Yesterday I fitted a Realist copperhead pickup to my bass - which involved slackening the strings. I tensioned them back up, everything seemed good. But later I noticed the bridge was tilting towards the neck. I slackened off the strings, moved it back, all good for a while, then I notice it is tilted again. This has happened a few times now. It may just be just a co-incidence and I'm only just noticing the problem because I'm looking at the bridge area and the pickup. But I'm wondering if I've done something wrong with the pickup installation?
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Double Bass Bridge tilting since fiting pickup?
- Thread starter Gruff
- Start date
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
Push it down without slackening the strings. Just push the top down.
I don't think the pickup has anything to do with this. I had trouble with tape wound strings on my Vertical Bass-the bridge just wouldn't stay in place. I'd straighten it and it would move while I watched. No amount of graphite in the slots helped. I switched to Evah Slaps; problem solved.
Thanks. I'd not have had the confidence to do that, but just tried it and it's back in line. We'll see what happens next!
The previous owner had "weed whacker" soft plastic strings on, I've only recently fitted these Innovation rockabilly strings - so could well be the problem, thanks!
Any new strings (and also strings that have been without tension for some time) stretch when put under tension.
The string will slip over the nut, because the nut is fixed, but the friction on the bridge clamps the bridge top to the string.
It helps to do one string after the other so the higher tensioned strings try to hold the bridge in place and if lubricated, the actually tensioned string might slip over the bridge … or not all the way. So the bridge always leans toward the fingerboard if nothing is done to avoid that.
One thing is pressing back the bridge top while the tension is not too high and easy to do. The other thing is to tilt the bridge a bit towards the tailpiece every time when an upturning is still needed. The last tuning to pitch can put the bridge into position. If not, tune down move the bridge top a bit and tune up again. For the short time of tuning up the top is not damaged by the bridge foot not sitting flat on the top.
The string will slip over the nut, because the nut is fixed, but the friction on the bridge clamps the bridge top to the string.
It helps to do one string after the other so the higher tensioned strings try to hold the bridge in place and if lubricated, the actually tensioned string might slip over the bridge … or not all the way. So the bridge always leans toward the fingerboard if nothing is done to avoid that.
One thing is pressing back the bridge top while the tension is not too high and easy to do. The other thing is to tilt the bridge a bit towards the tailpiece every time when an upturning is still needed. The last tuning to pitch can put the bridge into position. If not, tune down move the bridge top a bit and tune up again. For the short time of tuning up the top is not damaged by the bridge foot not sitting flat on the top.
Arrgh! I've been moving the bridge back to vertical each time I tune, but yesterday I forgot and just when I was grooving pretty well (IMO) to "Monkey See Monkey Do" there was a BANG! and this happened...
No damage that I can see, just my confidence a bit dented as I have my first public performance with it on Saturday. I'll have to be extra sure the bridge is vertical, or maybe change to steel strings...
No damage that I can see, just my confidence a bit dented as I have my first public performance with it on Saturday. I'll have to be extra sure the bridge is vertical, or maybe change to steel strings...
This is a common situation. My bridge fell several times before I learned to control all movements. It didn't hurt the bass. Control the sound post.
Once you check to make sure your sound post is still standing, and you get your bridge back in there...
Get in the habit of pressing down on your bridge (towards the floor) lightly with your right hand whenever you're tuning (tightening) your strings.
Graphite in the slots helps, but the first thing my teacher taught me on day one was to press the bridge down whenever I'm tightening a string.
Get in the habit of pressing down on your bridge (towards the floor) lightly with your right hand whenever you're tuning (tightening) your strings.
Graphite in the slots helps, but the first thing my teacher taught me on day one was to press the bridge down whenever I'm tightening a string.
Oh, good point. I just stuck my phone through the f-hole and all looks OK, though it's about an inch away from the foot of the bridge towards the tail.
Thank you, this sounds like a good way forward
Inch away from the foot is correct:
And be careful not to drop your iPhone in your F-hole. (I might be speaking from experience.)
I don't understand where the distances were coming from. The sound post should be 3mm from the bridge foot if _______ is 3mm. Can someone fill in the blank for me???
I had a similar issue recently when removing my copper Realist and replacing it with a Realist Lifeline. The old Realist had been on my bass since before I got it and was pretty stuck. On top of that, I've been experimenting with different strings lately, so they weren't completely stretched. The Lifeline wasn't making even contact and was distorting. I actually thought I had received a bad pickup. Took about 24 hours and multiple bridge adjustments for everything to settle down.
Can I ask you, what do you mean by "control the sound post"? I'm genuinely interested in learning more about sound post dynamics and thank you for any response.
In Edgar Russ' video above, the 3mm represents the THICKNESS of the TOP of the instrument in that area of the top.
I don't know what @VictorW126 meant by "control the soundpost" and I'm sure he'll reply soon enough, but if you want to learn more about the soundpost (and bass bar and bridge dymanics), Edgar Russ's channel is a great resource. He does a good job of explaining the mechanics involved:
Channel Index
https://www.youtube.com/c/EdgarRuss/videos
WHY of the soundpost (how it works, vs the bass bar)
Soundpost Adjustments
I meant to say "watch the position of the sound post". I meant the need to ensure that the post does not fall. Translation difficulties. My English is bad, sorry. In my language, "control" means "observe, evaluate", not "manage, regulate"
