Double Bass Romberg Bevel

[bluebird28]

Howe do you do a Romberg Bevel on a fingerboard?

 

[keiranohara]

Generally one would start with a fingerboard blank that has a Romberg bevel already machined into it. IME, this style is falling (has fallen) out of fashion.

Intended to compensate for the large excursion, diameter, and string height of gut strings (namely the E), rombergs tend to cause geometry problems with modern strings (higher tension and lower string height). The lower string heights reduces the available arching across the top of the bridge (if maintaining string heights of lets say 5mm-8mm from the G to the E) and tends to be too flat to be bowed. When fitting a new bridge to a bass with a romberg and a client intending to use a bow, I find that the A string generally needs to have a bit more height to give the bow clearance (in and around +2mm to our usual specs). Sometimes you get lucky with a client that says "Hell, I don't even own a bow."

I would not advise that a fingerboard already installed on an instrument to be modified either to or from a romberg. That fingerboard contributes a significant amount of stiffness to the neck, and whittling it down to change its profile (much more invasive than a simple dressing) can, will, and has resulted in warped necks. Plus you'd be making a rather expensive and perhaps endangered species pile of wood shavings. Conserver your ebony or rosewood.

PS: If you should ever find yourself in cello world, the romberg shelf is the status quo. I try to avoid those tiny things myself.

 

[eerbrev]

PS: If you should ever find yourself in cello world, the romberg shelf is the status quo. I try to avoid those tiny things myself.

I learned to play bass on a romberg, and now I kind of miss it.

 

[Herbie 80's]

I did too, but I don't even notice that my new bass doesn't have one. I play classical, and only a snippet of jazz.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Generally one would start with a fingerboard blank that has a Romberg bevel already machined into it. IME, this style is falling (has fallen) out of fashion.

Intended to compensate for the large excursion, diameter, and string height of gut strings (namely the E), rombergs tend to cause geometry problems with modern strings (higher tension and lower string height). The lower string heights reduces the available arching across the top of the bridge (if maintaining string heights of lets say 5mm-8mm from the G to the E) and tends to be too flat to be bowed. When fitting a new bridge to a bass with a romberg and a client intending to use a bow, I find that the A string generally needs to have a bit more height to give the bow clearance (in and around +2mm to our usual specs). Sometimes you get lucky with a client that says "Hell, I don't even own a bow."

I would not advise that a fingerboard already installed on an instrument to be modified either to or from a romberg. That fingerboard contributes a significant amount of stiffness to the neck, and whittling it down to change its profile (much more invasive than a simple dressing) can, will, and has resulted in warped necks. Plus you'd be making a rather expensive and perhaps endangered species pile of wood shavings. Conserver your ebony or rosewood.

PS: If you should ever find yourself in cello world, the romberg shelf is the status quo. I try to avoid those tiny things myself.

+1