Double Bass Help! My Dampit fell into my bass!

[Ross Kratter]

Man, I feel like an idiot. I had just re-moistened my Dampit and was putting it back into my bass when it fell in through the F hole!
I am currently trying the coat hanger method, being careful not to touch the sound post, of course, but I’m having no luck. Does anyone have any advice?
Thanks!

 

[ThudThudThud]

Treat it like a plectrum: Pick the bass up, invert it and shake like the devil...

I keed, I keed, I keed....don't do that!

 

[Ross Kratter]

Treat it like a plectrum: Pick the bass up, invert it and shake like the devil...

I keed, I keed, I keed....don't do that!

Hahahahaha, good one.

 

[Ross Kratter]

I guess I spoke too soon. I was able to fish it out with a hanger.

 

[eh_train]

I guess I spoke too soon. I was able to fish it out with a hanger.

Glad to hear it! Did the Dampit leak into your bass while it was stuck inside? That's a reason many people give up on them. IME, a room humidifier will do the job without having to worry about mishaps like this one...

 

[Ross Kratter]

Glad to hear it! Did the Dampit leak into your bass while it was stuck inside? That's a reason many people give up on them. IME, a room humidifier will do the job without having to worry about mishaps like this one...

Thankfully it didn’t leak.

 

[g-dude]

Glad to hear it! Did the Dampit leak into your bass while it was stuck inside? That's a reason many people give up on them. IME, a room humidifier will do the job without having to worry about mishaps like this one...

Whole house humidifier is also an option. They aren’t that expensive given the benefit they provide, like keeping down the amount of times you get shocked when you get anywhere near metal.

 

[DrCannabass]

I've switched to waterless humidity packs in all guitar and bass cases:

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I also use a house humidifier (6 gal.), but I like the Bovedas in the cases for travel.

 

[Dr. Love]

I have a long spring loaded "grabber" that I got at the auto parts store that works great for fishing soundposts and other occasional foreign objects (I have small children) out of basses.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I have a long spring loaded "grabber" that I got at the auto parts store that works great for fishing soundposts and other occasional foreign objects (I have small children) out of basses.

i know Texas is big but what are ya’ll playing, an Octabass?

 

[leonard]

One of the reasons I downshifted to a ply bass.

 

[jsf729]

Man, I feel like an idiot. I had just re-moistened my Dampit and was putting it back into my bass when it fell in through the F hole!
I am currently trying the coat hanger method, being careful not to touch the sound post, of course, but I’m having no luck. Does anyone have any advice?
Thanks!

You'll need to take to a luthier and have the top removed. As another has posted, get yourself one of those spring loaded parts retrievers at the auto parts store for NEXT TIME

 

[Scott Freeman]

I once got to a concert and discovered my bass was rattling like a bucket of coins. My twin boys, 5 at the time, had fed many coins, pens, and pencils into the F-holes. I had to take it backstage, lift it over my head and shake for a while. Damn kids... I had to laugh!

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

My daughter did the same thing with DVDs.

 

[unbrokenchain]

Got dampit!

 

[jsf729]

I once got to a concert and discovered my bass was rattling like a bucket of coins. My twin boys, 5 at the time, had fed many coins, pens, and pencils into the F-holes. I had to take it backstage, lift it over my head and shake for a while. Damn kids... I had to laugh!

That's one big a$$ piggy bank!

 

[Dr. Love]

i know Texas is big but what are ya’ll playing, an Octabass?

The grabber is skinny and fits through the f holes on a regular bass. On the octobass I just reach in with my arm

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

View attachment 4481015

The grabber is skinny and fits through the f holes on a regular bass. On the octobass I just reach in with my arm

Got it. For some reason it sounded like you were pulling small kids out of your (Octa)bass. On days of bad tone, it's easy to blame those 'gremlins in the instrument'....

 

[J_Bass]

I had to fish a clip-on tuner from inside the DB some months ago, courtesy of my youngest.


I went the cheap DIY mode. A sushi chopstick with a half chewed fruit caramel on one end did the job.

 

[BassFalcon]

View attachment 4481015

The grabber is skinny and fits through the f holes on a regular bass. On the octobass I just reach in with my arm

Your octobass doesn’t have an access hatch?