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Double Bass Upright fingerboard measurements?
- Thread starter lexluthier72
- Start date
Since neither Bob or Kenny are around to defend themselves, here I am.
I'm sorry they took the time, energy and concern to enlighten. Sorry for you, not them.
No, you don't get it.
I have carved three DB/EUB finger boards by hand so far, it isn't that hard to do compound radius DB FB with a good sharp hand plain in about two -three hours.
I made a thread about it a year or two ago in the EUB forum , it is also on MIMF.
Aaron N
I made a thread about it a year or two ago in the EUB forum , it is also on MIMF.
Aaron N
Nice Forum guys!
This thread has caught my newbie attention. I am not a Luthier but I want to build a new Ampeg Baby Bass neck. I snapped the original back in 1991 during a gig, (oops....I dropped it
).
I had it repaired by the 'Bass Shop' in NYC. They saved the actual neck but replaced the fretboard with an ebony 3/4 upright.
Now it's lightly 'bowed up' at the bottem end of the fretboard causing annoying buzz on third position. Bringing up the action solves the problem some but my speed suffers, (my hands are small so I've always had the action low).
I've got an excellant piece of 1/4-sawn Tiger Maple board and a perfect piece of Gabon Ebony. It seems like the pro's here discourage the making of one's own fretboard. But in my case, I already have one that I can transfer measurements from.
I am a novice woodworker and I have my own basic power tools that I use mostly to make cabinets and small projects at home. It does'nt look that hard to make one, but looking from the outside in one always sees things easy.
I'll use this sites ideas as a guide:
http://xstrange.com/bbneck.html
Any pointers from you guys really can help....Thanks!
This thread has caught my newbie attention. I am not a Luthier but I want to build a new Ampeg Baby Bass neck. I snapped the original back in 1991 during a gig, (oops....I dropped it
).I had it repaired by the 'Bass Shop' in NYC. They saved the actual neck but replaced the fretboard with an ebony 3/4 upright.
Now it's lightly 'bowed up' at the bottem end of the fretboard causing annoying buzz on third position. Bringing up the action solves the problem some but my speed suffers, (my hands are small so I've always had the action low).
I've got an excellant piece of 1/4-sawn Tiger Maple board and a perfect piece of Gabon Ebony. It seems like the pro's here discourage the making of one's own fretboard. But in my case, I already have one that I can transfer measurements from.
I am a novice woodworker and I have my own basic power tools that I use mostly to make cabinets and small projects at home. It does'nt look that hard to make one, but looking from the outside in one always sees things easy.
I'll use this sites ideas as a guide:
http://xstrange.com/bbneck.html
Any pointers from you guys really can help....Thanks!
If you join the Musical Instrument Makers Forum and then go to the MIMForum Library of Archived Discussions/ Other Bowed Instruments third from the bottom is my essay on caring a DB fingerboard.
I looked at my old post in the EUB forum and the links to my pictures are lost and the post is too old to edit it to fix.
I don't know if it will help you or not but there it is.
Aaron N
I looked at my old post in the EUB forum and the links to my pictures are lost and the post is too old to edit it to fix.
I don't know if it will help you or not but there it is.
Aaron N
Traditionally Hot hide glues is used, this takes some practice to get the hang of. But the big plus is if you screw up it is rather easy to remove and start over again.
I like Tight-bond 1 for most things other than glueing stuff to a actual double bass, and guitar braces.
Poly style glues like Guerilla glue are cool but you need a perfect joint [well really you always need this] and it makes one hell of a mess.
Epoxy takes a lot of practice for a supper tight joint, but it does the job.
Just my 2 cents
Aaron N
I like Tight-bond 1 for most things other than glueing stuff to a actual double bass, and guitar braces.
Poly style glues like Guerilla glue are cool but you need a perfect joint [well really you always need this] and it makes one hell of a mess.
Epoxy takes a lot of practice for a supper tight joint, but it does the job.
Just my 2 cents
Aaron N
Well its just for the ebony to maple neck gluing. Has anybody ever tried the Tite Bond Liquid Hyde Glue?
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
If my memory serves me well, I remember that the original fretboard came off rather easily according to the luthier. He believed Ampeg may have used a Hyde glue or something with similar properties.
Anyway is that the advantage? Easier repairs?
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
If my memory serves me well, I remember that the original fretboard came off rather easily according to the luthier. He believed Ampeg may have used a Hyde glue or something with similar properties.
Anyway is that the advantage? Easier repairs?
I don't know of one luthier that uses the pre-bottled stuff.
As for the advantages ask Bob Branstetter and Ken Smith, they know FAR more on the subject than I.
As for the advantages ask Bob Branstetter and Ken Smith, they know FAR more on the subject than I.
Liquid hide glue contains urea, which will break down the bond in hide glue over time. if you want to use have hide glue you need to saturate it and heat it your self, no shortcuts.
The E bevel is kind of a "throw-back" to the days when big-ass gut strings were used - to give the E string more room to vibrate. That said, I play mostly slap rockabilly and have used huge plain gut E strings, my fingerboard does not have the bevel and it still worked just fine. Not sure how necessary they really are.
Most modern basses just use a rounded board with no bevel.
Most modern basses just use a rounded board with no bevel.
Hi Lex. I know you posted that 13 years ago, but I'm trying to find out what the relief should be on an upright bass neck. I am a luthier and have been given an electric upright bass which seems to have a massive relief on on it so that the strings in the middle have an uncomfortably high action. As this instrument does not have a truss rod (as with all acoustic uprights) the relief was originally carved out. It is possible to tilt the neck but this still leaves a large discrepancy in action from nut to middle and from middle to body end.
When looking down the neck of conventional double basses i have never seen as much relief as there is on this Azola.
I look forward to your or anyones help.
Thank you,
Jonathan
Attachments
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
Jonathan,
That does look like the relief is a bit strong. As a general rule, I put the maximum relief directly between the nut and bridge and try to get a consistent curve along the length. How much is too much? That’s all personal preference, but maybe the diameter of the string. As you probably know, flatter=mwah..
Is the joint straight?
That does look like the relief is a bit strong. As a general rule, I put the maximum relief directly between the nut and bridge and try to get a consistent curve along the length. How much is too much? That’s all personal preference, but maybe the diameter of the string. As you probably know, flatter=mwah..
Is the joint straight?
RCWilliams
Commercial User
- Apr 23, 2007
- 299
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- owner RC Williams Co. LLC
