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Double Bass string height

#21
KSB - Ken Smith said:
Ask 100 guys and get 100 different answers. Any type like diving off a cliff playing death music? I give my opinions when asked, that's all I have to offer.
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No, not jumping off a cliff. The issue here was that you were giving general advice and said that the highest for the E is 10 mm for any type of playing. As I and others have pointed out, many players (even pros) exceed that value playing "normal" (non-cliff-jumping) music (even straight-ahead jazz). You goofed. It's okay to just say that and still have us appreciate you.
 
#22
DRURB said:
No, not jumping off a cliff. The issue here was that you were giving general advice and said that the highest for the E is 10 mm for any type of playing. As I and others have pointed out, many players (even pros) exceed that value playing "normal" (non-cliff-jumping) music (even straight-ahead jazz). You goofed. It's okay to just say that and still have us appreciate you.
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I just answered a question with my Opinion. Bass playing to me is what it is. To someone else it may be 100% the opposite. I can only speak from experience. If someone wants to slap, or use Goriller action, I am not the guy to ask.

I 'goofed' maybe by coming up here and trying to help someone only to have some guy throw something in from left field.

By the way, Stanley Clarke slaps as well. I just raised his string height at the end of the FB from 2mm on the G to 3mm and the E from 4 or 5 to maybe 5-6mm. It was so low, I almost fell off the Bass trying to play it. So slap doesn't mean high action. He sounded great in concert the other night but only he and I knew how low he played his old German Bass. Well, now the cat's out of the bag so they say..
 
#23
KSB - Ken Smith said:
I just answered a question with my Opinion. Bass playing to me is what it is. To someone else it may be 100% the opposite. I can only speak from experience. If someone wants to slap, of use Goriller action, I am not the guy to ask.

I 'goofed' maybe by coming up here and trying to help someone only to have some guy throw something in from left field.

By the way, Stanley Clarke slaps as well. I just raised his string height at the end of the FB from 2mm on the G to 3mm and the E from 4 or 5 to maybe 5-6mm. It was so low, I almost fell off the Bass trying to play it. So slap doesn't mean high action. He sounded great in concert the other night but only he and I knew how low he played his old German Bass. Well, now the cat's out of the bag so they say..
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Left field? The guy asked a general question about measuring string height and you answered. Hey, I play at about 6 mm on the G, 8-9mm on the E. I wouldn't push my E past 10 mm but many do (even non-slappers). That's interesting about Stanley Clarke but, personally, when it comes to double-bass, he's not one of my heroes. That's not a knock on him, it's just a statement about my preference.
 
#24
DRURB said:
Left field? The guy asked a general question about measuring string height and you answered. Hey, I play at about 6 mm on the G, 8-9mm on the E. I wouldn't push my E past 10 mm but many do (even non-slappers). That's interesting about Stanley Clarke but, personally, when it comes to double-bass, he's not one of my heroes. That's not a knock on him, it's just a statement about my preference.
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What's your point?
 
#25
KSB - Ken Smith said:
By the way, Stanley Clarke slaps as well. I just raised his string height at the end of the FB from 2mm on the G to 3mm and the E from 4 or 5 to maybe 5-6mm. It was so low, I almost fell off the Bass trying to play it. So slap doesn't mean high action. He sounded great in concert the other night but only he and I knew how low he played his old German Bass. Well, now the cat's out of the bag so they say..
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I wouldn't say that that information is anything secret; one listen to Stanley playing upright and you KNOW his action is as low as it will go....same goes for Brian Bromberg.
 
#27
KSB - Ken Smith said:
What's your point?
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My points were:

1) Although I certainly wouldn't play with my E higher than 10 mm many players do.

2) The newbie did not ask you anything out of left field. He asked a basic question. Your saying that 10 mm is the maximum height for the E for any type (even any reasonable type) of playing is well off the mark. That's a matter of fact, not opinion.

3) It matters not what Stanley Clarke does. I'm not sure why you had to tell us all that story.

Clear?
 
