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Double Bass DIY broken-string fix - anyone else do this?

AGCurry

AGCurry

Good enough for a town this size.
Supporting Member
Jun 29, 2005
4,832
11,609
St. Louis, Missouri
www.andycurry.info
#1
Yesterday I went into my studio to practice and found that the E string - a Tempera - had failed at the tailpiece on my orchestra bass.:( I blame myself for not paying attention to the Youtube video and installing the string upside down, but now ... what to do?
broken_string_fix.jpg


It's not pretty, and the "enhanced" square knot is ... backwards (?), so tightening the string causes the gut to want to unwind... but it works, so far.
 
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#6
AGCurry said:
Yesterday I went into my studio to practice and found that the E string - a Tempera - had failed at the tailpiece on my orchestra bass.:( I blame myself for not paying attention to the Youtube video and installing the string upside down, but now ... what to do?
View attachment 4643984

It's not pretty, and the "enhanced" square knot is ... backwards (?), so tightening the string causes the gut to want to unwind... but it works, so far.
Click to expand...

I co-existed with some good firm knots in the pegbox for quite some time, only because I couldn't stand the idea of letting them go.
 
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#7
Leif Dering said:
Sorry to hear that. Hope the E holds up long enough for your replacement to come. If you don't mind me asking, how long does it usually take to get a set? Been toying with the idea of getting them.
Click to expand...

I don't think there is a large enough "sample size" to be able to answer "how long does it usually take?" Going to the product's website, you "register" in order to join the waiting list. Fortunately, the customer is not charged until the strings are ready to ship.

All of us have strings on our instruments now, so we're not in dire need. I'm willing to wait because I like these strings so much.
 
#8
I have knotted a metal wound high school string several times. Some failed at the beginning, but now they work well.

I use a braided nylon line a bit thicker than the string core and put several knots one after the other.
With gut I made a knot in the gut (plain D string) and one in the nylon line and the other goes through knot. Gut got wet first for easier handling and fastened then dried, maybe with a little bit of tension but less enough that it does not slip. A single knot on each was enough here.

For the wound high C the string needed to be straight all the way or it might have broken. So I first made knot with two windings in the nylon line, fastened with two pliers (but make sure not to cut any fibers) the with a few millimeters distance a single knot that needs less friction to close and one more, again a few millimeters away, then run the remaining line to the peg.
Removing the windings at the last knot may help, depends on the core, but should be useable with gut.

I think I have posted some pictures of some of my knotted strings here, but cannot remember under which thread.
 
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#10
With a Spiro or similar robust steel core string almost any knot works.
If you make a gut end wet, knot, tighten a bit and let it dry that sort of knot works too, even with a nylon strap extension.

It's the synthetic core strings where it gets complicated. The core breaks easily at the hard bending at the knot, so I changed to multiple smaller knots in a row around the silks or windings to extend the string and distribute the friction that gets enhanced at some knot due to string tension (with a single friction knot the knot might slip).
 

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