Double Bass Bridge Adjuster Height

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Just a quick question for our esteemed luthiers:

Ho high is too high to raise bridge adjusters. I've got the adjusters on my LaScala raised pretty high, but with the winter coming on, I'd like to raise the action a bit, and am worried that I may do structural damage to the bridge foot or cause the bridge to collapse if I have too much thread showing. How much is too much?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nick Lloyd]

Are you using the Full Circle still?
More than 3/4" is a fine time to get the bridge looked at. You aren't going to collapse the bridge or cause structural damage. That requires a big hammer or car door....

 

[arnoldschnitzer]

I recommend the adjusters not be extended more than 1/2 their thread length. I think the full circle threads are only 3/4" long, so that means you probably don't want more than 3/8" of thread showing. Most adjusters give you about 1" of thread.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'm looking at about 3/8" for the treble foot, and between 7/16" and 1/2" for the bass foot. My action was okay until a couple of days ago, when I noticed the bridge was leaning toward the fingerboard. I whacked it back into alignment with the spine of a paperback book, but once I did that the action was too low. Should I be thinking about a new bridge soon?

 

[Savino]

I recommend the adjusters not be extended more than 1/2 their thread length. I think the full circle threads are only 3/4" long, so that means you probably don't want more than 3/8" of thread showing. Most adjusters give you about 1" of thread.

UH OH.

I think its time to visit arnold.

 

[arnoldschnitzer]

I'm looking at about 3/8" for the treble foot, and between 7/16" and 1/2" for the bass foot. My action was okay until a couple of days ago, when I noticed the bridge was leaning toward the fingerboard. I whacked it back into alignment with the spine of a paperback book, but once I did that the action was too low. Should I be thinking about a new bridge soon?

Your adjusters should be even, with the bridge centered on the top. If that doesn't work right, you may need an adjustment to the bridge, lengthening of the bridge legs, or a new bridge. Keep in mind if you raise the E adjuster alone you will actually just move the strings sideways and LOWER the E string. I understand the bridge on that bass was mucked around with to fit the Full Circle threads. I wonder how well that job turned out...I would not even have attempted it.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

UH OH.

I think its time to visit arnold.

Yeah, easy for you to say, city boy.

Your adjusters should be even, with the bridge centered on the top. If that doesn't work right, you may need an adjustment to the bridge, lengthening of the bridge legs, or a new bridge. Keep in mind if you raise the E adjuster alone you will actually just move the strings sideways and LOWER the E string. I understand the bridge on that bass was mucked around with to fit the Full Circle threads. I wonder how well that job turned out...I would not even have attempted it.

I wonder about that, too. I actually raised the bass side adjuster in an attempt to give me more clearance on the G string, and it seemed to work, too. Damn...looks like I'll need a new bridge soon.