Double Bass Stagg EDB Endpin Rattle Help? Also Best Acoustic Settings?

[rob8675]

Hi my name is Robert, ive been on this site for a year now, but never posted a thread until now. I've looked for other threads but can't seem to find one that resolves my issue. I recently got a Stagg EDB for my birthday, because as much as I love acoustic bass, im an unemployed junior in highschool living off a middle class family income, I can't afford it. I bought this for the arm rests and overall it seems to be more accurate than the Palatino EDB which i was caught between. I bought this and after a few weeks of playing, I can't get rid of this rattle on the end pin that shows up through the amp (fender rumble 200) when playing, the only way I can stop it is if, I put my entire leg against the back where the electronics are located, holding it up, which is very awkward when using the body rests which I prefer to use. It's not like I can just take the endpin out, i've tried and it seems unless I unscrew the electronics, it won't come out, for it's attached to something, the hole to even put the endpin in is very tight so idk how exactly I can put some tape up inside the bass. Another issue is my E string pops out of the bridge if I play to hard, but i think i can just file it down. Finally if any of you have it, can you recommend some amp settings to make it sound more acoustic and less boomy, im looking for something that can give me that warm jazz tone I get from playing my schools engelhardt but also transition to a full bow tone. Thankyou for your time.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

There is no full bow tone that you can get with a solid body EUB, the string does not respond as well to bowing than on an acoustic double bass. You can bow, but it feels cold and needs some time until the string gets in motion.

For the endpin, there are lots of modification threads for the Stagg on Talkbass (or a big one or several larger ones), the endpin is covered there too.

The supports are weak on the Stagg, but it would be a bit tricky to mount better ones to the Stagg (look where the neck is fixed to the body and stay away from that area).

The bridge is bad, I plan to make one from one piece of wood. The E side needs more space than the G side, so you need to lower the G side much more to get more space under the E. But you are right, the bridge slots are not deep enough.
When the Epoxy lacquer is gone, the wood is light, you might want to paint it black afterwards.

The fingerboard curvature is low, like playing on a 5-string acoustic bass, maybe even less. That makes bowing harder, but when you can do that without catching a neighboring string too, that is a good training. Don't expect a Stagg as a training instrument for classical bowing. That won't work.
If you have a black fingerboard, you better leave it as it is unless you get buzzes at some positions. The rosewood fingerboard can be shaped a bit to get rid of buzzes and also make the curvature higher, but this is a task for a luthier and might cost as much as your Stagg.

The best you can do is invest in a good (light tension) set of strings, a bow and good rosin if you want to try bowing.
Well, and some lessons by a double bass player are needed.

 

[rob8675]

There is no full bow tone that you can get with a solid body EUB, the string does not respond as well to bowing than on an acoustic double bass. You can bow, but it feels cold and needs some time until the string gets in motion.

For the endpin, there are lots of modification threads for the Stagg on Talkbass (or a big one or several larger ones), the endpin is covered there too.

The supports are weak on the Stagg, but it would be a bit tricky to mount better ones to the Stagg (look where the neck is fixed to the body and stay away from that area).

The bridge is bad, I plan to make one from one piece of wood. The E side needs more space than the G side, so you need to lower the G side much more to get more space under the E. But you are right, the bridge slots are not deep enough.
When the Epoxy lacquer is gone, the wood is light, you might want to paint it black afterwards.

The fingerboard curvature is low, like playing on a 5-string acoustic bass, maybe even less. That makes bowing harder, but when you can do that without catching a neighboring string too, that is a good training. Don't expect a Stagg as a training instrument for classical bowing. That won't work.
If you have a black fingerboard, you better leave it as it is unless you get buzzes at some positions. The rosewood fingerboard can be shaped a bit to get rid of buzzes and also make the curvature higher, but this is a task for a luthier and might cost as much as your Stagg.

The best you can do is invest in a good (light tension) set of strings, a bow and good rosin if you want to try bowing.
Well, and some lessons by a double bass player are needed.

Alright, thanks for the input, i know how to play and bow, im more so a jazz bassist, but ive taken lessons and ive played an acoustic englehardt for 2 years now. This was more so for my own personal practice instrument, i'll try the bridge thing for the E string.

 

[dc-upright]

I took the plate off where the endpin is and wrapped the endpin with duct tape inside the bass. That solved my problem. I read that either here or there is a guy who has a website on Stagg mods. Don't rember the url but a Google search should find it. He has a very interesting site if you own a Stagg.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Alright, thanks for the input, i know how to play and bow, im more so a jazz bassist, but ive taken lessons and ive played an acoustic englehardt for 2 years now. This was more so for my own personal practice instrument, i'll try the bridge thing for the E string.

Sorry, I thought you were coming from a bass guitar to the upright with the Stagg. Must have mixed something up. Sorry.

That Stagg mod website is in the Netherlands if I remember correctly. The Stagg EUB Megathread over here is a lot of stuff to read, but worth doing it.

BTW, the plastic nut breaks easily if you put in strings with a slightly larger diameter than the slot. Better make a new one. A harder knock against the nut that can happen during transport or unpacking and knocking against something by accident breaks the nut as well.

 

[rob8675]

Update i managed to stop the endpin rattle by putiing a pencil grippie behind the top of the pin next to the electronics. Only drawback is i cant move the endpin, but itll be alright, now i just gotta file the bridge a bit.

 

[Naplesllew]

Update i managed to stop the endpin rattle by putiing a pencil grippie behind the top of the pin next to the electronics. Only drawback is i cant move the endpin, but itll be alright, now i just gotta file the bridge a bit.

I've gotten by the rattle by trial and error of how much pin to expose, i.e., at certain points of extension it does not rattle. I make note of those and can mark the pin with a Sharpie so I reproduce that same extension each time. I always retract the pin after playing because my Stagg travels a lot in its gig bag. I've been lucky -- the deluxe model Stagg I got played well out of the box, and better when I put old Spiracore strings on it. The sound is well received in both my combo and my big-band work.

 

[Dladd94]

Move the endpin screw into the hole in the back of the body to get rid of the rattle!

 

[336v]

The side threaded hole is indeed meant for the screw in it to press the end pin to the side of cavity, thus preventing it from rattling, but it's not a substitute for the pin in the metal ring fixing the length of exposed portion of the end pin. Both have to be used. Fix the length first with stock bottom screw, and then tighten the side screw to prevent rattle. I use a thumb wheel headed screw for that, IRRC, the thread size is metric M6. Look at the photo on my Stagg mods website: STAGG EUB Upgrades and Modifications