Double Bass Help newbie. E string too high?

[saeroner]

I bought my 1st upright two months ago. I've built up some strength. Playing has become easier (and more fun!). I feel that the E string is harder to play than it should be. I could obviously be wrong. This is the only upright I've ever touched. But check out how it doesn't look snug into the nut slot. I have nut filling tools from stew mac for my electric (low B through G). Should I attempt to gradually file it? Nobody around me works on upright basses.

Thanks for any help.

This is where the 1st fret would be...

 

[Francois Blais]

You should be able to put one or two (max) business cards under the strings at the nut.
More than that and you’ll obviously need a lot of (unnecessary) strenght to press down the strings.
That said, the grooves are strangely cut in the nut.

 

[unbrokenchain]

Yeah that looks painful. Most luthiers use appropriate sized files. I don't own any wood files but have had success setting up my own. Better advice will follow, but this is what I do: detune string, not all the way, just enough that it will pop out of the nut slot easily. Pull it out of the slot and to the side. Sharp knife with curved blade, shave off little bits of the sides and bottom until the path looks straight and gradual. Go slow. Put the string back in the slot to check the depth. Remove string again when it's right, little bit of sanding with the edge of a piece of folded sandpaper to make sure there are no sharp edges. Apply lots of graphite from pencil. One way to do it, anyway.

 

[Steven Ayres]

Your nut is too high across the board. Francois has it right. At the same time, the nocks are already extra-deep on the 1st and 2nd. I would be trimming it from the bottom first, with a belt sander, then round files to even up and smooth the nocks, then trim the top back to reduce nock depth. The strings should sit about half in the nock.

If you let us know where you are, we may be able to recommend someone in your area. Lots of luthiers are working out of home shops, for example, and may be closer than you expect.

 

[saeroner]

^ thanks. I'm in West Palm Beach about an hour north of Miami.

 

[Steven Ayres]

Here are a couple of recs to check out in your area:

N. Miami Beach: Joe Reichgott, 305-651-8895 [email protected]
Works on all stringed instruments, specializes in basses. Former member of FL Philharmonic Orch of FL, teaches at Miami Dade Community College, North Campus.

Boca Raton: Kim Young, Sohlip Violins, 561-391-2669

 

[David Potts]

Steven is right. My preference would be to take it to a luthier where it should be a while-you-wait job. All the grooves and the nut need some neatening. My concern too is that the current E string groove does not line up and causes a dog leg in the string direction apart from having too much clearance. If you do mean to do it yourself then look for a cheap boxed set of Chinese small diamond files in your hardware store. The round one is the same or close to the diameter of your E string.

Lay the bass on its back with a cushion or pillow under the top of the back and a sheet of something under the work area to catch the filings. Tune down the string enough to lift out of the groove and pull to one side (as said above). Take your time and deepen the groove by filing upwards towards the scroll from the fingerboard, holding the file not quite parallel to the strings. Try to straighten up the alignment as you go without changing the string spacing from the A string. Make sure that the string leaves the nut at the highest point of the curve. Keep rounding the groove over and down towards the E peg and brushing/blowing the filings away to see how you are going. As you see that you are getting close then replace and tune the string and check with a business card (or 2). Finish off by rubbing the froove with a soft lead pencil.

Before you begin check out the string clearance at the other end of the fingerboard. If this is very low then lowering the groove may risk the string rattling on the board. This might then require the old bridge to be packed up and reshaped or a new bridge cut.

I know that I have been long winded with the above. Watching a luthier do it is a quick lesson for the future

Best wishes and keep safe.