Double Bass Velvet tailpiece cord - problems

[SeayBass]

hey. 2 things-
1. I retied the tailpiece cord after it stretched and got my sound back. After shortening the cable post-stretch, I concluded that most of my frustrations were a result of the tailpiece cable stretching, reducing the space between tailpiece and bridge.
--and incidentally, I used a double fisherman's knot to see if that will help prevent slippage. The knot they recommend is a single, and I was always nervous about that.

It's been a few months and I can testify that stretching/slippage has ceased. Sometimes the strings go flat after a while, but that's not any different than if I were using the old steel tailpiece cable, which I used for years on a few basses.
I can't say with certainty that it's because I tied a double knot or if it just settled, but I believe that both are factors and if I install one again, I will use the double fisherman's knot.

cheers.

 

[musicmaxbezanso]

I'm no expert, never having retied a tailpiece myself, but it seems to me that if it's going to stretch for a period and, perhaps, need to be retied, a single fisherman's knot would be the way to go first, and the double would be good once it's settled. The double can become so tight as to be completely immovable, which would mean that once the cord stretches, you could find yourself stuck with it at that less desirable tension. Just a thought.

 

[61pollmann]

I put a Pecanic walnut tailpiece on my Pollmann about six years ago. I also got one of his cords(the stronger one). The Carrick Knot is the way to go. The cord will only stretch a little, but it takes time for the knot to stabilize. Your hands cannot tie it as tightly as the tension of the strings will do. This principle also applies to changing strings. The strings are quite stabile, but it takes some time for the windings on the tuner shafts to tighten up.

 

[VegasGutPlucker]

to revive an old thread:

I've had the Velvet cord on my bass since I tied it on in 2007. I loved what it did for my bass: warmth, bass, wide tone, etc. Before it was those deplorable plastic tailguts standard issue from China.
I recently took the opportunity to audition a lighter tailpiece (by about 85g) and SS cable, when I had everything apart for a seam closing.
There are now bell like harmonics in the long tones, and most importantly in the attack of the pizz that weren't as pronounced before. There's an ocean of variables at play here: closed upper shoulder back seam, reset soundpost, lighter tailpiece, and airplane wire gut. It's hard to know which of these is mostly to blame, but my bass has never "spoken" with this much authority before. It's not fighting itself, or wolfing out on certain notes. It's also a lot quieter everywhere around the bass except in the front, where it *projects*.
I don't know that I'll be able to untie the Carrick bend I put on the Velvet gut, so until I get a new piece I'm sticking with the thin SS cable.