I searched through the noobie links and found a thread on this, but it left a few of my questions unanswered.
As I have been progressing, I have been getting frustrated with playing in the upper register. It is incredibly hard for me, and I tended to think it was my inability as a player. However, I recently played my old band director's bass, and it occurred to me at that point that my string height is way too high. His strings are probably half an inch off of the fingerboard, even on the highest notes. It was like butter. So, in conclusion, I have two options. I can suck up to my old band director to the point of him letting me borrow his bass, or I can make some modifications to the one I'm using.
The first option is a no-brainer, however, I doubt it will happen. The second option is plausible, but I run into some problems. This sounds a little ridiculous, but I want to avoid spending any money on this bass at all costs. I don't want to, and I am not able to spend $100+ on new strings, bridge adjusters, etc. when I have to return the bass at the end of the year. With that said, is there any safe way to sand down the bridge to make the action lower? Could it also be the strings? I already know the strings are horrible, but could they also be adding to my action problem? Is there any other way to do a homemade action reset?
I just have one more problem. My arco sound on the one I'm using is absolutely horrible. At first I thought it was the bow, so I asked for a $100 Upton german bow for my birthday. Although my sound was a little darker, it still sounded very scratchy. I started to think it was my playing ability, but I played on the bass I use at school with my new bow about a week ago, and it sounded beautiful. They are almost the same exact bass model, but I'm thinking the strings might be at fault. I've noticed that on the strings I'm using at home, I get pretty large amounts of rosin buildup about every five minutes. After I wipe it off, it sounds better. I do NOT use too much rosin. Believe me when I say this: I haven't put rosin on in about two and a half weeks, and it still builds up on the strings. I avoid putting rosin on because when I do, the buildup on the strings increases tenfold, even when I apply a very conservative amount. My friend in Tampa told me that it could possibly be the strings that are causing this, because I don't get this effect at all on the bass I use at school.
Thanks for reading my noobie essay; any help is appreciated.
As I have been progressing, I have been getting frustrated with playing in the upper register. It is incredibly hard for me, and I tended to think it was my inability as a player. However, I recently played my old band director's bass, and it occurred to me at that point that my string height is way too high. His strings are probably half an inch off of the fingerboard, even on the highest notes. It was like butter. So, in conclusion, I have two options. I can suck up to my old band director to the point of him letting me borrow his bass, or I can make some modifications to the one I'm using.
The first option is a no-brainer, however, I doubt it will happen. The second option is plausible, but I run into some problems. This sounds a little ridiculous, but I want to avoid spending any money on this bass at all costs. I don't want to, and I am not able to spend $100+ on new strings, bridge adjusters, etc. when I have to return the bass at the end of the year. With that said, is there any safe way to sand down the bridge to make the action lower? Could it also be the strings? I already know the strings are horrible, but could they also be adding to my action problem? Is there any other way to do a homemade action reset?
I just have one more problem. My arco sound on the one I'm using is absolutely horrible. At first I thought it was the bow, so I asked for a $100 Upton german bow for my birthday. Although my sound was a little darker, it still sounded very scratchy. I started to think it was my playing ability, but I played on the bass I use at school with my new bow about a week ago, and it sounded beautiful. They are almost the same exact bass model, but I'm thinking the strings might be at fault. I've noticed that on the strings I'm using at home, I get pretty large amounts of rosin buildup about every five minutes. After I wipe it off, it sounds better. I do NOT use too much rosin. Believe me when I say this: I haven't put rosin on in about two and a half weeks, and it still builds up on the strings. I avoid putting rosin on because when I do, the buildup on the strings increases tenfold, even when I apply a very conservative amount. My friend in Tampa told me that it could possibly be the strings that are causing this, because I don't get this effect at all on the bass I use at school.
Thanks for reading my noobie essay; any help is appreciated.
