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Double Bass Sounds good when hot

Mike Crumpton

Mike Crumpton

Sep 2, 2003
652
3
Manchester UK
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#1
My bass - a Romanian Zeller with a thickish top, sounds great when the temperature is high, rich and resonant. Needless to say it's just the oposite when cold. In fact, when cold its awful. It's strung with superflexibles BTW. Has anyone got any thoughts on this? Does it indicate anything? Could the bass be swelling when warm or contracting - ie, does it say anything about the soundpost or any other aspect of the set up that could be changed so I get that great sound 24/7?

I did wonder if it was just me - but I sure it isn't - it really is two instruments, one I love and would be proud to play in any company and one that brings no reward for effort and I'd rather not.

Anyone else got a bass that does this? Am I imagining it after all:confused:
 
#2
Mike Crumpton said:
My bass - - ie, does it say anything about the soundpost or any other aspect of the set up that could be changed so I get that great sound 24/7?

Anyone else got a bass that does this? Am I imagining it after all:confused:
Click to expand...
Some guys use a different soundpost and/or bridge for winter and summer. As for me, I keep my baby in a room with a constant humidity of about 45-50%
 
#3
I have the same problem. I have a Voigt & Geiger that is a dream when it is like 75F, but it is almost unplayable when I first unpack on a winter morning in a cold space. I have found this to be true of many basses, but to a much lesser degree. If I know I am headed to a cold room, I usually bring a different bass. Making soundpost adjustments might help, but possibly at the expense of normal temperature response. I just try to get there early and warm up for a long time. Different strings might help too. I recommend Obligato.
Robobass

Robobass
 
#4
Thanks Rob - glad it's not just me - this is completley off-topic but from your web site:

also plan to market a titanium endpin with a press-fit crutch tip plug. This eliminates the need for threads.
This goes with a unique socket design with an angled hole and a collarless set screw system. It is a big improvement on existing designs.

and since I've been looking at various designs how far have you got with this?
 
#5
Hi Mike,

To answer your question, I won’t be selling my own design anytime soon. I recommend the Laborie.

I built a few prototypes of my sockets in the late nineties. They work well and are still in use. Unfortunately, I gave up my art fabrication business in NYC (and my machine tools went with it) and moved to Europe in 2002. Eventually I want to find a good shop where I can rent time and make cool things again, but that is down the road a bit, and I probably won’t be much oriented toward the bass market.

My impetus for designing a new socket was that all the existing ones are very poorly designed. (I plan to start a new thread on this).

At the moment I am not motivated to proceed with trying to market a socket. The cost of titanium is very high, and machining it is a real pita. And, even if I use steel for the pin, fabricating my socket is rather labour intensive compared to making a conventional socket. I just don’t think I would be able to sell them.

Good luch with your search!

Robobass
 
#7
Sorry to bring this back but I just picked up the bass and it sounds gorgeous and it ruddy well didn't this cold morning. I don't think humidity is anything to do with it - it would get lower anyway as my central heating kicks in. But I just noticed one other essential difference that I hadn't commented on - when cold its dull sounding as if the strings had had it apart form anything else, and if I clobber the strings harder it doesn't get louder it just chokes up. When warm it gives more volume - quite a bit more - and repsonds to being clobbered by giving more sound. The strings (superflexibles) sound a little more spiro-like too. In fact, for this bass, it doesn't have to be too cold at all. I do find it frustrating. is it really the way things just are? Has really only happened to basses owned by me and Robobass?
 
#8
I know this was a thread more than 7 years ago, but im having this problem with my carvin sb5000 right now and I found this thread while I was searching about it.
If you are still alive, can I ask you how you had handled it? Was there a solution?
 

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