Double Bass Multiple Nuts

[mrmarbles]

Hi,

I have one of my basses that is very large bass that I use for orchestra and baroque/chamber.

I need to change strings a lot and go between unwound historical gut and back to steel strings.

can one have multiple nuts and simply allow the strings to hold it in place or does it need to be glued down?

Cheers.

 

[Johnny L]

Honestly, it needs no more glue than the bridge, tailpiece, and soundpost do.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

You want a dab of glue on the back side of the nut to tack it in place, but not so much that it can't be dislodged with a firm tap.

This reads like a solution in search of a problem. Unless the nut is a real mess, I've never had a single problem with the nut while switching between different types of gut and steel strings on the same instrument. And I'm a notorious string whose.

Honestly, the amount of scoop in the fingerboard would be a bigger issue than the width of the nut slots.

 

[mrmarbles]

Thanks for your insights.

I know many folks that use steel string spacing and simply use the same dots for gut with no issue. Perhaps I am inventing a problem

 

[Jake deVilliers]

I have one large bass that I use for orchestral, solo, and historical music. I need to change strings a lot and go between unwound historical gut and back to steel strings.

Since I like very wide spacing for orchestral and historical music and slim spacing at the nut for solo music can one have multiple nuts and simply allow the strings to hold it in place or does it need to be glued down?

Thanks

There's no need for a DB nut to be glued - I don't glue them, myself, except on Chadwick's!. The only time the nut will move is if you take off all four strings and if you do that, you'd better be prepared to stand up the sound post!

On the other hand, a glued nut will often shatter when tapped for removal, causing extra, unnecessary work. YMMV

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

On the other hand, a glued nut will often shatter when tapped for removal, causing extra, unnecessary work. YMMV

See: Shen, Samuel.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

See: Shen, Samuel.

Oh, there are many misguided repair persons who are happy to glue the shag out of a string nut...

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

I'm sure. They sell that stuff cheap by the pound/kilo, so why not, right?

 

[basic74]

i know of somebody that converts his bass from 4 to 5 strings as needed, changing the nut and bridge.. but I haven´t seen him do it, so I can´t comment on details.