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Double Bass String Angle

jasonrp

jasonrp

Feb 19, 2015
996
759
49
vt
#1
I set up my strings using the Top-down EADG setup and I've got the E and A at a slight angle after the nut. It doesn't seem to make a difference but I wanted to make sure it was okay. The nut is filed smooth with no burs in the grooves
 
#2
jasonrp said:
I set up my strings using the Top-down EADG setup and I've got the E and A at a slight angle after the nut. It doesn't seem to make a difference but I wanted to make sure it was okay. The nut is filed smooth with no burs in the grooves
Click to expand...
I don't really understand the issue. Of course, there's always some angle after the nut. Perhaps a picture or two would help to help you.
 
#3
I think he means the the nut is not curved enough towards the pegs, so that at the north end of the nut the string has a hard angle.

But since the angle to each peg is different it is not possible (without looking strange) to make this for every peg smooth.
At least the edge at the groove towards the pegs should be rounded well to avoid a hard angle.
But since the string shouldn't lay too deep in the groove, the upper nut part might need some adjustment too if you like to adjust the groove curvature towards pegs.
Often just softening the upper end of the groove not only down but in any direction is enough.
 
#4
I think Jason is saying he has migrated the strings from their standard peg assignments. That is how I interpret "top-down" anyway: E string to the D peg, A to A, D to G, G to E. This WILL change the break angle, which is one reason some players have swapped pegs for the E and G strings.

For most string instruments, the further the peg is from the nut the less acute the break angle will be. You want to have a solid witness point -- the place where the string passes through the nut -- and you do not want too severe a break angle for any string. Achieve those two things and you should be good to go.
 
#5
DoubleMidi and GretschWretch-- Thanks. Those are sensible ideas about what he means. jasonrp-- more detail? :)
 
#6
Sorry guys; busy day. Yes, I've moved the strings from the standard arrangement like Gretsch described. The angle I'm worried about is the left to right. It can be fixed, it's just how I wound them on the peg. My E and A have a slight leftward slant if you are looking at the pegbox from the front. I can fix it, but if a little is no problem, I'll leave it.
 
#7
Thanks for clarifying. FWIW, my strings are always wound so that they travel from the nut to the peg with virtually a straight shot. It's not clear how much of an angle you have (again, a pic would help), but I sure wouldn't want a string grinding against one side of the nut slot.
 
#10
I am probably too insensitive to detect the difference, but I switched A and E strings a while back and never discovered any difference in playing; however, because I also play guitar intermittently, the different tuner locations constantly screwed me up. (Why isn't the pitch changing? Oh heck, I'm twisting the wrong key, and now I've got one string still slightly out of tune and another one way out of tune.) So I changed it back.

As to getting the strings to go "straight" from the nut to the tuner's shaft, I always try to do this and you just have to loosen the string enough that you can scoot the turns of the string on the shaft to the left or right so they're lined up properly.
 
#13
jasonrp said:
It's not very extreme. Say dead on is 12:00 they would be around 1:00 just off center on the peg
Click to expand...
That's not too bad but bear in mind that you only need three wraps of string on the peg, so you might be able to improve your situation that way.

How would you qualify the changes in the sound on your bass?
 
#16
The E isn't is as loud as the A now but they are still the quieter of the 4 strings (not by much) They also came in tune with, I'd say, a little less tension. Thanks for all you help, guys. I'll probably just straighten them out since it bugs me too.
 

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