Can I shorten the peg?

Go ahead. If it's a steel endpin getting rid of some of the mass/weight will help the bass open up

 

I had the same problem with my endpin. My friend( and great bass player) cut about 9 inches off it. No more rattle! This pin has been on 2 basses since then...

 

Yes. I had a similar issue on my plywood bass. Any octave of A caused the endpin to reverberate a bit. My luthier took off an inch or so and the reverberation ceased.

 

I recently replaced the 1/2" diameter stock steel pin on my ply M1 Engelhardt for a 1/2" timbale stick, but I left stock the metal endpin plug in place. A guitarist I play with said it sounded louder. It doesn't rattle at all, but I'm not sure I notice any other difference. I am also going to try to a couple more tricks taken from Traeger: replace the stock sound post with a hardwood one made from an appropriate diameter drum stick and round the ends similar to the butt end of drum sticks, including using his krazy glue trick on the ends, and install .008" mil Teflon pads under the feet of the bridge.

 

I have a Thompson RM200 hybrid that had the exact same sympathetic endpin vibration when the A string was stopped at the C To C#, especially when bowed. I cut off about 6” of the steel which has helped. That endpin is crazy long at 18”!

Another improvement for me was to switch out the stock rubber tip with a Wolf ball end tip.

Ultimately I wonder if I’ll replace it with a carbon fiber endpin.

 

jleguy: could you please expand on the Teflon pads under the bridge feet? Never heard of that one. Thanks!

 

In Traeger's books on setting up upright basses he specifically talks about Kay or laminate bass and how to improve their sound. Traeger was good friends with Ron Carter and Traeger worked on his basses routinely. Traeger recounts in his book a time when Carter came into his shop with a fellow that suggested the use of .008" mil Teflon pads under the feet of the bridge to enhance the sound of the bass. To Traeger's surprise the pads added warmth and volume compared to no pads on Ron's bass. The theory is that the pads allow the bridge to vibrate more freely, or at least in a better fashion for more volume and better sound quality. Traeger recommends this among other things to specifically improve the sound on laminate basses . He notes however that on carved basses the effect can be variable and dropped using it there. I bought a sheet of Teflon at .008" mil off of ebay recently cheap, and I plan to do this on my Engelhardt and my Alcoa. We shall see what it does if anything.

 

Thanks very much. That's very interesting.

 

I recommend at least two of Traeger's books that are not very expensive: String Instrument Setups: 10 Setups that will make your instrument louder, better, etc. and Coda. His first book is close to $100 and you get a lot out of these two. But caveat emptor, some of his techniques are not without controversy...

 

So I've heard ... Thanks

 

Here is at least one thread on TB about the use of Teflon pads under bridge feet:

Unusual idea in the Traeger book

 

Fascinating, as Mr Spock used to say. Thanks

 

My endpin was resonating with some notes, so I knocked a couple inches off with a hacksaw. Problem gone. I will never be 7 feet tall.

 

Don't give up hope!