Double Bass Just posted on Maestronet

[Matthew Tucker]

Ken Pollard writes:

"Customer complained of a weak mid-range in his bass. Upon opening it, my suspicions were confirmed. The builder had neglected to scrape the green paint from the two-by-four prior to making a corner block out of it. Green paint should be scraped completely from any recycled construction material prior to use in instrument building. Just a tip.

Note also the glue-soaked newsprint that was used as filler between the ribs and the block. While this may be the proper procedure in cello construction, glue-soaked papertowels are better filler in bass constructon."

 

[jimmyduded]

wow, never would have guessed something so slight could turn out to be such a problem

 

[Matthew Tucker]

Jimmy, he's kidding!

 

[jimmyduded]

i knew that...maybe

 

[Bob Branstetter]

Maybe we should start a thread on "unusual" things we've found after removing the top of basses. Here is one of my favorites.

 

[Matthew Tucker]

LOL! Well that's one way to stop something rattling around inside ...

 

[arnoldschnitzer]

I once found a 25 lb bag of lead shot in a bass. That's because I had forgotten to remove it before gluing the top back on.

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

I once found a 25 lb bag of lead shot in a bass. That's because I had forgotten to remove it before gluing the top back on.

Ah.. is that why my Bass feels so heavy?

 

[jimmyduded]

well as long as were on the topic, i just got rid of 40 or 50 year old juicy fruit wrappers from my bass

 

[Matthew Tucker]

Don't forget to sell 'em on ebay

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Inside the Bass.. I have a winner here..

I took a Kay Bass in trade about a year ago or so and when I looks inside, I found this!

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When I asked, "did you put that Rattle Snake in there by the Sound post?"

He replied, "what Rattle Snake?"

He had the Bass for over 25 years and never looked inside, changed the strings or anything.

I saw a huge dust ball and pulled it out. Then I used my air hose to blow out the inside a bit more. Out came two more items. A small price type sticker from something in El Paso Texas and a receipt written in Spanish from Mexico for a set of Strings in 1981 for 116 pesos.

The FFs on this Kay were huge so I am sure the 14 year old Diamondback had crawled out some time ago..lol

 

[Jake deVilliers]

A 14 year old Western Diamondback would be thicker than your arm!

That rattle was put there by a player Ken. Its a trend that's come over from the Texas-style fiddlers. I'm seeing them in basses, guitars and mandolins these days.

Not sure what qualities they're supposed to impart, unless its to scare off scorpions.

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

A 14 year old Western Diamondback would be thicker than your arm!

That rattle was put there by a player Ken. Its a trend that's come over from the Texas-style fiddlers. I'm seeing them in basses, guitars and mandolins these days.

Not sure what qualities they're supposed to impart, unless its to scare off scorpions.

Yes, I know all that. But for those that don't, it's funny I think.

 

[kurt muroki]

i love that old story of the bassist who hated his standpartner so he dropped a dead goldfish in his f-hole before an extended holiday break.....

 

[forester]

legend has it originating in the Piedmont region (timber rattler) not to be confused with that big cornbacked rattler i saw in the outhouse yesterday the purpose i believe was heap big medicine...ward off the bad ju-ju.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

As far as I know, Bill Monroe was the first famous person known to have put a snake rattle inside his mandolin (the famous old one that got busted up and then was miraculously restored by Gibson.) There probably were many people who did it before Bill, but once folks knew about his rattle I'm sure it got a lot more popular and repair people started seeing a lot more snake rattles.

In a somewhat related vein, Bill was buried with a quarter in his hand and someone -- I believe it was Marty Stuart -- put a mandolin pick in the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

 

[MingusAmongUs]

What I want to know is: does that rattle actually rattle?

 

[Jake deVilliers]

The rattle is still functional but won't grow anymore!

And to give credit to a great repairman, it was Charlie Derrington at Gibson Nashville who restored Monroe's F-5 when vandals smashed it to pieces with a fireplace poker.

 

[forester]

What I want to know is: does that rattle actually rattle?

po' man's rythum section;

 

[wineaux]

Small world. The "rattle" bass that Ken Smith posted the picture of is sitting in my music room as we speak. It's a '42 Kay and I'm playing it for a day or two on spec. I'm probably going to keep it (and I sure hope my wife doesn't read this forum!).