Double Bass Heavy Bridge vs. Heavy Tailpiece

[Daniel Baskin]

Assuming that you can fine tune the modes afterwards, or rather, notwithstanding tuning the fingerboard, bridge, tailpiece, etc....if you want a tone balanced at a certain point between dark and bright, shouldn't it be better for overall tone quality to have the tailpiece as light as possible, and fine pick the weight/thickness of the bridge to make it heavier in order to make up for the added brightness of the light tailpiece? Wouldn't that be better than trying to make the tailpiece heavy and the bridge light? Wouldn't it be better than using any heavier tailpiece in exchange for lightness of bridge?

Because a heavier tailpiece just steals vibrations (even if well mode-matched), whereas a bridge is directly connected to the table. Even if a heavy bridge dampens the brighter overtones, they are still helping to rock the bridge, rather than being diffused into the tailpiece.

Thoughts?

 

[JoeyNaeger]

Have you ever put a mute on your bridge?

 

[DoubleMIDI]

A heavy tailpiece will reflect more energy back into the string and transfer less energy into the other strings. You might get a wolf tone this way.
A light tailpiece will transfer more energy to the other strings, reflecting less into the source string than the heavy tailpiece. The underlength vibration is more damped and this probably affects the normal string sustain too (coupled vibrating systems).

I wouldn't say one or the other is better, I have almost no practical experience, but a non-moving tailpiece or no one with normal or short underlength string length (like on most EUBs) is not good and needs some damping of the underlengths.

 

[Daniel Baskin]

Joey,

I see what you mean.

DoubleMIDI,

Thanks for the physics conceptualization. More to think about.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

I wouldn't say one or the other is better

Supposedly, from what I've read on this forum, a heavy tailpiece is better for arco and light better for pizz. I assume this refers to tone and response.

 

[Daniel Baskin]

I totally understand that heavier is preferred / cleaner for arco and light hardware is good for pizz.

I understand how they affect brightness.

Can a heavy bridge possibly be as bad as putting a mute on? Wouldn't it make a significant difference how the wood was left on the bridge? A mute works because it is right next to the strings. A heavier bridge's extra mass is more evenly spread throughout the bridge.

Any other thoughts? I'm looking for someone with a definitive answer--or at least, another educated opinion.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

I totally understand that heavier is preferred / cleaner for arco and light hardware is good for pizz.

I was referring to tailpiece only above. I've heard thinner bridges and bridges with wings taken off are brighter, too.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I think a heavier/thicker bridge fits to a heavier/thicker top but sounds best with higher tension strings. (At least this is my experience with my bass.)

And lighter/thinner bridges may sound well with lighter/thinner tops with a bit lower tension strings.

It sounds reasonable if this might the case for tailpieces too.

Things must fit together. But sometimes we cannot reach the optimum for other reasons (i.e. too much tension for the hands etc.).

 

[JoeyNaeger]

A heavier bridge wont be as bad as putting a mute on, but it's heading in that direction. The bridge is not some place to skimp out in. A heavier tailpiece will not have nearly the dampening affect as a heavy bridge. If you get your bass set up well and it seems too bright, you can adjust the sound post and use darker strings.