- fill up the old holes with wood dust and super glue and make new notches with a file-you can oderr the specific file(bass bridege file) at Methopolitan music 866-846-5461