Double Bass Leaning Bridge

[MenoSalsa]

I should know this answer after playing for 20+ years, but I don't. I came across a student who had a bridge that is chronically leaning towards the fingerboard and caught it before rehearsal doing just that. The bridge seems to also be leaning where the adjusters connect. My concern is that this needs to be replaced and I that they take the bridge of off the bass.

Where is a good resource to discuss when to change the bridge and what to look for?

 

[Eric Hochberg]

If it is just leaning, then it needs to be put back in position. Loosen the strings a bit and push the crown of the bridge down. If it is warped, then it needs to be replaced.

 

[MenoSalsa]

It seems to be warped which is causing it to lean chronically.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Best bet is to post a picture.

 

[Mr Ralph]

I would listen to what Eric has to say over my 2 cents but I have in the past been able to straighten warped cello bridges by steaming them in my kitchen. I have never tried a bass bridge though. It is a pretty simple process it just requires patience.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

The bridge seems to also be leaning where the adjusters connect.

That's IMLE very common on poorly installed or accidently mishandled bridges with adjusters.
It's also (IMLE again) sometimes very hard to tell whether the bridge is bent or not if the adjusters allow the top part to wobble.


That said:

Best bet is to post a picture.

+1

The Kodak ad department said it best .


If the bridge has to be replaced, it's IME not extremely demanding task, so a seasoned luthier can do that cheaper not to mention faster than a not-so-seasoned-one .

Regards
Sam

 

[bassmastan]

It sounds like it's probably warped, that or if it has adjusters than the adjusters may have been installed incorrectly. There is also the chance that the feet may have not been leveled correctly, which the tension from the strings could cause the bridge's feat to level out, leaning the whole bridge one way or the other. On an engle I played in HS this was the case, and it caused a lot of other problems (I went through a lot of D and G strings because of the bad angle on the engle)

If it looks simple to fix with a push of the finger or even realigning the adjusters you might be in luck, if not you may want to bring it to a seasoned luthier to have it done right and not worry about it for a long time. I know you're right near the String Emporium from looking at your info.

You could also check out here: http://www.andrewsfineviolins.com/D-O-U-B-L-E---B-A-S-S-E-S.html (on your way you could pick up that Jaeger bass!)

and here: http://www.vontietzenhoffen.com/

 

[MenoSalsa]

This is what I was looking at and concerned about. The strings are loose in this image.

 

[Robert Strickland]

Replace

 

[neilG]

We can't see from this pic if the top is warped. Assuming the adjusters were installed correctly in the beginning, sometimes the threading is sloppy enough to allow the amount of tilt you see here. If it were my bridge, I'd take it apart and see what the condition of the threads is (are?). It is possible to fill in the old threaded hole and re-thread it, which is way faster than making a new bridge. Cheaper too.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

This is what I was looking at and concerned about. The strings are loose in this image.

What Neil said. That picture only shows that the bridge above the adjusters is leaning. Post a pic of the whole side of the bridge so we can see if the top half is warped. If the top is not warped, you can straighten it and it should be fine, as I wrote above.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

View attachment 480883

This is what I was looking at and concerned about. The strings are loose in this image.

That right there is why I prefer to thread the feet. The legs resting solidly on the adjuster face keeps the upper part of the bridge more firmly under control and minimizes the tipping effect.

 

[harperbass]

This seems to be a great place to start, so to keep a screed short: I tripped on my bass' stand and went down w/ it last night. Only real damage I did was to the stand and bent endpin. And S post and bridge went down. I noticed on I wrote on soundpost the last time I set it was '92. Looking to reset it, which I've done before, but came upon this warped bridge issue. Mine has the same issue. Maybe. What do you think? It's lived in very humid climes and very cold as well. Any advice appreciated. Strings are totally slack, sound post not placed properly yet. This is a German plywood bass supposedly from the late 20s but who knows...I've had it and used it since '79. Here's a couple photos. Regards. Rick Harper

 

[neilG]

Yup, that's warped.

 

[harperbass]

Well, it's an oldie. Anyone recommend where I get a replacement? The original bridge, which broke [I loaned it to someone, what a maroon] was a much better one made by the late J. Fred Crouch, who was well known round these parts.... Thanks for reply....

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Cincinnati Bass Cellar or Nick Lloyd