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Double Bass Fingerboard dressing

#2
FWIW I first would try raising the bridge just a smidgin to see if that makes the buzz go away. If you must sand, use paper no more coarse than 150 and sand in short bursts, checking frequently to be sure you remove the high spot without over-sanding. As a block, try to use something that will respect the fingerboard curvature. I use the pad side of old school blackboard erasers.
 
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#3
Not a lluthier, but, I would not try this at home unless I had some previous experience with this sort of thing. But then so much of what luthiers do is just plain voodoo to me, so take that with a grain of salt.

I know you are experimenting with G strings at the moment. What G do you have on right now? In my experience, stiffer strings tend to buzz less than less stiff ones on the same bass at the same height. In other words, in the past, I have solved this issue with a string change, which I would probably likely try before messing with the board.
 
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#5
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Not a lluthier, but, I would not try this at home unless I had some previous experience with this sort of thing. But then so much of what luthiers do is just plain voodoo to me, so take that with a grain of salt.

I know you are experimenting with G strings at the moment. What G do you have on right now? In my experience, stiffer strings tend to buzz less than less stiff ones on the same bass at the same height. In other words, in the past, I have solved this issue with a string change, which I would probably likely try before messing with the board.
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I feel the same about the Voodoo.

I agree with you as well on stiffness. I didn't notice this with the Spirocore Mittel. The Orig Flat Chrome and now Obligato are lower tension than the Spriocore and I think that definitely is a factor. As you know, I am in possession of a higher tension G string that will go on at some point and maybe I should wait to see where I land.

I think that with that string, it's enough extra tension than the set, that I think I'll need to replace the current 3885 Weich D with an S42 Mittel to balance the set out. I have a tiny bit of concern about how my bass will handle that, but we're going to find out!
 
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#6
AGCurry said:
First: Have you identified the high spot? Obviously, it will be somewhere farther down (toward the bridge) on the fingerboard.

Your risk, of course, is that you'll discover a new buzz at the place you sanded.
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Nope! Just know that when I finger C is shows up and is gone by D, so I suspect that it is somewhere in between.

A trip to the luthier is the smart move. Don't want to be still experimenting with strings when I do, though.
 
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#7
TroyK said:
I have a little buzzing at C on the G string. How bad of an idea would it be for me to do a bit of light sanding with a block and some clean, fine sandpaper?

Give it to me straight, Doc. I can take it.
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Keep in mind that the buzz might be the result of a slight high spot NOT on the C, but slightly toward Db, and if you just lightly sand this general (C,Db) area with a soft block, you are just polishing the high spot.
If you're adventurous (drunk & high & caffeinated) you should use a very SOLID/SMALL flat & straight implement (something non-forgiving) and sand only on the "path" of the G string ahead of the "C" (easy to see) and determine IF there is a highspot there (DIFFICULT to see). Trial and Error is your buddy.
I have not done this recently as I have come to my senses and have easy access to a great Local Luthier (L A Bassworks).
My $0.03
IMFO, of course.
Edit: Mr. Curry beat me to it...
 
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#11
Your chances of success are 50/50. If the problem is a high spot at C# then you might get away with a but of light sanding in that area. But if the problem is a low spot at C natural, when you sand the spot at C#, then when you play C# it will buxx because you now lowered C# and it buzzes at D. So you samd some more at D. Then it buzzes at D, and you can end up chasing the buzz all they way up the fingerboard.
 
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#12
My experience, such as it is (and I am no luthier), is that while it is possible to identify low spots and high spots visually, in some cases it is better to do it tactilely. Just run your finger gently along the fingerboard on the path of the g-string. You will feel both the dip and the rise if they are present.
 
#13
Troy, you know how complicated the fingerboard dressing is... And you probably know that often it takes more than one hit for even professional luthiers to get scoop dialed in completely right for your usage.

To me, it seems like it's a bunch of "ifs"... IF you have plenty of fingerboard thickness to spare, IF you feel you are capable of getting it right, and IF it's worth the gamble of the cost and time that a full fingerboard dressing would require, then it's a learning experience...

Personally, while there are some simple setup things I feel comfortable doing on my double bass, fingerboard dressing is not one of them.
 
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#14
use a straight edge, something like the edge of a short steel rule, and a flashlight. Put the straight edge down where the string contacts the fingerboard and illuminate from behind. After a bit of fiddling you should hopefully have an idea about the topography of that part of the fingerboard. I'd do as much as I could to understand what needed to change before getting any abrasives out.
 
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#16
About the string thing: there is a kind of beauty to every kind of string. People talk about the kinds of beauty they find in all different kinds of strings, and they’re all valid.

For me, I’m going to create a word for what I value in a string: Fartproof. Yes, that’s right, “fartproof.” It means that it won’t bottom out and won’t buzz no matter how hard you hit it, or how lightly, either. Spiro Starks have it. Dominants have it. Spiro reds have it, except sometimes around F-F#-G up on the G string if your bass is set up right, which is part of the reason why I think so many people look for an alternative G string for that set.

Fartproof strings will growl if you ask them by playing deep into the LH pads, but if you want them to sing like a bell just use more tip. They aren’t the easiest things on the hands, but they cut through mixes like a hot knife through butter.

I was actually surprised recently when I installed a set of Zyex that Lynn Seaton gave me years ago at the Aebersold camps. They replaced an ancient set of spiro weichs that John Goldsby had put on our school bass back in 200? because he borrowed the bass once a year and didn’t want to play red hots. They were played out and dead by 2026, and the Zyex pop like firecrackers in comparison. They aren’t Fartproof, mind, but maybe more like fart-resistant.

Anyway, enough bodily function talk. I’ll be interested to see if a stiffer string solves the buzzing problem, or if you really do need some fingerboard work.
 
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#17
Chris Fitzgerald said:
About the string thing: there is a kind of beauty to every kind of string. People talk about the kinds of beauty they find in all different kinds of strings, and they’re all valid.

For me, I’m going to create a word for what I value in a string: Fartproof. Yes, that’s right, “fartproof.” It means that it won’t bottom out and won’t buzz no matter how hard you hit it, or how lightly, either. Spiro Starks have it. Dominants have it. Spiro reds have it, except sometimes around F-F#-G up on the G string if your bass is set up right, which is part of the reason why I think so many people look for an alternative G string for that set.

Fartproof strings will growl if you ask them by playing deep into the LH pads, but if you want them to sing like a bell just use more tip. They aren’t the easiest things on the hands, but they cut through mixes like a hot knife through butter.

I was actually surprised recently when I installed a set of Zyex that Lynn Seaton gave me years ago at the Aebersold camps. They replaced an ancient set of spiro weichs that John Goldsby had put on our school bass back in 200? because he borrowed the bass once a year and didn’t want to play red hots. They were played out and dead by 2026, and the Zyex pop like firecrackers in comparison. They aren’t Fartproof, mind, but maybe more like fart-resistant.

Anyway, enough bodily function talk. I’ll be interested to see if a stiffer string solves the buzzing problem, or if you really do need some fingerboard work.
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Yikes! Someone alert the Mods!
It appears that Chris's account has been hacked and taken over by someone suffering from Obsessive Flatulance Disorder (OFD).
Sheesh.
 
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