Double Bass Sound Post

[uprightben]

I have seen engleharts where the owner decided to make the ff holes bigger and to monkey with the soundpost construction and placement. It always ends in weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. The sound post diameter and ff hole size and shape on engleharts are just what the factory wants, and nails have no place on basses, especially to keep the soundpost in place. The most effective thing a beginner can do to make his bass sound better is practice. Even if your bass is not set up to achieve its best sound, your learning to pull a good sound out of it will only make you a better bassist.

 

[360guy]

Has anyone used a Sound Post Gauge? its like a inside caliper for the bass

I have one that's very similar to a violin style gauge. It was my teacher's, and it's custom made of steel. One of the cool things I can do with it is use a 1/2" rare earth magnet on the top of the bass and it will follow the gauge's tip so I get a very good sense of where the sound post is placed.

Sorry---- the first sentence is a quote. The rest is my reply.

 

[dbassnut]

Came across this video on re setting your sound post in an emergency.


There aren't any luthiers in Penang, Malaysia so my double bass is pretty much set up based on the information that is shared here in the forum.
Most of the other double bassist here are also DIY guys so I do get a few tips from them as well.

 

[iiipopes]

Kudos to the guys who are not near a luthier who make it happen as they have to & need to. If you're in that situation, another tool to use is a long handled grill fork with the tines sharpened to grab the post and the head bent as necessary to get a good angle from the f-hole in, again, wrapped in electrical tape to avoid varnish chipping.

Not optimal. Not necessarily even desireable. But when you're that many miles from a luthier, it's another option to save the gig.

 

[dbassnut]

My tools are
1. Bent clothes hanger wire
2. Fishing line that I tied earlier to the sound post. I tie the other end of the line to a pencil or a clothes peg so if I do drop the post, I can always fish it out again.

However, the guy in the video has a better idea where he uses a shoe lace with the sound post tied in the middle of it & both ends of the shoe lace sticking out the opposing F holes that he uses to position the sound post.