Double Bass Double Bass Broken Machine gear

[JonnnyC]

Hi all,

I recently bought my first double bass. Just for mark of quality it cost me new around £700.
Anyway, tuning it with use of a chromatic tuner I tuned it to E1, A1, D2, G2. As the E and D strings came into tune the tuning machine head gear teeth literally crumbled off. Of course it then popped out of tension and is now untunable.

Has anyone has this issue? I’m trying to work out if it’s my error or if the ‘metal’ in these tuners sound low quality? Doesn’t sound unreasonable to expect a bass to reach tensions of EADG tuning and not destroy itself?!

Jonny.

 

[Lee Moses]

I've never heard of such a thing. Even if you would have tuned it up an octave, even though the strings would have snapped, I would not expect the gear teeth to "crumble off."

 

[JonnnyC]

Thanks, I always wondered the stress that they could take.

 

[Steven Ayres]

Definitely a QC issue. Take it back.

 

[Josh Kneisel]

I have never seen such a thing I would return it and seems like a QC issue.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Chinese pot metal strikes again. Demand a refund and save up for a better bass.

 

[ctrlzjones]

2 years ago I ordered a DBbag from a german reseller (€99, so obviously made somewhere in the far east), whose pull tab from the big zipper broke in 3 parts when I touched it for the first (!) time. I did not execute any strength for moving the slider up or down, I just held it between finger and thumb ... That moment I felt having superpowers ...

 

[Eric Hochberg]

You bought cheap, you got cheap... Sorry.

 

[JonnnyC]

Cheers all! Just wanted to make sure it wasn’t operator error. Returned and order in for higher quality version! (I think!).

 

[SAlcott]

In my experience, a cheap double bass painted white is not likely to be a viable instrument.