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Double Bass Those little rubber feet on the peg

Steve Freides

Steve Freides

Former Mannes College Theory Faculty
Supporting Member
Dec 11, 2007
2,576
1,508
Ridgewood, NJ
#1
Those little rubber feet on the peg - I bought a used bass yesterday, it needs that little rubber foot that goes over the end of the peg. I have a few odd ones here but this one is pretty small.

Where can one buy such things?

Thanks in advance.

-S-
 
#6
I tend to have cane tips around the house anyway, so often it's just a matter of looking in my collection of old and new tips to decide which one to use. They can also be ordered from a number of online (non-musical) sources with pretty brisk delivery.

And yes, most of the cane tips that I use have nice solid metal washers inserted. (For those tips that don't have a washer, inserting a nickel works pretty well too.) With a washer, the sharp tip of an endpin seats very nicely inside the washers, preventing the endpin tip from putting a hole in the rubber cane tip. almost as if they were made for each other. The only trick is getting the right inside diameter cane tip for the endpin.

They do make canes with retractable sharp ice pick tips, which incidentally fit right through the washers in the cane tips and intentionally perforate the rubber of the cane tip when in use. I have one of those canes, but totally removed the sharp ice pick mechanism so it will pass through various security checks without raising eyebrows. Ice is pretty rare in my locality lately, while security checks are pretty common.

I do use a cane for long walks or for uneven ground. Otherwise I consider myself lucky not have to use them all the time. Happily, with a Bass Buggy installed, I can use the double bass itself to lean into while walking and it provides remarkably very good walker or cane-like stability, and then I can play it with pretty normal posture either standing or sitting. A person just has to be careful about high-centering the Bass Buggy in deep sand, gravel or high grass -- don't ask me how I know this :D .

Cane tips do wear out, but much more slowly on a double bass endpin than on a cane, at least for me.
 
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#8
What I do is I take a piece of dowel, drill a hole axially into it, epoxy onto the end of the endpin. Then I go to the hardware store and buy a "crutch tip/furniture leg tip/cane tip" whatever you want to call it, they usually come in a package of 2 or 4. (I select the dowel size to match the rubber foot I want. For the last several years I've had a big white tip (probably almost 2" diameter at the fat end) and it still hasn't worn down appreciably. I went with the white after seeing black marks on the floor from the black rubber ones.
 
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#11
GretschWretch said:
Any non-pharmaceutical item bought from a CVS or Walgreen's likely is going to be badly overpriced, especially if it is school supplies and especially compared to WalMart or the dollar stores. A better option would have been a hardware store.
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Being bored, I looked up the price of rubber tips on-line. Prices were variable enough that I figure my spending $13 for 4 was a bargain compared to trying to comparison shop for price! ;)

Gollihur has nice looking ones for $4.50 a pair. Light grey, which might reduce/eliminate marking. But I imagine there would be a shipping charge...
 
#12
Ed S said:
Being bored, I looked up the price of rubber tips on-line. Prices were variable enough that I figure my spending $13 for 4 was a bargain compared to trying to comparison shop for price! ;)

Gollihur has nice looking ones for $4.50 a pair. Light grey, which might reduce/eliminate marking. But I imagine there would be a shipping charge...
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I was referring to brick-and-mortar shopping, not online. I have a hardware store barely a mile from my house, and I know their inventory and pricing well. And as a matter of personal preference, I am always going to shop brick-and-mortar over online unless what I need can be found only online, even if only to support my neighbors.
 
#14
Maple said:
If you have a threaded point (like on the new harmony end pins) I’d recommend the saddle rider ball tip - it’s really grippy and durable. Not the cheapest solution but likely to outlast a few of the cheap ones.

Double Bass Non-Slip Endpin Balls — Saddle Rider Music LLC
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I've moved on from cane tips to these endpin balls and have been very happy. I, along with some of my students, would get creaking from the cane tips that seemed to emanate from the tip rubbing on the endpin (as opposed to the floor). This is a problem in quiet, classical settings so it might not be a factor in your case. The balls are great for all angles of playing. They are pricier and they can wear out fairly quickly if you play on rough surfaces a lot.
 
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#16
Kevin Hailey said:
I bought a few of these quite a while back, I’ve only worn one out in maybe 5 or 6 years.

Glaesel Rubber Tip for Endpin | Music & Arts

Get the guaranteed best price on Cello Endpin Rests like the Glaesel Rubber Tip for Endpin at Music & Arts. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items.
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These are the ones that I use with the metal part of the rubber ball (wolf endpin). I ordered a second ball (only available with the metal mounting part) and used the previously referred rubber part on the metal mount because the underside is flat (not a spike).
I added two holed rubber slices to fill the distance to the end of the cylindrical metal part, so pressure is distributed to a larger area. Not sure if it is really needed.
Keep the ball for the stage only (and only if really needed) and the old part for daily use. Works better than expected but a bit less good than the ball.
 

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