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Double Bass Center the bridge?

E

eno50

Jan 31, 2009
566
23
North of Memphis
#1
Hello everyone,
I was looking at my bass from the front and I noticed the E string was a little close to the edge of the fingerboard,looked like the bridge shifted to the left a bit.
So I decided to shift the bridge to the right to center the strings on the fingerboard, I took measurements from the F hole notch to the foot of the bridge on both sides before I moved anything,and they were right on or equal ,So if I shift thr bridge to the right to center the strings on the fingerboard the bridge will no longer be centered between the F holes,also the string notches on the bridge seem to be all spaced right and looks centered also.
So I'am thinking the neck and fingerboard are off center a little. ( am I to picky or just looking for imperfections)
So will it hurt anything to move the bridge over a little
maybe an 1/8th or maybe 1/4 inch to center the strings on the fingerboard as long as I have some foot over the bass bar?
Thanks Eno
 
#2
look down the fingerboard from the scroll and you'll be able to see if it's centered. how much does it need to move to be centered on the board? your bass may be a little bit asymmetrical, meaning the bridge might not be centered between the f holes when it's centered on the fingerboard. that's probably not something to worry about. if the neck is not straight however that could be a problem.
 
#4
If the bridge is carved correctly, all should be correct when the feet are equal distances from the f-holes. You may be misled by sighting down the neck from the scroll. I suggest that you consult a luthier.
 
#5
eno50 said:
So will it hurt anything to move the bridge over a little maybe an 1/8th or maybe 1/4 inch to center the strings on the fingerboard as long as I have some foot over the bass bar?
Click to expand...

Something you may not have considered is that, because there is so much crown on a double bass fingerboard, moving the bridge towards the G side is going to have a noticeable effect on your string heights. The E string is effectively going to get lower and the G string is going to get higher.

In fact, when people say "Hey, why did my string heights seem to change all of a sudden?", it usually turns out that their bridge shifted sideways.
 
#6
Tracebassplayer said:
Are you sure the NECK didn't shift?
Is it ONLY the E string that looks too close or does the the G string look too far from the edge as well?

post a few pics
Click to expand...

Well I centerd the bridge on the body top with equal distance between the F hole notches,and the G string is on the edge of the bottom part of the fingerboard or should i say the end of the board and the E has moved over also with plenty of board.
I just bought the bass about a week ago ,I had a adjustable bridge and full circle pickup installed before I picked it up.
String spacing is 1" center to center of each string.
The bass is an used Englehardt.
If I measure equal distance from the outside of the G and E string to the edge of the bottom of the finger board,so all four strings are centerd on the board, then the bridge is off center between the F holes about a 1/4 ", meaning the bridge is a little more towards the G side F hole.
Eno
 
#7
Eno, call the guy that set up the bass and ask him what's going on with it. Was the bridge centered when you got it? If so, that's the way the setup guy intended it to be. I would center the bridge again and play it. How is it working for you? If you are unhappy with the way it plays, take it back to the setup guy, or find another for a second opinion.
 
#8
eno50 said:
Hello everyone,
I was looking at my bass from the front and I noticed the E string was a little close to the edge of the fingerboard,looked like the bridge shifted to the left a bit...I took measurements from the F hole notch to the foot of the bridge on both sides before I moved anything,and they were right on or equal...
Click to expand...

So, with bridge centered between f-hole notches, E is very close to edge.

eno50 said:
Well I centerd the bridge on the body top with equal distance between the F hole notches,and the G string is on the edge of the bottom part of the fingerboard or should i say the end of the board and the E has moved over also with plenty of board.
Click to expand...

Now with bridge centered, presumably as it was before, it's the G that's at the edge. I need a scorecard! :)

You mentioned that you have adjusters on the bridge. I'm guessing that when you are moving the bridge around (which is not a good idea), you're not spreading the legs properly. That's something that has to be attended to even without adjusters but with them, it's likely that the feet are not staying in line with the rest of the bridge.

I suggest you follow my earlier advice and Eric's. See a luthier.
 
#9
On my old Juzek, the neck is off-center just a tiny bit. This pulls the bridge to the E string side just a tiny bit, but as mentioned, messes up the string height and the relationship with the bridge foot and the soundpost. I can tell when it's off enough to move it back when my D string is 'dead'.

Once I move it back again, my string response becomes even again. Now that I know about this little quirk, I have a tiny little mark where the bridge likes to be.
 
#10
Eric Hochberg said:
Eno, call the guy that set up the bass and ask him what's going on with it. Was the bridge centered when you got it? If so, that's the way the setup guy intended it to be. I would center the bridge again and play it. How is it working for you? If you are unhappy with the way it plays, take it back to the setup guy, or find another for a second opinion.
Click to expand...

I just got off the phone with the guy who set her up,and he said , just center the strings on the fingerboard, and that not all
basses are not true north to south,nothing to worry about.
And that he set it up with the strings centerd on the fingerboard and bridge,he said I had enough foot on the bass bar and the sound post was adjusted to the bridge location.
He said you do not wan't to playaround with the string spacing on the bridge to correct the alinement of the strings because you want to have even pressure on your bridge.
So I will just center the strings like he said and not woory about the 1/4 difference at the F hole measurement.
The bass sounds good no problem there ,it's just going to bug me knowing it not perfect. But nothing is........
Eno
 
#13
drurb said:
So, with bridge centered between f-hole notches, E is very close to edge.



Now with bridge centered, presumably as it was before, it's the G that's at the edge. I need a scorecard! :)

You mentioned that you have adjusters on the bridge. I'm guessing that when you are moving the bridge around (which is not a good idea), you're not spreading the legs properly. That's something that has to be attended to even without adjusters but with them, it's likely that the feet are not staying in line with the rest of the bridge.

I suggest you follow my earlier advice and Eric's. See a luthier.
Click to expand...


Sorry for the confusion there, What I was trying to say was ,with the bridge centered between the F holes the strings shift a little to the right(looking at the bass from the front) and puts the G string on the edge of the bottom of the fingerboard..
If I shift the bridge to the left a little to center the strings on the fingerboard .then my bridge is closer to the E side F hole which is about an 1/4 inch off..
 
#14
eno50 said:
Sorry for the confusion there, What I was trying to say was ,with the bridge centered between the F holes the strings shift a little to the right(looking at the bass from the front) and puts the G string on the edge of the bottom of the fingerboard..
If I shift the bridge to the left a little to center the strings on the fingerboard .then my bridge is closer to the E side F hole which is about an 1/4 inch off..
Click to expand...

If it helps any, I'll sometimes bias the strings to the 'G' side of the board to leave enough room for the player's finger to follow through into the fingerboard. Most pizz players like to have the board there to stop their stroke and make the 'E' feel like the other strings in that regard. YMMV
 
#15
Jake deVilliers said:
If it helps any, I'll sometimes bias the strings to the 'G' side of the board to leave enough room for the player's finger to follow through into the fingerboard. Most pizz players like to have the board there to stop their stroke and make the 'E' feel like the other strings in that regard. YMMV
Click to expand...

Well that makes since, I'll leave it like it is, The bass plays great,sounds great and has a good feel, so really I don't have much to complain about .
Thanks Eno
 

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