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Double Bass DIY fingerboard dressing

J

jneuman

Apr 17, 2004
477
4
59
#1
To luthiers and repair persons

I have a school bass which I am renting (for $35 a semester) which is an old Rauner/wilfer/whatever from the 1960's. I just looked at the bass today. The sound is great, which is not always the case with these German factory basses. However it has a bad lump in the fingerboard around the octave on the G side which makes notes around D through E buzz something awfull, even with normal orchestral string height. The question: can this be safely fixed by someone who is handy with a scraper (me) without destroying the fingerboard or would I be better served spending $200 plus to have it done professionally? I need a reality check from those who know how to do this correctly. Idealy I would get it set-up and get reimbursed but this is unlikely considering the red-tape and lack of finances for this sort of thing.

Jon
 
#4
I hear you guys. After sleeping on it, I realized I don't have the time or energy, not to mention ability, to attempt this sort of thing. Bad string? Why didn't I think of that? The strings that are on there appear to be the Thomastik superflexibles that probably came with the bass! As a side note, buzzes, kinks, separated windings and oxidation not withstanding, these strings still sound pretty good even with pizz. This is a testement to the longevity of Thomastik strings.

Jon
 
#5
Use straight edges of 6 and 12 inches to check for actual high spots. If they are noticeable, and you are good with tools, you may be able to get them out. For a non-luthier, I'd recommend scraping, then sanding with a block, starting at 100 or 120 grit and ending at about 400. The tracks of the sandpaper will show you when you've sanded all the spots. Be careful to keep the soundpost in place, and make sure the fingerboard is completely attached before you start. I give this advice because I know how awful school basses can be; and I know that a lot of "luthiers" who work on them sometimes make them worse.
 
#6
arnoldschnitzer said:
Use straight edges of 6 and 12 inches to check for actual high spots. If they are noticeable, and you are good with tools, you may be able to get them out. For a non-luthier, I'd recommend scraping, then sanding with a block, starting at 100 or 120 grit and ending at about 400. The tracks of the sandpaper will show you when you've sanded all the spots. Be careful to keep the soundpost in place, and make sure the fingerboard is completely attached before you start. I give this advice because I know how awful school basses can be; and I know that a lot of "luthiers" who<a onMouseOver="window.status='' ; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status='';" oncontextmenu="window.status=''; return true;" onclick="location.href='http://www.enhancemysearch.com/admin/results.php?q=work&id=4';return false;" href="" TITLE="More Info..."> work </a>on them sometimes make them worse.
Click to expand...

Hi Arnold

I must have been reading your mind. Last night I was bored so I started fussing with it just to see what was involved. I used my trusty 6 inch metal straight edge which doubles as a scraper. I was able to identify the high spot right away and get is back to level, however, after scraping for an hour, I was still buzzing. Basically there is no scoop at all from D on up on the top strings. Apparently it will need more relief. The strings height is average, but it could go a little higher. The bridge is fixed. Is there a simple way to raise the bridge a couple of mm as a stopgap measure?

Thanks,
Jon
 
#8
jneuman said:
Hi Arnold

I must have been reading your mind. Last night I was bored so I started fussing with it just to see what was involved. I used my trusty 6 inch metal straight edge which doubles as a scraper. I was able to identify the high spot right away and get is back to level, however, after scraping for an hour, I was still buzzing. Basically there is no scoop at all from D on up on the top strings. Apparently it will need more relief. The strings height is average, but it could go a little higher. The bridge is fixed. Is there a simple way to raise the bridge a couple of mm as a stopgap measure?

Thanks,
Jon
Click to expand...
It's common practice to put some softwood shims under the bridge feet. The grain runs in the same direction as the bass' top. Yes, your fingerboard needs a fairly constant curve from top to bottom.
 

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