Double Bass Full Circle installation and sound post

[BudD]

I'm thinking about getting a Full Circle pick up and installing it myself in a Shen SB-80. The only thing I'm worried about: When I take off the bridge and replace the adjusters, is the sound post going to fall over, seeing that it's no longer being pinched under the pressure of those strings? Is there anything I can do to keep pressure on the top and stop that post from falling over?

I'd have my bass guy do it, but he doesn't carry Full Circles. He's a prickly kind of individual, and I hesitate walking into his shop with a pick up that I bought from somebody else.

The bass has a spruce sound post that he hand-fit, so I'm not dealing with the factory-stock item.

 

[Pat Harris]

I've laid my bass on it's back, and then put a heavy book on top of the bass above the sound post. I loosened the strings, put the pickup on the bridge, brought the bass up to tension and all was well.

 

[BudD]

Pat: Thanks, I'll probably give that a try. I thought of stacking books or something on top, but it didn't seem like it would generate nearly the pressure of four strings bearing down.

 

[iiipopes]

I installed a Full Circle on my CCB myself and had no problems. I turned my bass on the G string side so the soundpost would stay where it was. Amount of force is not the issue. Just enough is. You'll be fine.

Oh -- I also installed mine "upside down" (see the Fishman website) and I have a little rounder tone and less peizo "quack."

 

[drurb]

...I turned my bass on the G string side so the soundpost would stay where it was.

Seems to me that the post would fall with essentially equal probability regardless of the side to which the bass is turned. I suppose you're trying to use the curvature of the top to advantage but, really, if it's approaching being loose enough to drop in any orientation, turning to one side likely won't offer much margin of safety. Better to apply some substitution of pressure on the top.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Pat: Thanks, I'll probably give that a try. I thought of stacking books or something on top, but it didn't seem like it would generate nearly the pressure of four strings bearing down.

If the two-volume 'Shorter Oxford English Dictionary' won't keep your soundpost in place, its too short and should be replaced!

 

[Michael Eisenman]

Before you order the Full Circle, verify the thread pitch. On my Shen, it is 1/4" x 20.

If an adjuster fits properly in a camera tripod mount hole, it's 1/4" x 20. Otherwise, take an adjuster to the hardware store and use a nut to determine the thread size and pitch.

 

[BudD]

Jake: Thanks, I was eyeing the four-volume "Complete Works of William Shakespeare" in trade paperback. That ought to be the equivalent of the abridged Oxford dictionary.

And I'm 100 percent sure I have the 5/16-inch adjusters, because my bass guy was showing me the "inferior" quarter-inchers that he took off the bridge of one of the competition's Shen setups.

 

[drurb]

...And I'm 100 percent sure I have the 5/16-inch adjusters, because my bass guy was showing me the "inferior" quarter-inchers that he took off the bridge of one of the competition's Shen setups.

Inferior? Some really fine adjusters out there are 1/4-20 as Michael Eisenman mentioned. Who's your "bass guy?" The Full Circle is available as 1/4-20 or 6 mm (see Link Removed). Now what?

 

[BudD]

Drurb: "Inferior" was his word, not mine. As I mentioned in my opening post, he's a prickly sort of individual. Kind of like Jerry Seinfeld's Soup Nazi or the mechanic who worked on his Saab. No names will be mentioned here.

 

[BudD]

Bob Gollihur says the Full Circle is now available in 5/16". I've seen them other places, too:

http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/1403-FISHMAN_FULL_CIRCLE_UPRIGHT_BASS_PICKUP.html

 

[drurb]

Drurb: "Inferior" was his word, not mine. As I mentioned in my opening post, he's a prickly sort of individual. Kind of like Jerry Seinfeld's Soup Nazi or the mechanic who worked on his Saab. No names will be mentioned here.

Understood! Once you reference Seinfeld, it's easy to understand.

Bob Gollihur says the Full Circle is now available in 5/16". I've seen them other places, too:

http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/1403-FISHMAN_FULL_CIRCLE_UPRIGHT_BASS_PICKUP.html

Thanks for this info! I'm sure many will appreciate knowing.

 

[Mark Gollihur]

Bob Gollihur says the Full Circle is now available in 5/16". I've seen them other places, too:

The Full Circle has been available in three different sizes (1/4"x20, 5/16"x18, and metric 6x1mm) for a couple years now. (1/4"x20 is, by far, the most popular and common size).

We also have a guide posted online that can help you determine which one you need (hopefully without having to take your current adjusters all the way out)...

Invalid Link Removed

Hope that's helpful!