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Double Bass The quest is over!

Blackjac97

Blackjac97

May 27, 2012
1,248
1,441
Maine
#1
Drum roll please...

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I purchased this beauty from Volker at the Nahrmann Bass Shop in Billerica, MA, for $3400. The bass came with a Fishman Full Circle and a Gotz endpin already installed. He threw in a used Messina case for me.

I walked into his shop (a religious experience that EVERY bass player should subject themselves to that I put up a whole separate thread about), it was the first bass I put my eyes on and proceeded to pick up and play. I also played four old German plywoods at his shop, two Romanian hybrids, a Korean hybrid with a carved top and back, and a Shen 150. I quickly thinned the herd down to the Shen and this bass. In the end, the American Standard had a much higher sex appeal for me. I love the loud, punchy, warm sound, I love the size, I love the play (after Volker lowered the action from full rockabilly down to more of a jazz height for me), I love the color, I love the fingerboard (it looks like rosewood to me, but not sure), and the endpin... I never knew it was possible to love an endpin so much! This bass is simply everything I wanted and more.

The Shen 150 was softer and warmer, more intricate, just like I've been told I can expect from a good Shen hybrid. I think that if I played more classical than anything else, then I would have bought the Shen. But, this bass just seemed to suit my personality more. It felt like a compliment to myself. I know it might sound mushy or something, but it was stark match for me. Everyone in the room, including myself, agreed that it was just... my bass.

Here's a link to the thread about my experience at Nahrmann.
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-nahrmann-bass-shop.1098636/
 
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#4
Thanks guys! I wouldn't know what the original tuning machines look like anyway, so that doesn't bother me. I did have an interesting experience with the D tuner though. I talk about it in the Nahrmann thread that I just added a link for.
 
#5
Blackjac97 said:
Thanks guys! I wouldn't know what the original tuning machines look like anyway, so that doesn't bother me. I did have an interesting experience with the D tuner though. I talk about it in the Nahrmann thread that I just added a link for.
Click to expand...

You might want to get new machines if theyre already not original, could be a way to fix that D tuner.

Beautiful bass, classic American Standard!

Congrats!
 
#7
Okay, well I guess the honey moon is over. I took it out of the case this afternoon to try bowing it on my bow a little. I had played it with a bow at Nahrmann and it was wonderful. But now that it's here, I can't bow the D string without hitting either the G or the A string. I've spent the last couple of hours loosening the strings, hitching the bridge, adjusting the height, tightening back up and trying, and nothing works. The Only thing I can think of is that it was in a prime spot at the shop, and it got nudged on the way home. Also, the curve on the bridge is very shallow, but that didn't seem to be a problem at Nahrmann.

In general, I think the bridge/fingerboard relationship is a little off. For the life of me, once I hitched it, I could not get it seated properly again. I could see the faded spots where the bridge has been sitting, and even there it didn't pass the paper test all around no matter how much I tweaked it. Also, when the bridge is centered between the f holes, I am out of room on the E string and have miles on the G.

Any ideas?
 
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#9
Sorry to hear about the bowing issues. I suspect the top of the bridge is too flat. Ideally, the fingerboard curvature is such that the bridge will put the raising of the strings approximately 1 mm for D, A and E and give enough curve for proper bowing. For example, the heights starting with G might be: 5, 6, 7, 8 for G, D, A, E. If the fingerboard is too flat, cutting a bridge for bowing might yield something like 5, 8, 9, 8. Does this make sense? Raising or lowering the bridge won't help your situation. Take it back and discuss it with Nahrmann. It looks like you got a nice bass.
 
#11
The top does not appear to be sunken. Greg, that makes perfect sense. In my tweaking, on a long shot I raised the g side of the bridge a good bit and lowered the e a good but, and I realized this morning I never put it back. Once I fix that, It should seat properly, but, like you said Greg, the bridge may need to be reshaped. Do you think the fingerboard will need to be reshaped accordingly? How much does anyone think that could cost?
 
#15
I echo the above.

Blackjac, slooooooooow doooooooown! And relax. :) You bought this from a respected shop, not Craigslist!

Get to know the bass. Every bass is different.

Tighten your bow a little. It will help you. Your bass is fine. Your bridge may need a little recarve. MAY (key word) need a little recarve.

Make sure the bridge is set properly. I.e. perpendicular to the top. If the bridge tipped forward or back toward the tailpiece, the clearance from string to string will be less. If you know your vibrating string length, you can check this. You can use a plastic triangle too. Usually, the back of the bridge (side facing tailpiece) is to be perpendicular to the top.

Did your bridge fall?

Reset your adjusters so they are both equal! That is important! The bridge feet aren't independent suspension. They work together. 1/4 turn one side equals 1/4 turn on the other. Loosen the strings, wind them down to the bottom then take a Sharpie and draw a line at the same spot on the top of each adjuster so you can keep symmetry as you change the height.

Basses don't change that dramatically overnight. Something happened...
 
#18
Blackjac97 said:
The top does not appear to be sunken. Greg, that makes perfect sense. In my tweaking, on a long shot I raised the g side of the bridge a good bit and lowered the e a good but, and I realized this morning I never put it back. Once I fix that, It should seat properly, but, like you said Greg, the bridge may need to be reshaped. Do you think the fingerboard will need to be reshaped accordingly? How much does anyone think that could cost?
Click to expand...

Adjusting bridge wheels is counterintuitive. When you raise one adjuster side, you aren't really raising that side of the bridge by raising the wheel on that side.... here's why: Since the fingerboard is curved, raising one side of the bridge but not the other really has the effect of sliding the strings toward the opposite side; by raising the G side adjuster, for instance, you're actually gaining more clearance on the E side and getting less clearance on the G side, because you're moving the string alignment slightly toward the bass side, where the fingerboard curves away from the E string, and moving the G string closer to the center of the board where the board curves up in relation to the string. it took me forever to figure this out, and until I did, I thought I was going insane every time I turned an adjuster wheel.

Knowing this won't fix your bowing issue (it sounds like your bridge is a bit flat, actually the way I like them), but it will come in handy for the rest of your DB playing life!
 
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#19
Chris, that's exactly what I was experiencing. I was just doing some good 'ol fashioned scientific research to try some things out with the feet at different heights. I did have the bridge properly placed while trying all of this. The spot on the bass where the feet go is dull, so it's easy to spot. When I was done experimenting, I had no trouble putting the bridge back in its proper place. Mdc, Sam Sherry is in my neck of the woods.

I knew that Volker would take good care of me, and he delivered. He rounded the G off the bridge, dressed the fingerboard and gave it a curve to match the bridge, and I bought a beautiful new box wood tailpiece with a pretty hand carved design on it, which he hung.

The fingerboard is sleek and fast now and the bass bows like a dream! The new fingerboard even made thumb position a good deal easier to negotiate. Instead of having to reach over and press straight down in thumb position, the position my hand is in now is much closer to what feels natural. Those three modifications went a long way towards making the bass truly mine.

Resume honey moon!
 
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