Double Bass Grease Peg?

[Steve Freides]

A student of mine, who is renting a bass from me, said it's endpin is hard to pull out, and asked if one could grease it. I said I'd never done that and never heard of it being done since pegs do tend to slip sometimes. This bass' whole endpin setup is maybe 2 years old and otherwise works fine.

So, a little grease, e.g., slide grease that I'd use on my trumpet or French Horn? Just live with it? Something else?

Thanks in advance.

-S-

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

That's odd. I've never had an endpin that was sticky for any reason but advanced age and corrosion. A few I've had had to be forced out with channel locks.

Is this person loosening the thumbscrew correctly?

 

[Steve Freides]

Yes - you can take out the thumbscrew and it's still tight. It's just a tight fit. I suppose I could try a fine steel wool on the peg.

-S-

 

[DoubleMIDI]

You can take a rod, wrap some sandpaper around and take off a little bit of wood inside the hole where the endpin goes inside. Maybe the wood has expanded a bit due to moisture.
I won't recommend grease unless you know both parts are metal only.

 

[MikeCanada]

Our friends over at Upton have the answer!

Typically it's a summer problem because the wood swells up with the humidity. Take a look inside and make sure that it's a wooden assembly in there, and not something else.

 

[robobass]

Also, I've seen some really cheap endpins that had gotten bent. Just a barely discernible bend could cause sticking.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

A student of mine, who is renting a bass from me, said it's endpin is hard to pull out, and asked if one could grease it. I said I'd never done that and never heard of it being done since pegs do tend to slip sometimes. This bass' whole endpin setup is maybe 2 years old and otherwise works fine.

So, a little grease, e.g., slide grease that I'd use on my trumpet or French Horn? Just live with it? Something else?

Thanks in advance.

-S-

If the endpin has dents for the retaining screw, you can rub the pin with a little wax to ease the friction. If that doesn't work you'll need to ream the socket.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Is the throat lined with cork, or is it bare wood?

 

[Who da Ville]

You can take a rod, wrap some sandpaper around and take off a little bit of wood inside the hole where the endpin goes inside. Maybe the wood has expanded a bit due to moisture.

My wife's cat peed on my bass (Grrrrr), & the endpin hole swelled up as described above. I used a round chain saw file on it and opened the hole carefully so the endpin slides smoothly again.

In case you're wondering, I like being married more than I hate the cat; so I rigged a door stop that allows heat to get into the room but keeps the cats out.

 

[Steve Freides]

I see this bass only once a week - will have a look next week and report back.

Thanks, everyone.

-S-

 

[David Potts]

Or try graphite powder. It is a dry lubricant that comes in a small puff pack and is used in car and house locks in preference to oils that trap dirt. It also works well to lubricate tuning machine pegs that are sticking before taking the last resort of reaming out holes in the peg box cheeks.

DP