I know there are some “standard” intervals for tuning afterlengths on a regular straight tailpiece, but anyone have thoughts on what to shoot for on a compensated harp style tailpiece?
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Double Bass Harp tailpiece afterlength tuning?
- Thread starter Dr. Love
- Start date
I think if you set the G afterlength to be a 4th above the open G, then that's good for the rest to follow. But by now, I'm sure you've installed your new harp style carved TP from Reverb. How is it working out? I too have a wolfy-A string I need to tame. What's your impression of the TP carving and quality?
I have heard different reasonings for different styles of compensated/harp style tailpieces... some have the goal (or I've seen it argued as) --breaking up-- the relationship/tuning of the afterlengths...
Others are specifically tuned (or approximated) to reinforce this relationship and help give closer to a consistent afterlength tuning.
Then others still that feel you just need to get the bottom of the TP as close to the saddle as possible and call it good...
Every bass is different and certain interactions may be more or less impactful..
Others are specifically tuned (or approximated) to reinforce this relationship and help give closer to a consistent afterlength tuning.
Then others still that feel you just need to get the bottom of the TP as close to the saddle as possible and call it good...
Every bass is different and certain interactions may be more or less impactful..
Arnold Schnitzer sez to improve a wolf tone situation, his experience has been heavier TP, hung closer to the bridge, and with none of the after lengths ringing the same pitch as the wolf.
Overall I am happy, it seems to have made the bass a little more full and open. Wolf is still there but not as bad. The only quality issue I had was I had to widen the slots slightly to fit the low strings (currently strung with Pirastro Permanent, others might not need this) but it looks great and seems sturdy and well done. Shipping from India took FOREVER and the freight carrier’s system never gave a single update so that stressed me out, but that has nothing to do with the tailpiece.
He was who I was thinking mentioned breaking up any relationship of the afterlengths... Gensler (string manufacturer) is a fan of heavier TP as well (with lighter strings in his case).
Jake de Villiers is in the other camp (as far as my understanding goes) and finds a TP should compensate so that all afterlengths are two octaves and a fourth above their playing length. I believe he also tends to favor lighter tailpieces, and one's with a tap tone that is 'tuned' to match other aspects of the bass (mode matching). I'm unsure if the reccomendation for a lighter TP is a Pizz v Arco thing, or just a starting point (lightest possible while meeting XYZ)...
FWIW I've had to do this with Permenants before on two basses/three tailpieces. I've also crimped the extra windings at the ball end so it fits in one direction (more oval diameter than circular).
Well -- yeah -- I know -- but I can never remember is it an octave + 4th, or 2 octaves + 4th.That is a really long underlength and might not work with a standard DB.
Well -- yeah -- I know -- but I can never remember is it an octave + 4th, or 2 octaves + 4th.That is a really long underlength and might not work with a standard DB.
Well -- yeah -- I know -- but I can never remember is it an octave + 4th, or 2 octaves + 4th.That is a really long underlength and might not work with a standard DB.
Yep. I don't want to speak for Jake and he may have honed his position on some of these things since he and I have talked about it. But, he made me a lighter tailpiece the resonated to a tap at some interval to the part of the fingerboard that is suspended beyond the neck block and tuned my afterlengths to be some type of 11th from the open string (some number of octaves + 4th).
I keep it tuned this way and when it slips out, I can hear and feel it until I get it adjusted back to where it should be. No wolf tone eliminators required and the whole bass is much more open, resonate, and musical.
