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Double Bass Understanding setup and how it matters (rant?)

Sam Dingle

Sam Dingle

Aug 16, 2011
6,786
5,562
Nashville TN
#1
This is just a quick rant for me. One of those moments where people tell you something but you don't understand until you experience it.

I've always been a fan of trying new strings for different sounds and playing feels, but as I do more playing and understanding I understand so much more goes into how you feel with a bass.

My big break was moving from a 3/4 sized bass to a 7/8 and full size. I'm 6'4 and have long arms and big hands. Moving to a bass that fit me better was a huge realization of being comfortable on an instrument.

Today getting my shen bass back from my luthier helped a lot. I had him setup my juzek by trying a ton of different things, some I knew about (curve of the board, bridge height soundpost etc) but some he just did on his own without me fully understanding it. I wanted my shen to play more like the juzek so I assumed just put the same strings on it and set the action the same.

I brought it to him yesterday and got it today. He reshaped the bridge, moved it to the correct location on the top, put a brand new soundpost in it (the other had plastic on each end...) and the biggest change, made the string spacing the same as my juzek.

NIGHT AND DAY! I feel like myself again on this bass, not like I'm playing something new. Its crazy to me.

Basically saying no detail seems to be too small when it comes to the bass. lots of experimenting goes into it but its worth it IMO. Anyone else?
 
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Reactions: leonard, birgebass, Reiska and 4 others
#2
I think that one of the factors reducing the reputation of American plywood basses is that they less often get detailed attention to setup, which may be more important on a ply bass. I've had touring professionals rent my bass and compliment my setup mightily, and all I'm doing are the basics. If you buy a less expensive instrument to save money, more power to you, but don't scrimp on the setup, that's where the value can really come out.
 
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Reactions: equill, james condino, Jake deVilliers and 9 others
#4
Luthiers: Every little thing they do is magic.

The smartest thing I've ever done setup-wise was to have Nnick Lloyd set up my office laminate bass - same model as my main bass, but in plywood - exactly the same as the main bass down to the millimeter in every regard possible. Both wear the same strings, both have the same string heights, both have the same string spacing, bridge curve with the lowered D notch, same soundest placement, etc.

Of course I could play my old office bass fine and use it for teaching, but now I can actually set aside time at the end of the work day to practice in my office before I come home and not feel like I have to adjust the calibration to the main bass when I pick it up. To a non-bassist, this doesn't seem like a big deal, but for me it's huge.
 
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Reactions: Michael Drost
#8
100% agreement here! I knew my Kay needed a good setup and some detailed work but had to wait several months to get it done. Working closely with my luthier, it came back MUCH better than before and it plays and sounds exactly like I wanted it to!
 
#9
Also important point in the OP is how long it takes to gain an understanding about what we as players even want or need. It’s taken me years to understand how each setup detail actually feels and sounds. As a newer player things either feel/sound right or wrong, but it takes a long time to know why. And what is right for me is wrong for another player. That also makes it really hard to buy instruments as a newer player. A bass could be great but not setup the right way for the player, and for a newer player there’s no way to realize that.
 
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Reactions: Cheez
#10
Sam Dingle said:
... and the biggest change, made the string spacing the same as my juzek...
Click to expand...

Just fixed a bass that came in with way-too-wide string spacing. Imho, this is one of the critical elements in making a bass feel playable. Or comfortable, or like your other bass, etc...
 
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Reactions: Chris Fitzgerald and Fredrik E. Nilsen
#13
Similar but different. I made a seasonal adjustment to my bridge, lowered the height a bit, then I noticed it didn't sound or feel the same, tighter, less resonant. I finally figured out the bridge was slightly off center, moving back into center brought back everything I felt was missing. Similar experience when the bridge tips a little from string tension
 
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Reactions: Povl Carstensen
#20
I went really wide string spacing, 30mm, a while ago for ease of bowing fat plain gut strings. It took some time to get comfortable for the right hand with it when playing pizz, as the E and G are closer to the edges of the fingerboard, but hasn`t been an issue since.
 

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