#30
Burb said:
3) It matters not what Stanley Clarke does. I'm not sure why you had to tell us all that story.
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Maybe because of this....


musicman5string said:
Right now, if my millimetering is correct, mine is 6mm on the G and 9mm on the E.
Now, I've noticed in the last week or 2 with the warmer weather and humidity, that the bass is harder to play. This happens to me every summer, because the woods expanded, etc.
When my bass was last set up in March at Gage's, I told him to put the action where John Patitucci had it. I don't know what is was, because I didn't measure it, but it's definitely feeling different and sounding different now, so I may lower it a little.
Any ideas on how much of a crank on the adjusters to move it a millimeter?
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#33
DRURB said:
Well, old KS just wouldn't let my diplomatic post stand. I tried to be gracious.
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You had a 'Diplomatic' post? Must have missed that one.

The left field was not the original poster. His question I answered. It's the other 'single' styles of playing i was referring to.

What time are those Peace talks again? I misplaced my Schedule..

By the way, I interpert Bass playing as playing the entire Bass from Classical to Jazz on all 4 strings and from the nut to the Bridge with the upper E string being played well into thumb position. If the Strings are too high, then playing the Dragonetti or Bottesini is impossible. If you want to slap ONLY, then 2 feet from the stick on a wash tub Bass may be your cup of tea, but not mine. :spit:

By the way, at rehearsal the other night I cranked the adjusters on my Loveri for some Pizz work in a few Bernstein pieces. I used to have Flex starks on there but not just have regular gauge. With a full turn of each adjuster my E is now almost 9mm from the bottom of the fingerboard to the underside of the string, the G is just over 5mm. The tension is fairly tight on that Bass as well and I had a nice blister brewing by the the 3rd hour.
 
#34
KSB - Ken Smith said:
I measure fat the end of the fingerboard from the Ebony to the bottom of each string. This would be the distance between. Mostly, people measure in mm. It's easier to read MMs rather than 16ths and 32nds.

Usually the G is lower to the board and the height gradually raises to the E. I use about 4-5mm/G to about 7-8mm E. The lowest or heighest for any type playing would be 3mm/G and 10mm/E but not those two on the same Bass. It averages about 1 to 1 1/2mms graduation from the G to the E strings in height across the fingerboard.

The other measurement would be up at the Nut. I like my strings almost on the fingerboard with a minimum camber/scoup in the fingerboard. I also mainly use Flexocor Stark/heavy gauge which further allows me to have the strings lower than with regular orchestra gauge without the strings buzzing on the fingerboard.
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______________________________________________________
Just in case you forgot, not such an old guy (Durub, the man hiding his real name and identity), this was my first post here and the first answer the thread starter got.
 
#35
KSB - Ken Smith said:
______________________________________________________
Just in case you forgot, not such an old guy (Durub, the man hiding his real name and identity), this was my first post here and the first answer the thread starter got.
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No, I didn't forget. Yes, that was your answer and it was misguided. In case YOU forgot, that was the point.

Hiding my identity? Hey, most folks here have "handles." It really shouldn't make a difference whether you know my name or not.
 
#37
Clearly a fruitful area of inquiry would be the correlation between string height and various personality traits. :D

My strings are about 3-4mm (G) to 7-8 (E), and I'm an underachiever, and that Meyers-Briggs test says I'm going to be a serial killer someday. Strangely, the famous person most like me is Mother Teresa. I wonder what string height she used?
 
#38
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#39
Wow, this is interesting. Go away for a gig and a good night's sleep and see what happens?

Ken, I really wasn't trying to throw in a "red herring" when I mentioned slappers using gut strings. When I read your original response to this thread, it was not clear to me that you were talking about YOUR OWN PERSONAL PREFERENCES regarding string height. It certainly is now! The funny thing is that I agree with you about being able to play all over the bass and even on the E in thumb position. I don't slap too much, but even for the little I do 12mm - 16mm seems ridiculously high. That's just me, though .........

BTW, a link to the information I mentioned had already been posted by POPTIME in post #10 of this thread by the time I commited my faux paux (sp?).

Peace

Jim
 

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