Double Bass Terrible wolf tone.

[dlargent]

Thanks in advance for your advice.

After about six years of having bass on the back burner in order to start my career as a jazz organist, I'm back to a daily practice routine.

I have an Engelhardt s1 bass. Back in the day, I remember the wolf tone was just a shade north of Ab.

I changed my strings from Anima to Zyex, and now I have a wolf tone right on A, so bad that when I try to bow an A (especially open A string) the bass oscillates between +-5 cents above and below.

Eventually, when I strike it rich, I'd like to switch back to Anima, but it was like $315 per set and I had to change them often. Outside of changing strings can anyone offer me advice for dealing with this awful wolf tone?

Thanks! Doug

 

[David Potts]

I suggest looking up Wolf Tone Eliminators for Double Bass on Bob Gollihur's site and trying one. They don't cost much. Sometimes a luthier can help reduce the problem further by sound post adjustment. IMO a B flat wolf is worse.

DP

 

[bejoyous]

Measure your playing string length and the short string length between the bridge and tailpiece. The short length should be 1/6th the playing length so the bridge sits in a harmonic node. (ie. if the playing length is 41", the short length should be 6 & 13/16th") If the tension is the same on either side of the bridge, the short end should ring a 5th above the string fundamental. If the measurement is off, there is internal dissonance in the string and causes the wolf tone. Also, the body might be resonating at a slightly out-of-tune A and be competing with the open A.

Maybe you moved the bridge out of alignment when changing the strings. Or you may need to have a luthier adjust the tailpiece wires.

When I had a wolf-A, I found holding down the A on the G-string while playing the open - A usually got rid of it.

 

[Anton Avis]

Thanks in advance for your advice.

After about six years of having bass on the back burner in order to start my career as a jazz organist, I'm back to a daily practice routine.

I have an Engelhardt s1 bass. Back in the day, I remember the wolf tone was just a shade north of Ab.

I changed my strings from Anima to Zyex, and now I have a wolf tone right on A, so bad that when I try to bow an A (especially open A string) the bass oscillates between +-5 cents above and below.

Eventually, when I strike it rich, I'd like to switch back to Anima, but it was like $315 per set and I had to change them often. Outside of changing strings can anyone offer me advice for dealing with this awful wolf tone?

Thanks! Doug

i would use a wolf tone eliminator. They cost from seven to eight pounds and work really well