Double Bass Tailpiece adjustment = better tone!

[coyote1]

As a few of you may remember, my upright is a Mathias Thoma from 1974. The setup was flawed from the factory apparently, as the bridge is sloped the wrong way. And when the bass came to me it had(and still has) a coat hanger as tailpiece strap. After putting new D’Addario Helicore pizzicato strings on it a couple years ago it at least sounds pretty good. Anyway, in exploring ways to get better sound without spending more $$ I found this:



It’s a recommendation to narrow the strap width. So I did it with the coat hanger strap… and it works. The instrument has more presence. I also moved the bridge back about a centimeter, which changed its relation to the sound post. Both these changes have helped; the difference in sound is noticeable.

One day perhaps a setup and a new bridge. But until then, simply optimizing what I have.

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Using a single cable will increase resonance and response as well, although I prefer two cables squeezed as tightly as possible. Under tension, they will spread some but I wouldn’t stress too much. The key is for the tailpiece to move freely.

 

[walterw]

huh!

i do notice with my old kay that a key trick to reducing feedback when amplified (K&K bassmax) is to stuff a big foam wedge under the tailpiece

maybe we want splayed-out tailguts for higher-volume amplified playing if it reduces tailpiece movement

 

[Co.]

On one of my basses crossed the tailpiece wires on the saddle, so they form a triangle. Two points on the tailpiece, one point on the saddle. This helped tailpiece resonance a lot, wich was beneficial to the sound of this bass. On other basses and other tailpieces it might be too much though.

 

[coyote1]

On one of my basses crossed the tailpiece wires on the saddle, so they form a triangle. Two points on the tailpiece, one point on the saddle. This helped tailpiece resonance a lot, wich was beneficial to the sound of this bass. On other basses and other tailpieces it might be too much though.

My bass is plywood. Anything that helps achieve more emphatic resonance is good in my book.

 

[Co.]

My bass is plywood. Anything that helps achieve more emphatic resonance is good in my book.

Too much in (my book) is, when it is getting boomy (especially when using amplification), uneven or when the added resonance makes a wolf worse.