Double Bass I forgot the string order.

[Axtman]

I removed the strings on my upright travel bass a year or so ago in order to store it. Now I am putting the strings back on but have forgotten the string order. Can you please look at the headstock and tell me what string goes where?

I use standard tuning so the strings are from thickest to thinnest (E A D G). And for the sake of reference lets call the tuning pegs from top (1) to bottom (4) in the picture below.

I am used to a Fender bass guitar where E is placed on the tuning machine closest to the body and G is placed on the tuning machine farthest from the body.

Thanks!

 

[CaseyVancouver]

You have options of course. But if no obvious reason for non standard…
I would try standard and see how I like it.

 

[dreamadream99]

You don’t want the strings to crisscross prior to the nut, so look at the distance of the holes in the tuning peg. The closest on the left is E, and the closest on the right is G.

So, from bottom to top: A D E G.

 

[Steven Ayres]

If another player walks up to play your bass, they'll expect that E is on the lowest barrel, 4 in your example, and the G is on 3. That's standard.

For myself I sometimes prefer to put heavier strings on higher pegs for less stress over the nut, so: 1-E, 2-A, 3-D, 4-G, and I control winding the strings onto the barrel to position the string for the nut in an orderly way.

 

[marcox]

 

[Axtman]

Oh geez do I feel like an idiot! Once again I did not think it through! Of course I should have known the string order! It is just like a bass with a 2x2 headstock.

Before I totally condem myself and in my defense, this is how I got confused. I looked at two other basses and noticed that they are strung differently.

This is a Kay:

This is an Upton:

 

[turf3]

This is the standard stringing.

Some people do it differently.

The Upton and Kay photos you show are just different because they have the machines on the two sides in a different order; but the string positions are still the same as to which knob turns which string.

On the side facing you is E closest to the nut then A near the scroll; on the far side D is nearest the scroll and G closest to the nut.

For a while I tried changing it around, on some theory about the value of the lengths of string in the pegbox, but I got tired of twisting the wrong knob and switched it back to the standard. It's also the same way an acoustic guitar is strung; starting with the lowest pitch string, up the side closest to you and then back down the side away from you. I was switching back and forth from guitar to bass and got confused a lot.

 

[TroyK]

Those two really aren't different. On the left side of the headstock, E is lower and A is upper. On the right it's G down and D up.

The barrels are different in those two basses, but not the tuning machines.

 

[TroyK]

I don't know if either of those photos are your bass, but it's good to avoid having the string touch the side where it's wound around the post. Jake lectured me on that once. The force can actually cause failure in the pegbox.

 

[Paps]

I wonder would alternate stringing help eliminate wolf notes by changing the "fore-lengths"?
There is a tail piece by Moser which allows numerous combinations of after-lengths for this purpose.
Never heard of this, but maybe there is some merit in alternative stringing.

 

[BucketOfFish]

On the Kay the grayish D and the gold E look like they're up against the side of the peg box.
On the Upton the turquoise E and the red G seem to be up against the peg box.
I'm just a newbie... I think you would want to avoid more tightening which could put more sideways pressure on the box and/or bend the tuning machines.

Troy... beat me to it

 

[DoubleMIDI]

If you would like to wind the whole upper silk ends onto the peg (which is not strictly neccessary), I start in the opposite direction with windings and then wind the string back diagonally in less than a turn to the other side of the peg hole to leave enough space towards both sides of the peg box cheeks.

 

[marcox]

I like to refer to this helpful Upton video before changing strings to remind myself of the proper order of operations and strategies to get a straight string path that avoids rubbing against the sides of the peg box.

 

[Don Hergert]

To the OP or anyone else re-stringing, just in case you haven't already tended to it...

If you've slacked all the strings during this process, you might want to make sure your sound post has not fallen or moved dangerously out of place before bringing the strings back up to tension.

Just like other Viol/Violin family instruments, many double basses' sound posts will fall or move into bad positions when string tension is slacked (sound posts are typically not glued in place). Bringing strings back up to tension without a sound post properly in place can cause damage to the double bass top.

(If your sound post has fallen or moved, there are a number of threads here in TB/DB that discuss re-stringing with the double bass on its back, and/or re-positioning the sound post. Or, see your local double bass luthier for sound post help... Before bringing the strings back up to tension.)

 

[marcox]

The Upton video recommends changing the strings in pairs, so that there's always tension on the top to keep the soundpost in place and upright.

 

[Don Hergert]

I've seen double bass sound posts fall with only 2 strings slack. Having a double bass on its back also can help, but unfortunately it also is no guarantee.

 

[TroyK]

1 string at a time.