Double Bass Choosing a sound post blank?

[David Potts]

Here's one for the luthiers, please.

How much influence does choice of sound post material have on tone and response of the bass set-up?

I have to cut a new sound post to replace one that is now too short. I have a choice of three "blanks," each with slightly different qualities. They all have different pitches of "tap tones" and different numbers and spacings of growth rings.

Do you try to "read" what sort of post material will suit a bass from the bass shape and materials of construction. Could this be sensed from running your hands over the body, brushing and tapping as you go? Or listening to the last sounds from the bass before changing the post?

Can a less dense post with fewer, more widely spaced growth rings and less resonant tap tone help calm down a bright sounding "ringer" of a bass? Or vice versa, can a more ringing clear tap tone and closer growth rings add more life to a dark or dull sounding bass? Is the height or depth of the tap tone a consideration?

Cheers.....

DP

 

[Matthew Tucker]

David, I have found that looking deep into the murky entrails of a goat and using magnetic dowsing rods is a great way to choose the best soundpost blanks.

But also, I have found that the position, fit and to a lesser extent diameter has a much, much, much greater effect than the material a soundpost is made of, or the "ping" it makes when you drop it on the floor!

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

David, I have found that looking deep into the murky entrails of a goat and using magnetic dowsing rods is a great way to choose the best soundpost blanks.

But also, I have found that the position, fit and to a lesser extent diameter has a much, much, much greater effect than the material a soundpost is made of, or the "ping" it makes when you drop it on the floor!

Why won't You try 'em all?

One by one, and choose the "best".

Granted, my DB is a somewhat mystery ply from eastern Europe most probably, but I chose a broomstick as a donor...

Regards
Sam

 

[james condino]

If the customer has any interest, when my goat / divining rod are out of commission, I generally involve the customer and give them about 4-5 different soundpost options from different rough cut spruce blanks and maybe throw in another type of wood or so. I give them a little perspective on what I look for and what my intuition leads me towards. I also let them know that I may be completely wrong and that every bass responds differently. We start with the first choice and if they are interested and willing to pay for more experimentation, we may go through and carve out / fit a few different ones, mainly just to satisfy their curiosity and put to rest some random discussion on "everything you need to know about how to select the perfect soundpost every time" that they read on the world wide waste of time......

I would agree that fit and position are as important as material. On my own basses I experiment a LOT with different soundposts- especially the bass with the trapdoor that only takes a couple of minutes to drop in a new post; most of the time the difference in position has a very strong effect on the voice and the material is very subtle...

j.

 

[forester]

as MT says:location,location.
correct me if i am wrong, but the wide textured post are denser since they have fewer interuptions (rings) than a tightly textured post. i can't accurately asses the tonal qualities but, can say they don't tool the same.

 

[james condino]

..... the wide textured post are denser since they have fewer interuptions (rings) than a tightly textured post.....

Hey big man, not trying to step on your toes.....but......I generally think of the darker latewood as being much more dense than the softer early growth. By that reason, I figure that , all other things being equal ( which they never are....), a wider grained piece will have less latewood and be a little lighter/ hence an often ( not always) more supple to floppy characteristic to wider grained soundboards. Mostly it is visual; spruce never stops amazing me how varied it is even within the same board.

j.

 

[forester]

no argument there...just feel by the individual piece, the less interuptions, the denser the sponge. what i've have seen in general,handle blanks,flitch and rotary veneer logs,saw logs, and as of late,SP, the wider texture stock all seem to have a brashy toughness in common.

 

[Turnaround]

Somewhere I heard that hardwood posts are best for ply basses, spruce for carved ones. Any opinions on this?

 

[Matthew Tucker]

my opinion is that where double basses are concerned, a broad generalisation like that is not very useful. Not trying to be smart - its just there are too many variables.

 

[360guy]

David, I have found that looking deep into the murky entrails of a goat and using magnetic dowsing rods is a great way to choose the best soundpost blanks.

But also, I have found that the position, fit and to a lesser extent diameter has a much, much, much greater effect than the material a soundpost is made of, or the "ping" it makes when you drop it on the floor!

I'm getting ready to set up a bass I restored. The sound post I'm going to use is homemade.

Let me explain: I get piano soundboards from a local piano shop. They are, of course, made from well seasoned, many are very old, spruce.

I use the flat sections for edge repairs and cleats. The cross bracing on the soundboard is leftover. I set up a jig to make dowels the diameter of a bass soundpost and milled a couple of dozen.

If the bass sounds great I will, of course, claim to have found the fountain of youth. However, this bass has been so modified ( including putting diagonal bracing on the flatback) that I wouldn't be able to account for what exactly helped the sound. Seriously, I'm just trying to use all parts of the buffalo ( piano soundboard).