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Double Bass Bridge and string height

xXMikeHellXx

xXMikeHellXx

Feb 15, 2015
115
17
37
#1
Hello everyone got a question about my setup...I like the action on my e,a and d strings but for whatever reason the g seems much lower than the rest. My bridge on the g side is high up but the action is still low...how would I adjust to make it higher? could it be that my bridge is too far back? How would I know? I'm a little scared to try it on my own and not be able fix it if something goes wrong but there also isn't anyone in town that specializes in db so it's kind of a double edge sword...I'm including some pictures for reference.
 

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#2
I am not totally sure about this, but from my experience I find it that just raising the G side and leaving the E side low the bridge slightly tilts towards the E side, which makes the G string go closer to center of the fingerboard (the peak) which in turn causes the G string to be closer to the board although it appears to be getting higher from the body.

Following this logic, raising the E side a couple of turns may even it out by pushing the G outwards.

Or you could try moving the bridge 1-2mm towards the G side and then raise the E side to get it back to its previous height. Some people also put a small piece of material (leather?) between the G string and its bridge saddle to raise the string.
 
#3
I agree with Alib8's last argument. The bridge might be located a bit too much towards the bass bar side, which raises the lower two strings above the fingerboard and lowers the upper ones. Most extremely on the outer strings.
Have a look at the outer strings at the end of the fingerboard. Do the have the same distance to the edge of the fingerboard? If not, the bridge might have been moved (probably during transport). If the are, you even might try to move the bridge a little bit towards the soundpost side, 1 to 2 mm seem to be a good idea, as long as the highest (G) string could still be pressed down on the fingerboard.
 
#6
It would help to get a photo of the top of the bridge, but based on the middle photo it looks like somebody does not believe in "measure twice, cut once." Obviously, too much wood initially was taken from the legs of the bridge, which accounts for those thick shims above the adjusting wheels; but even then, the left hand bridge foot is cut shorter than the other, which is why there is thread showing on that side, even though the wheels themselves appear level.

I do not think this bridge is salvageable, so i have to give a +1 to Eric's post above.
 
#9
JoeyNaeger said:
I think the bridge legs are actually the same length. Try getting the adjusters set evenly and then knock the bridge side to side so that strings run center over the fingerboard.
Click to expand...

I dunno. Looks to me like if you scribe a line across the top of the left bridge foot in the middle pic to the right foot, the right foot will display some wood above the line.
 
#10
Do I see three different grafts added to that bridge above the adjusters? Even so, those don't concern me nearly as much as the half pound preamp on the tailpiece. At some point, try removing that from the tailpiece and put it on the floor and use a short (no more than 6') cord between the bass and the preamp. Depending upon the bass, you should notice a difference. Is that a Blast Cult Darth Vader graphic?
 
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#11
I didn't realize that the preamp could really make a difference being mounted on the tailpiece. Thanks James and I'm not sure if it's a blast cult graphic I just stumbled upon it one day and really liked it haha
 
#13
GretschWretch said:
I dunno. Looks to me like if you scribe a line across the top of the left bridge foot in the middle pic to the right foot, the right foot will display some wood above the line.
Click to expand...

The legs are tilting to the bass side. I think that's what is causing you to see it that way. I hope that evening out the adjusters and recentering the bridge will fix the OP's problems, but that assumes the bridge was done properly to begin with.
 
#14
Looks like those are swivel feet on the bridge. Could be that the separation for the adjusters had to be cut unusually high to allow enough solid wood area for the adjuster threads in the lower part of the leg. That might have also left too little wood above the adjuster, and might be the reason for the extra blocks added to the upper part of the leg. If so, that would also have made the bridge too high, and the top would have been cut down. It looks like there might be little wood between the top of the heart and the bridge crown.

-
 
#15
So the shop I bought the bass from is going to replace the bridge but they want to know what the exact bridge measurements are for my engelhardt ec1 so I have the perfect fit does anyone know what the measurements are or how to get them?
 
#17
xXMikeHellXx said:
So the shop I bought the bass from is going to replace the bridge but they want to know what the exact bridge measurements are for my engelhardt ec1 so I have the perfect fit does anyone know what the measurements are or how to get them?
Click to expand...

Gee, you don't take your car into the shop and have to do the legwork for replacement parts... You need a new luthier, IMO.
 

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