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Double Bass The Fickle Beast

Chris Fitzgerald

Chris Fitzgerald

Student of Life
Staff member
Administrator
Gold Supporting Member
Oct 19, 2000
27,576
38,482
Louisville, KY
www.chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com
#1
Nothing here that anyone who's played the instrument for a while would be surprised by, but since it's winter again, my latest "fickle beast" story:

Was playing a gig this past weekend, and I could not get a full sound out of the G string or anything up the neck on the D to save my life. I tried every right hand trick I could think of to draw the sound out, nothing. Tried adjusting the wheels to see if the strings had dropped because of the weather. Nope. Tried positioning the amp every which way, even though it was barely on for this gig. Nada. Struggled through the gig, frustrated and distracted by the lack of sound.

Warming up for last night's gig at home, I took a short break and set the bass up in the corner. When I came back I looked at it and noticed that the treble foot of the bridge appeared to be slightly north of where it should be. After shifting it back about 1mm south, the big lady was in full voice again, and everything I played sounded like the voice of god. I guess I probably must have bumped the bridge loading in and out of the car or something, but still...

One.

Lousy.

Millimeter.

But at least her voice is back now. :)

Please share your fickle beast stories if you are so inclined.
 
#2
My fickle beast gave out minutes before I was due on stage at a large open air festival this summer! It felt like the tuning was continually slipping and then "BANG" it exploded. I realised the tailpiece wire had gone completely! I was in shock but my bandmates talked to the next band on and asked if we could borrow a bass - I ended up playing a Fender bass guitar with luminous pink strings - the Sax player has reminded me of this, every time we have met up since! ;)

I have since had the wire replaced with industral strength cable!
 
#3
I recently move from the south to the PNW. Recording a couple weeks ago, we couldn't get rid of a persistent rattle. Removed the bow, quiver, any objects that would cause this, wrapped a towel around the endpin, etc.. The next rehearsal I had my head down and looking through the f hole, I noticed to my horror light shining through the bottom. Upon further inspection I found that not only had the back seam seperated, but the ribs around the endpin are loose as well. Painters tape to hold it together til I am able to get it into the luthier.
 
#4
Last weekend I went for a lesson with the principal of a major symphony orchestra.

When I played a passage, my bass sounded awful; the notes were unclear, tone was quite puny, and the intonation was iffy at best.

But when said principal played the same passage on my bass, it sounded just terrific. All notes popped out clearly, big robust tone, and perfectly in tune.

Fickle bass!!
 
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#6
In messing with playing "noamp" style in the past couple of weeks the sound has been good and the bass has been slowly adjusting to the new tension. As a test, I bumped up the adjusters another half turn and somewhere in there, the bass got some major balls.

I don't get it. Why now? I've raised it up to that neight before but it didn't sound like it does now. Used to be midrangy and it's deep and dark. Weird.
 
#8
hdiddy said:
In messing with playing "noamp" style in the past couple of weeks the sound has been good and the bass has been slowly adjusting to the new tension. As a test, I bumped up the adjusters another half turn and somewhere in there, the bass got some major balls.

I don't get it. Why now? I've raised it up to that neight before but it didn't sound like it does now. Used to be midrangy and it's deep and dark. Weird.
Click to expand...
"Why now?"
Maybe you are what changed.
 
#9
It amazes me how on some instruments the smallest adjustment can produce such a large change in response. And then on others you can make rather large adjustments (soundpost, bridge position, etc) and nothing. It's sometimes enough to drive this simple repairman mad.

Speaking of adjusters... I'm always amazed at, even with just a single quarter turn up or down, how much difference that can make with the perception of tension.
 
#11
Speaking of quarter turns, I tried upping it another 1/4 turn over a week ago to see if the bass can take it and if it settles into a better sound. The sound was tighter and not deep like it once was right after my previous post.

Backed down 1/4 turn just two days ago and voila. I guess that's the sweet spot. Surprising how tiny it is.

@DONO: I think it's both. My technique has changed (hopefully improved) but also matching the setup to my technique makes a diff. I don't think it's just one or the other.
 
#12
The weather has been crazy, and as a result my bass has been a little unfriendly from time to time. Yesterday, it was 60 degrees in Nashville. The bass should have been feeling pretty good. I had been playing for an hour or two already, just pizz, but when I took out the bow to get down to business, the bass sounded TERRIBLE. It was tight, it was too bright, it wouldn't speak without major prodding. This went on for about twenty minutes, I was getting freaked out. I've had this bass for just a few months and we're still getting to know each other, so I'm not always sure what to expect. Just as I was planning when I would get to the shop so my luthier could look things over, concerned that something could be really wrong, the bass decides to wake up. In almost an instant the tone is there and the bass feels right again. I went from the verge of panic to total relief in about five seconds.
 
#13
And speaking of the fickle beast, I broke a spiro stark E on my office bass last week. Didn't have another, so I put a regular spiro E on. Gorgeous growl, and seemd to make the bass happier all around. The nut is a little too low to handle the way I play the E with that string, so if I haven't adjusted in a month or so, I'll have it built up a bit to accommodate the string. Anybody know if there's a cheap way to shim the nut slot to try before I buy?
 
#17
mm by mm I keep raising my bridge. Today I get a glorious sound out a mediocre set of strings with all the sustain I've been wanting. I'm happy but it's annoying it took this long to figure out and could just as easily disappear tomorrow through weather or a change in technique.
 
#18
Weather got cold, the strings lowered on the main bass, and I was afraid to raise the adjusters because they were already showing a bit. The E string was 4-5 years old, so i put a new stark E on. Weather then got warmer/more humid, and the strings came back up up. The sound is back in full force, and with a vengeance. The new E growls like a beast. Had a recording session today where every time I played a low growl note, the sax player and drummer made the stink face... in a good way. I had to consciously work on my tip technique on the E to control it when I didn't want that sound. This is a good thing. The fickle beast is happy again. Not coincidentally, so am I.
 
#19
Mike Goodbar said:
Last weekend I went for a lesson with the principal of a major symphony orchestra.

When I played a passage, my bass sounded awful; the notes were unclear, tone was quite puny, and the intonation was iffy at best.

But when said principal played the same passage on my bass, it sounded just terrific. All notes popped out clearly, big robust tone, and perfectly in tune.

Fickle bass!!
Click to expand...

I guess that's why he's the principal bassist of a major symphony orchestra.
 

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