Double Bass Humidity!

[musicman5string]

Hey all-
Wanted to share a thing with you: every year around this time, when the weather gets warmer and the humidity rises, my bass feels like crap, because the wood expands and the strings get a little higher and I no longer can get my "sweet spot" sound that I like. I try keeping the windows closed and the air conditioning on, but it doesn't work. Usually I'll just lower the bridge a little, which helps, but I don't like doing that because it's hard on my bridge; the adjusters are really tight, so you have lay the bass on the bed, loosen the strings, adjust the bridge height, and then retighten the strings....and every time I do that, no matter how careful I am, I can't get the bridge to sit back enough, it always pulls forward, or up, even if I have someone hold it in place while slowly tightening.
This happen to anyone else?

 

[lilboo77]

If you are only playing the bass around the house, try putting a dehumidifier in the room that it resides. It may help a good bit.

 

[jmpiwonka]

it shouldn't be too hard to push the bridge back to perpendicular even with the strings under full tension if you put a little graphite (a pencil works good) in the bridge string slots.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

For moving the bridge back to where it wants to be, try (all hail) Bob G's infamous "whack the bridge with the spine of a paperback" trick. To do this, position the paperback between the A and D strings with the force headed toward the tailpiece, and whack away as needed. I've done this plenty of times with the tension still on. Several years ago, John Goldsby just yanked my bridge straight with his hands while the tension was still on and didn't hurt anything.

 

[bassist14]

Several years ago, John Goldsby just yanked my bridge straight with his hands while the tension was still on and didn't hurt anything.

here: Link Removed
is a description with pics how to do it.
i think maybe this could be interesting for somebody.

 

[bribass]

Hey all-
Wanted to share a thing with you: every year around this time, when the weather gets warmer and the humidity rises, my bass feels like crap, because the wood expands and the strings get a little higher and I no longer can get my "sweet spot" sound that I like. I try keeping the windows closed and the air conditioning on, but it doesn't work. Usually I'll just lower the bridge a little, which helps, but I don't like doing that because it's hard on my bridge; the adjusters are really tight, so you have lay the bass on the bed, loosen the strings, adjust the bridge height, and then retighten the strings....and every time I do that, no matter how careful I am, I can't get the bridge to sit back enough, it always pulls forward, or up, even if I have someone hold it in place while slowly tightening.
This happen to anyone else?

These are all good suggestions. Also just make sure that you're not moving the bridge feet when you're lowering the adjusters. I hold the feet w/my other hand while I when I turn mine. I know that on my bass the shafts of the adjusters are sitting in a bit of somekind of waxy lubricant in the holes in the bridge legs. This facilitates adjustments by making them turn easier. You may ask your luthier about that.

When pulling the bridge straight make sure the feet are sitting flat against the top w/ no gaps.

BG

 

[uptonbass]

Sounds like your bass is a candidate for a summer and winter post. Makes ALL the dif

 

[greitzer]

For moving the bridge back to where it wants to be, try (all hail) Bob G's infamous "whack the bridge with the spine of a paperback" trick. To do this, position the paperback between the A and D strings with the force headed toward the tailpiece, and whack away as needed. I've done this plenty of times with the tension still on. Several years ago, John Goldsby just yanked my bridge straight with his hands while the tension was still on and didn't hurt anything.

Chris, did John Goldsby do this on an adjustable bridge? So he was whacking/yanking just the upper part of the bridge, and leaving the feet where they were?

 

[Zachary Martin]

Your bass "feels like crap" in part from the top expanding, causing the sound post to fit loosely. This can make it feel sluggish and sound less responsive. You could benifit from a new post which is fit after the initial swell of your bass(usually early to mid june). This of course means that you will need both a summer and winter post.
String heights will change, thus the invention of adjusters. It is normal to have to loosen the strings to raise the bridge. My suggestion is to mark the placement of the bridge carefully (I ususally do this with acid free masking tape) remove the adjusters and put graphite in the threads and wheel contact points. When you string it up, apply a small amount of perifin wax under each string. this will cause less friction and make it easier to adjust for proper positioning.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Chris, did John Goldsby do this on an adjustable bridge? So he was whacking/yanking just the upper part of the bridge, and leaving the feet where they were?

Hey John - sorry I somehow missed your reply. John was trying to correct a bridge that was tilting toward the fingerboard when he did his "bridge tug" thing, so the feet weren't supposed to move at all anyway. Same with the "whack the bridge with a book spine" thing; it's only to correct for a leaning bridge.

 

[greitzer]

Thanks Chris. I tried the "paperback whack" thing this weekend and it worked. My bridge (adjustable) had been tilting northward, but it's pretty straight now.

 

[musicman5string]

Now that the weather is drying out and becoming a little cooler, my bass is back to it's punchy self. I didn't get a summer post put in (I don't want to start doing that) and just made the most of it all summer. I did lower the strings alittle; now I'm trying to decide if I like them this low with the bass back to normal.

If I'm reading the ruler correctly, my G is at 7mm and the E at 10mm.