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Double Bass vibration on the A string
- Thread starter 1dreday
- Start date
Those sympathetic vibrations can drive you crazy!
Until someone with actual knowledge chimes in, I’d say try the old tennis ball or towel behind the tailpiece. Make sure the end pin is tightened. Shorten or lengthen it a notch. It can be awkward to play and get hands on it at the same time. Have someone else play it while you push on it. Might be just something loose or maybe a seam. Good luck to you!
Until someone with actual knowledge chimes in, I’d say try the old tennis ball or towel behind the tailpiece. Make sure the end pin is tightened. Shorten or lengthen it a notch. It can be awkward to play and get hands on it at the same time. Have someone else play it while you push on it. Might be just something loose or maybe a seam. Good luck to you!
If it's a "Fender" style head stock the A string angle at the nut can sometimes cause those type issues.
Edit: The E has a sharper angle than the A, and the D & G strings have a string guide of some kind to hold them at a sharper angle. The A string is on it's own with that design.
2nd Edit: This usually does not apply to a double bass...
Edit: The E has a sharper angle than the A, and the D & G strings have a string guide of some kind to hold them at a sharper angle. The A string is on it's own with that design.
2nd Edit: This usually does not apply to a double bass...
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Fender style headstocks are not very common on double basses.
Fender style headstocks are not very common on double basses.
That would be an important detail if I looked at the thread more closely, whoops
The after length and tail piece on a bass I used to play would resonate at a low frequency and cause problems. I rolled and towel a placed it under the tail piece.
Could be a loose bass bar with a sympathetic vibration on the open A...
my two bits
my two bits
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
That could be a million things. I'd start with the endpin. Take it out, set the collar on the floor, then play the open A. If it isn't that, from there have a helper grab things while you play, from the tail wire up to the pegbox. Touching the top doesn't necessarily mean the vibration is there; it could, but it could also mean that by muting the top with your finger, you are dampening the vibration enough to not let it start wherever it is coming from. Good luck, and let us know when you find it!
It means that it is likely that the end pin is probably the source of your vibration. It’s not uncommon in inexpensive basses for the unused part to vibrate inside the bass. It could be that a new pin or new collar is needed, or there may be a more inexpensive MacGyver fix that can be done.
@james condino @Steven Ayres @KUNGfuSHERIFF whatsay?
@james condino @Steven Ayres @KUNGfuSHERIFF whatsay?
Sometimes shortening the endpin (and changing the resonant frequency) will cause the sympathetic vibration to disappear. Simply cut off the part that is extending (unused) into the body of the bass. It is essentially acting like a string and is likely vibrating sympathetically with the A string.
If the endpin is loose in the collar, try wrapping 1/2 of the diameter in Duct Tape to slightly increase the diameter and ensure a tighter fit in the collar assembly (before tightening the screw.)
Thanks.
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If you push down on the top near the bridge / soundpost area does it go away? If so, it is a seasonal soundpost vibration.
I have the same thing on one of my carved basses, so I just play the octave above for three months. When summer hits, I've played that note so much I don't want to hear it all winter...
I have the same thing on one of my carved basses, so I just play the octave above for three months. When summer hits, I've played that note so much I don't want to hear it all winter...
My Thompson did that. I cut about eight inches off the peg and it's been sweet and dandy since. I left enough peg that I could raise it 4 or 5 inches above where I use it now, just in case I get a lot taller in my sixties.
I nearly fell for it until the word 'endpin' popped out at me.
In my experience it’s usually because the part inside the bass vibrates like a tuning fork at the right frequency. From my understanding it can happen with any metal endpin. I dealt with this on my bass and my solution was to chop a lot off with a hacksaw since I only ever use the bottom few notches.
This thread is what I've been looking for! I have a carbon fiber end pin on a Czech Flatback that has been vibrating on "A" and to a lesser extent "D". I had previously taken the end pin out and noticed no vibrations while playing, so I suspected the end pin vibrating inside the body. It's a little unnerving to think that a brace is vibrating, so I'm going to cut some of the end pin. There's enough end pin inside the bass to accommodate someone about 7'2" tall.
