Double Bass should strings grooves be spaced equally?

[GeoffK]

Looking at the string grooves on the bridge that came with my new bass, I notice that there is slightly more space between the E and the A, and that the other spaces seem equidistant. Even allowing for the fact that the E is obviously larger diameter, I can't see any reason for this. Should I correct it, since I will be lowering the action? I would note that the spacing is fine at the nut (i.e. all equidistant).

thanks
GeoffK

 

[Bob Branstetter]

GeoffK - I suggest that you take a good look at the Newbie links at the top each section or just use the search facility. Just about any thing you can think of has been covered here at one time or an other.

However, the answer to this question is that the strings at the bridge should also be equidistant (i.e. from the center of each string).

 

[GeoffK]

thanks Bob. I did have a look for info on that before I posted, but I guess my search terms weren't inclusive enough -- I don't want to re-invent the wheel -- or worse, ask you guys how to help me re-invent it.

And thanks for answering my question -- I suspected that equidistant was the answer. I will look for a way to correct it when I am doing my setup.

Geoff

 

[Martin Sheridan]

Like Bob, I set mine equi-distant, but I know luthiers who set the E and A off slightly, because of the larger diameter of those strings so that they will look even.

 

[GeoffK]

thanks Martin. That appears to be the case with mine.

gk