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Double Bass What kind of endpin tip do I need?

I‘m not sure if a SuperEndpin or Wolf endpin or how it is called also would fit on the short thinner spike of the endpin of the OP, but for those who have used or use that rubber ball endpin, which is great and only slips on very polished surfaces, here is what I did when the ball got a hole below the steel insert (just because the rubber ball alone is not available).

My first ball got a hole as für some time, because I left the ball mounted all the time and that rubbed off the soft rubber when putting the heavy bass down in the streets. (This was before I made my Bass Buggie clone.)
So my original idea was to find a different tip mounted on the first steel mount and a second ball endpin, using the first for transport and maybe also when playing and the ball for critical surfaces (with a fallback to a Xeros stool held platform in the absolutely worst cases).
But these rubber tips work really great. Not as good as the ball, but not far from that, so I use that assembly now (almost) all the time.

I bought a set of two bass rubber tips (without any steel disk inside) that had an inner diameter of about 9.5 mm (the original ball has about 10 mm). They look similar, but a bit like larger and thicker than cello rubber tips. (See the photos below.)
I ordered the first ones via Amazon or EBay and later the same from AliExpress.
I think a set two for about 3€.

The hole in the rubber tip is cylindrical, so the steel mount of the ball fits well, holds tight (a bit too tight to easily get it off again) and there is no spike (that‘s inside the other end of the steel mount) that cuts through.

But the rubber tip is a bit too short, so I added two rubber rings (cut out of a rest of a rubber mat) to fill the gap so that the weight/pressure also goes to the upper part of the tip.
I could have cut the top of the other tip for that, but that would ruin the second one for later use (unless I cut the first tip too when it becomes unusable and use both rings then).
Have a look at the pictures.
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Can anyone explain to me why they even still make end pins with that sharp spike? Does anyone ever jam it into a floor?
They work well on a wooden stage (even enhance the conduction of vibration) but I've also been in situations in restaurants where the rubber ball is no match for a greasy floor (usually on some type of artificial flooring) and my bass starts slipping, so out comes the spike.
 
They work well on a wooden stage (even enhance the conduction of vibration) but I've also been in situations in restaurants where the rubber ball is no match for a greasy floor (usually on some type of artificial flooring) and my bass starts slipping, so out comes the spike.
Don’t the proprietors of the venues complain about the damage to the floor caused by the spike?
 
Don’t the proprietors of the venues complain about the damage to the floor caused by the spike?
No doubt it can leave a little hole. My teaching studio at University has a tile floor with 8 or so very popular holes at the intersections of various tiles where basses or Cellos stab the floor and the recital hall floor also has holes where the low strings spend there time. But most people are using rubber tips or rock stops to be kind to the floor. Usually the spike is the secondary or emergency option when rock stop is forgotten or the rubber tip has been lost or worn through.
 
An angle grinder and a $3 disc will take care of that pointy spike immediately! The commercial rubber tips work great, but you can also go into any CVS in the nation and find a rack of crutch tops that work well for a few dollars.

For years I used a big rubber foot off a mannequin on the end of the endpin. It made a lot of people very uncomfortable, so I eventually stopped for regular use, but still bring it out on Halloween. :woot:
 
I have a Chinese bass with a similar 1/2" graphite endpin. The collar on mine next to the pointy section is actually 3/4" diameter so I bought a cane tip that's meant for a 3/4" cane and it slipped right on to my pin as if it was made for that purpose. It even has the metal built in which should protect the point from breaking through the rubber. I did leave my worn out small rubber tip over the point before I put the cane tip over, which I think makes the fit a llittle snugger. The little rubber one worked fine for about 15 minutes but the point was just too much for it.
I hope this helps anyone else who might have this apparently oddball size of endpin on a Chinese bass. The endpin itself works just fine so I was happy to find a $5 solution so I can leave the trickier stuff to the luthier instead of wasting a bunch of money on a new endpin and having to take the bridge down etc etc just to rectify the pointy end problem. BTW the cane tip was off the shelf at Walmart.
 

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Yup! Cane tips are an excellent sharp endpin solution. Speaking from experience, they also work pretty well on canes.

Regarding the metal washer inside the cane tips, there are canes that have a sharp ice-pick point that when needed extends through the rubber cane tip for icy winter situations. The hole in the metal washer accommodates that sharp point.
 
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