Double Bass Center of gravity?

[houblon]

I was looking at a 1/2 size bass for a student. If you put the bass down on it's side, the scroll tips down on the floor and the lower bout lifts up. It is a Strunal 50/1.

Is this normal?
Could the strings be too long?

 

[GerardSamija]

It's fairly common for smaller basses to have this problem, as the tuners are typically the same as for 3/4-size basses, and especially with the full plate style and brass machines/pegs this is just too much weight compared to the lighter lower bouts/endpin/tailpiece etc. You could balance this by putting on a heavier endpin, or by mounting lighter tuners, or you could provide a block of foam for the student to put under the scroll when laying the bass down. The problem is the same with many lighter 3/4 or even 7/8 basses when a heavy C-extension is mounted.

 

[robobass]

A luthier once lent me a huge Hungarian five string worth like $50k which did this. The first time I unpacked it I set it up on the stage with the neck sticking out. I was standing on the floor below and suddenly saw a big scroll coming at me fast. I caught it in time, but my life flashed before my eyes!

 

[JoeyNaeger]

Strunals have really heavy necks I have noticed.