Double Bass String rattle...bridge slot?

[tornadobass]

I've had a problem with rattling E strings, not all E strings, but some of the thinner ones.

At first, I thought it might be bad string windings, but today I pressed the top of the E string while plucking it and the rattle stopped.

For a quick fix, I got out a round needle file, took a couple of swipes in the slot to smooth it out and then angled down the side of the slot that goes toward the tailpiece.

The rattle now seems to be stopped

Is the bridge slot a common source of string rattle?

 

[Matthew Tucker]

that, and the nut slot as well. And a bunch of other things!

 

[wayne holmes]

IME-moreso on the nut---I remember having to work on a few,very few D slots at the bridge, but have worked on many grooves G to E all of them at the nut to stop buzzes mostly
but it's like Matthew says- a lot of things can cause a rattle/buzz - end pin - open seam, string height - I had a faint buzz once on a cello that was caused by dried varnish vibrating against other dried varnish on one of the tips of the F-holes- in other words check every thing that touches something else to include the screws on the machines...ends of the strings in the box.