Double Bass Synthetic tailpiece cords.your experiencie...

[Andrew McGregor]

Sure, so maybe mine was installed wrong or wasn't the same material... I don't know. What I do know is, I wasn't imagining the intonation issue...

 

[Schoolhouse]

I have used several brands of tail cord. They all stretch a little when first tied. This usually settles down in the first week. On some basses they seem to open up the instrument. On others there is no noticeable change from the braided cable. My bass, which also won a prize for tone at the ISB, used a Pecanic tail cord. Tom Wolf

 

[Jim Henderson]

G.
Am using a coat hanger type on the Kay, braided cable on the Cleveland, and a Pecanic cord on the Juzek. Arnold is correct. According to my ear it sounds as if the cord is somewhat muted. Good luck.
Jim

 

[drurb]

G.
Am using a coat hanger type on the Kay, braided cable on the Cleveland, and a Pecanic cord on the Juzek. Arnold is correct. According to my ear it sounds as if the cord is somewhat muted. Good luck.
Jim

Uh-- have you ever tried two different cords on the same bass? I'm betting that the many, many differences across your three basses have much greater affects than, and swamp out any differences attributable to, differences in the tailpiece cord material.

 

[61pollmann]

I use the Pecanic cord with a walnut tailpiece from Pecanic. The knot used is a Carrick bend. I found that the tailpiece cord is very stable after a few days. I'm using Velvet Blues on my Pollmann, and I don't believe it is any darker than when I had stainless aircraft cable(Lemur) on. As usual, every bass is unique, and there are many, many factors affecting sound. You cannot compare the effects of changing any one factor, unless it's on the same bass.

George

 

[William Hoffman]

I use the Pecanic cord with a walnut tailpiece from Pecanic. The knot used is a Carrick bend. I found that the tailpiece cord is very stable after a few days. I'm using Velvet Blues on my Pollmann, and I don't believe it is any darker than when I had stainless aircraft cable(Lemur) on. As usual, every bass is unique, and there are many, many factors affecting sound. You cannot compare the effects of changing any one factor, unless it's on the same bass.

George

Just a sec. I am trying to understand all this.

You've got a Pecanic cord and a Pecanic tailpiece and Velvet Blues on a Pollman. And that is not darker than with the aircraft cable. That's a relief, I guess.

I'm asking cuz I've got a Pecanic walnut tailpiece too, and have it strung with a Velvet synthetic cord. I did this because Chuck Traeger's book recommended a lighter tailpiece to get a brighter sound, not darker. I also hear how my Gruenert carved flatback now has a brighter sound. More mid-range tones. Possibly less highs.

So on your Pollmann was that the same strings and tailpiece as when you had the aircraft cable on?

 

[arnoldschnitzer]

Uh-- have you ever tried two different cords on the same bass?

I have done this a number of times. Each time I heard a roll-off of highs and overtones with the synthetic cord. There did not seem to be a change in volume. I was comparing the synthetic with 7x7 braided stainless cable which is 3/32" thick. Now, for many bassists the ideal sound is a dark tone. With that in mind, a synthetic could be helpful in toning down a bright (or new) bass, IMHO.

 

[drurb]

I have done this a number of times. Each time I heard a roll-off of highs and overtones with the synthetic cord. There did not seem to be a change in volume. I was comparing the synthetic with 7x7 braided stainless cable which is 3/32" thick. Now, for many bassists the ideal sound is a dark tone. With that in mind, a synthetic could be helpful in toning down a bright (or new) bass, IMHO.

Ah, thank you. Actually, I trusted that the experience about which you posted was based (bassed? ) on trying different cords on several basses, respectively. Understandably, I don't place much stock in any such conclusions drawn across basses.

 

[Kev2007]

My bass (attributed to JB Vuillaume) loves low tension. I put on a Velvet tailpiece cord a few years back and the difference in sound and feel was immediate and positive: much looser feel, and the mid range of the instrument opened up. Louder, too, by my and my colleagues' observations. So I guess this continues to support the notion that different instruments react differently to similar adjustments. A caveat: I was not savvy to the intricacies (myth?) of afterlength at that point, and though I tried to have the new cord length the same as the old steel one, I can't guarantee it was exactly the same length. BTW, I recall no slipping/stretching of the knot/cord.

An an aside, to further experiment with the tension experimant, I had a luthier build a riser over the saddle: again a huge difference in feel, less so in sound quality. Last summer I strung it with Spirocore solo strings tuned down to regular tuning, and the feel (and playability) took another massive positive step. It is now a wonderful instrument to play.

Peace,

Kev

 

[vt picker]

i switched from braided wire to nylon from Bob Gollihur.

it made a big difference, but i also moved the tailpiece toward the bridge almost an inch (the tailpiece was "hinged" close to the saddle). that could have been more difference than the material.

this change was the second biggest difference of anything i did to the bass, the first being putting spiro weich on. my goal (which i've pretty much acheived) was big loud pizz sound and super easy to play; bluegrass style

i can't get the spacing close together with the nylon (Chuck recommends 5/8 inch apart at the saddle i think, going by memory)

it was easy to put on/ take off/ adjust

Kev, thanks for your experience with the high saddle, i was curious about them... i may try it if i buy the bass i'm thinking of buying....

kelly

 

[William Hoffman]

I have done this a number of times. Each time I heard a roll-off of highs and overtones with the synthetic cord. There did not seem to be a change in volume. I was comparing the synthetic with 7x7 braided stainless cable which is 3/32" thick. Now, for many bassists the ideal sound is a dark tone. With that in mind, a synthetic could be helpful in toning down a bright (or new) bass, IMHO.

My bass (attributed to JB Vuillaume) loves low tension. I put on a Velvet tailpiece cord a few years back and the difference in sound and feel was immediate and positive: much looser feel, and the mid range of the instrument opened up. Louder, too, by my and my colleagues' observations. ...Peace, Kev

Yes to both, at least on my bass. Going from steel cable to a synthetic cord, the bass opened up in mid-range and did get a looser feel and a got louder. By allowing the mid-range to open up, the trade off was the highs and overtones are somewhat muted. But it did not make the sound darker, only a definite shift to more mid-range volume.

 

[Jim Henderson]

Sorry to get back to this thread after such a long absence Les.
Yes I've tried all three on all three basses and the volume seemed to stay about the same but all seemed to lose a little cut in the high end. I just wanted to return the Kay to original spec's without much regard to changes in tone. The Cleveland came to me from Arnold with a steel cable and it gave the best across the board sound as he sent it to me. So, off with the Dr. Mike tail piece and back to the original AES set up. the Juzek is also going back to a steel cable as soon as I can spend enough time in town to switch from the synthetic.
Jim

p.s. Thanks for the Clarion info Les. Will be in touch with them shortly.
Jim

 

[LouisF]

Not to hijack or undermine any of the discussion, but I found that putting one of the Marvin wire tailpieces on (which comes with its own wire) was the best solution - bigger, warmer, more open sound on my bass.

Louis