Double Bass dull lifeless bass

[ceilidh swinger]

Just had my old 1/4 size bass fitted with new sound post and tailpiece shortened as I need a back up bass after selling my old back up bass. I haven't been playing my 1/4 that often as I noticed about 6months ago it had been sounding a bit lifeless and thuddy as opposed to its normally sweet sound. Strings weren't that old so had my guy look at it and he suggested new sound post and tail piece shorten but when bass come back it sounded exactly the same, lifeless and thuddy,especially over G. Could it be because I haven't been playing it that often that the wood has kinda went to sleep so to speak because of no vibration. I know that with new acoustic guitars I own that were needed played in, I battered them everyday (play-wise) and stuck them in front of a speaker for weeks. This definitely helped now those guitars sing like a bird. My friend also has a gismo which clips on instruments and emits vibrations through the body of instruments, might ask for a loan to see if I can wake this old boy up again. Any thoughts?solutions guys?

 

[RSBBass]

If your regular bass is a 3/4, I suspect you ears have adjusted to hearing the much bigger and more complex sound that the bigger bass makes. If we could get that sound in 1/4 sized instrument, there wouldn't be much point in playing the larger ones.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

Experiment with different sound post positions?

 

[ceilidh swinger]

Nah! don't think its a hearing thing RSBBass, I have lots of different set ups basses from small combo to big live rigs and I play in lots of different styles from Gypsy jazz to Ceilidh rock to cocktail Jazz swapping between double bass and jazz bass but this bass has just kinda well,died! think I will stick a new set of strings on and like Michael says experiment with different post positions.

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[ceilidh swinger]

Thanks for getting back guys! think I will go with your suggestion Michael.

 

[aaronallen]

Before you start messing with the sound post, try playing harmonics with the bow as loud as you can for several minutes. If that doesn't wake your bass up then its probably a setup issue.