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Double Bass D String to Loud

byrdzeye

byrdzeye

Mar 28, 2013
210
124
Toronto, ON
#1
Hi, Talkbassers,

I have a 2014 Shen SB88 bass, originally sold and set up by Upton Bass. Since I'm in Toronto, I can't easily take the bass there. So my question is, how can I better balance the strings on this bass? The D string really rings out quite a bit more than the other strings. I'm using Zyex lights on it, which were a huge improvement over the Helicore Pizz lights that came on the bass. Would a soundpost adjustment help, tailpiece afterlength adjustment, or what? I'm thinking a trip to Heinl's may be in order if a setup can help with this. Thanks.
 
#3
Actually, things are MUCH better with the Zyex over the Helicores, so that's why I'm thinking setup or making up a customized set with different strings. Still may be a idea good to see someone, as I'm still a bit of a noobie on UB. And yes, Josephine is most helpful.
 
#4
With the Helicores on your bass, was the D string unbalanced? Do you have other strings available to you that you could try even temporarily? Some basses and some strings get along too well. A Spirocore Weich D on my bass turns my D string into a fog horn twice as loud as the rest of the instrument. The Permanent I have on it now blends perfectly. While there is the possibility that it is a faulty string, just about everything that could go wrong with a string usually makes it softer, not louder.

Do you keep the bass in a humidified space? While seasonal shifts tend to happen as much as you try to prevent them, they also can cause some weird things to happen. If the humidity where you store your bass is below 40%, bringing it back up again can sometimes make mysteries go away.

If those two things don't lead to favourable results, then a trip to Heinl's is likely in order.
 
#5
I had that same issue when my Shen 150 was new a few months ago. Although I received several helpful suggestions on steps I could take to potentially mitigate the issue (search the forums for "booming D string"), I opted to wait it out. After about 3 months, the D string started to blend in and now no longer stands out. Of course, I suppose it's possible that this issue will arise again once I replace the strings. Please let us know what works for you.
 
#6
Mike, yes, the D was way to loud with the Helicores (much worse than the Zyex). I also have it in my humidified music room, kept around 45%. The imbalance also makes it hard to record the way I'd like. I'm also thinking some lessons may help.
 
#7
Lessons are rarely a bad thing. It does sound like you might want to have your setup looked at. While New England can be pretty similar to Southern Ontario for climate a lot of the time, it is a bit of a shift. Add to that the fact that it is a 2014, and it will likely take a little bit of time to settle in. If you can, go see the guys at Heinl. They do great work.
 
#8
Good points, Mike. The bass has been up here since June of 2013, mine since Nov of '13, so it should have settled in by now, so it may be a good time to take it in. On the other hand, I also need to find a good instructor here in TO. Any leads, or do you teach? I'm looking for someone with a strong UB background to "show me the way".
 
#9
If it has been in North America for roughly a year and a half, and is going through its second winter in your possession, then chances are it has settled down. Some instruments still experience seasonal swings and some of those are quite dramatic, but with yours being a laminate instrument it should be pretty stable. Especially for carved basses, their first winter or first winter in a dramatically different climate tends to be when scary things happen.

As for bass teachers in Toronto, there are plenty of great teachers and some of them are members here. Jazz, classical or something else? French or German bow? While there are some fundamentals that most teachers regardless of their personal disciplines should be able to teach you, you want to find someone who is comfortable with what you plan on playing.
 
#10
When I had the issue of an overly loud d string for pizz way back in the day, the problem ended up being the bridge cut. Since the bridge was cut for orchestral playing, the D string was higher off the board than it needed to be for pizza playing, where the height of the string has a lot to do with how deep under the string the plucking finger gets. If a string is noticeably higher than the others, the same finger making the same motion will get more grab and resistance from that string, which will make it feel as thought he string is too loud. i ended up having my bridges cut a little flatter on the D to help alleviate this issue.
 
#11
Mike, I'm played only pizz for now, not sure if I'll add a bow in the future. We play mostly American Songbook, folk, some jazz, Americana, etc., so that would be my musical focus.
Chris, I'll have that checked when I take my bass in for a checkup and setup.
 
#12
I finally got my bass into Heinl last week, and it was worth the trip. Troy did the work, and was very helpful in addressing my issues and answering questions. The following was done:

Raised the nut, as it was cut too low, especially on the D string.
Did a quick dressing of the fingerboard to remove a raised spot at D on the A string.
Loosened my (somewhat) stuck endpin.
Moved the soundpost to loosen up the top for a more even response and more depth

As a result of everything, the action was raised a bit, which I was concerned with at first, but after playing with a friend last night, I am happy with it.
The D string seems to be more under control now, and the sound is more balanced across the set (commented on by both friends). Very pleased so
far, and the cost was quite reasonable (1 hour of work), and I had the bass back the day after I dropped it off. Now to try some more recording again,
as the buzzing was so bad as to be unusable before the work.
 

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