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Double Bass Bass endpin stop questions

Sam Olson

Sam Olson

Apr 12, 2011
10
0
#1
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I have an endpin rubber stop with a flat bottom (like the rightmost in picture), but it doesn't seem to work the way it should. If I'm on a smooth floor it still slides around after a while of playing and putting weight on it. I think it's because of the way I hold my bass, which is at between a 45° and 60° angle instead of straight upright. I don't want to change the way I hold it, and I would like not to carry around a rockstop. So I want to buy a different endpin stop, and I'm thinking one with a round bottom (like the right-middle or leftmost in picture) will work better. Is anyone able to support or contradict my theory with their own experience or something? Maybe some alternate solutions if necessary? This problem is really annoying and I would like to solve it soon.
 
#2
Go to the Basses forum right above and click on the endpin post Nutpick (sic) and scrowl down. The round ball on the left bottom of the page with its two screws and one knob is the best endstop I have ever used. I bought it for $11.00 when I think it was called a Wolf something or other (?) by another company. At $17.00 it is still a buy. I've never had it slip on any surface--even wet ones. It's made of hard rubber and I've used it for years.

Oops! This all depends on the diameter of your endpin. Mine is steel and about 3/8 inch. It won't fit on a wooden peg.
 
#3
At least the two leftmost are Cello rubber stops. I ordeed them for a small Cello size Violone which has a thin Cello endpin.

I haven't used the round Wolf stop, but once thought about buying one. I almost always use a Sta-Set pinrest, which is an 7.5 cm rubber disk that can move around a ball attached to the endpin. It slipped two days ago when sitting on a chair (I used your rightmost rubber stop without problems then) but works fine when standing up. It is about 15 years old, maybe a newer one won't slip.
 
#4
My only caveat re the Wolf is that I find I often have to re-tighten the two screws and one knob that secure it to the end pin.The plastic knob cover has broken off and I have to use a pair of pliers to tighten it. Still a minor quickly fixed inconvenience.
Re the Sta-Set, I am having trouble visualizing (move around a ball?) exactly what it is and how it works.
The right-most stop is simply a small crutch tip, the old (inexpensive) staple used with thicker wood pegs.
 
#6
Thanks for the tip tip. I couldn't resist the pun :hiding:
Is the Robertson also virtually slip-less?
I don't know if it is the roundness (when you think of it, only a very small percentage of the surface area of the ball makes contact with the floor--a tangent in effect) or the composition of the rubber that makes the Wolf work so well.
 
#7
gerry grable said:
My only caveat re the Wolf is that I find I often have to re-tighten the two screws and one knob that secure it to the end pin.The plastic knob cover has broken off and I have to use a pair of pliers to tighten it. Still a minor quickly fixed inconvenience...
Click to expand...

When I had a Wolf stop, one of the screws--the knob, I think--had a pointy tip. I drilled a little detent between the endpin threads where that point would go. When tightened, everything was secure; a dab of blue LocTite kept the screws from loosening.
 
#8
I want to add that I had problems with the Sta-Set when moving. I made noses amplified by the bass. After putting some durable plastic foil around the aluminium ball end before re-insterting the ball into the rubber disk there was no noise at all and I'm happy. (Cut the rests of the foil after re-inserting.)
My endpin (10mm) was a lot smaller than the Sta-Set hole (13mm), the single screw did hold it, but there was some small rotation around the screw possible. Then I put a sheet of aluminum around the wall like a tube to make the hole smaller, cut out a part for the screw and now it fits very well and feels rock solid.

If you don't know what a Sta-Set is and how it looks like try to google it for a picture. There seem to be some other manufacturers too. Look out for the "hole" size to match your endpin diameter.

I think it would be a good idea to have several different rubber ends for the endpin. Sometime one is good and another less, and sometimes it's reversed. A few days ago I was happy that I carried the other rubber end with me.
 
#10
No, it was designed for a bass (up to 13.5mm endpin diameter), but it might no longer been made for bass. There still seems to be a cello version available (9,5mm endpin diameter, could probably be drilled up to 10mm).

The two pieces stick together, the aluminium ball end which is mounted to the end pin is mostly inside the rubber disk, but could be pulled out if needed (i.e. for putting the plastic foil around the aluminium ball to avoid squeaking noises).

You can find pictures if it here
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and here
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Seems to be available for cello up to 9.5mm endpin diameter at least in Germany.
For 8mm (cello) and 10mm (bass) from a different manufacturer: Link Removed

But the Wolf ball seems to have a better grip when the bass is more angled like when sitting in an orchestra.
 

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