Double Bass This should not happen...

[PMF1]

Hi all

I bought my first DB about 2yrs ago and started up with DB lessons, recording, practice (and reading here ) and so on. I wanted to pratice more at home so, for a while, I've been searching for a second DB. Some weeks ago I spotted a Strunal on the internet and went for a check. It was a Strunal 535 3/4 and everthing seemed fine... the only thing I didnt like were the strings. Anyway I bought it all the same. The previous owner bought it new, kept it for about 2 yrs and almost never used it.. so it looked really quite new and sounded "new" too.

I ordered a set of Spiros and a shadow 950 like I had on my old DB. I then changed the strings one after the other and really saw to it that the tension was maintained. Anyway everything went well and I tightend the strings.. to half... waited a half day... then to full. Shortly afterwards I tuned the bass and started playing and enjoying the new spiros and sound... it just didnt last long...

About after some 3 mins of playing the whole tension was gone and I see the tailpiece flying up towards my head :-(. At least it didnt reach into my face and I didnt drop the bass. The tailgut tore (see the pic). Luckily I only had a few dents on the top after this happened.

Have any of you had this before? At least the soundpost didnt fall down (that was the first thing I checked). I had some stranded steel so I "repaired" it temporarily and its up and running again and sounds really quite good.

...but I'd like a permanent solution "down there".

I read about tailpeices and tailguts here and on the internet but I'd like to hear your views on this topic..

- Any suggestions for combinations of Tailpiece/Tailgut?
- I looked at the velvet Tailpiece but after this experience I'd rather have something metallic down there. Have any of you worked with the Velvet chord?
- If you use the Velvet chord (or any other Tailgut) are you supposed to change it after a periond of time?
- Does the Combination Tailpiece/Tailgut really make such a difference in sound?
- Any thoughts on Kevlar/Nylon/stainless steel in comparison to standed steel?

thanks for any answers

 

[PMF1]

more pics....

 

[TroyK]

Yep, happened to me once. I had never heard of it before, but it's surprising how many people had a similar story once I started talking about.

I hope to never hear that sound again for as long as I lived.

I don't think it's common, but it does happen. Shouldn't happen to anyone more than once in their lifetime, so you and I are good.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

You'll get a lot of answers with many valid opinions. Here are mine:

On a bass of that pedigree with spiros (my main bass is well under 10K and I use Thomastik spiros or Dominants on all of my basses), the material you use to fasten your tailpiece isn't that important a tonal consideration. Braided steel with a set screw coupler is fine. If you go this way and it's installed properly, you should never have to deal with FBS ("Flying Bridge Syndrome") again, and you can get about the business of working on the biggest tonal variable of all: practicing.

 

[fdeck]

It happened on my cello on the way to a lesson. The tailgut was actually gut. My teacher had one of those nylon screw-threaded things, and installed it in a jiffy.

What C. F. Fitzgerald says about replacing your cable.

 

[PMF1]

I hope to never hear that sound again for as long as I lived

That is so true... or the way the strings just turn to butter... in your fingers... in a split second..

You'll get a lot of answers with many valid opinions.

Braided steel with a set screw coupler is fine. If you go this way and it's installed properly, you should never have to deal with FBS ("Flying Bridge Syndrome") again, and you can get about the business of working on the biggest tonal variable of all: practicing.

Thats exactly how I repaired it... with 2(!) screw coupler's. The "Flying Bridge Syndrome" is very well said

Thanks a lot for the answers.