Double Bass Where's yer action at?

[Robin Ruscio]

I had the same question - how do you get a sound from your bass? (not saying that condescendingly ) I'm assuming you use fingertips like EB??

I kept fogetting to mention i use helicore hybrids mediums, and i've got the string height at the higher 4 mm G, 7 mm E. I'm just experimenting with the lower action right now, the last year it or so it was 5- 9.5 (still not high). I use a regular sort right hand technique most of the time. I've got my board planned perfectly (Robertson's violins did it), i think that helps to allow for lower action- err string height. i can play virtually off the end of my board pizz without losing any notes, and the bass sounds good- actually it sounds amazing, perhaps not quite as much volume but I'm one of those people who actually loves his sound>

I took a guitar setup class last fall and the teacher basically taught me how to get my action ridiculously low on my slabs- what i find amazing is that after your touch gets aclimated to that, you produce as good a sound as higher action. I know that the double bass being acoustic is different but i just don't think that cranking the action is really going to result in that much better of a sound- i've certainly had my strings much higher for much of my life, and i can't say i really miss it. It certainly depends on what your going for as well- i'm going for a really clear, more contemporary steel string thing (think dave holland), not a dark traditional bop gut sound (PC). I was hoping some of out luth's here might be able to enlighten as to their opinions on what some basic sort of specs are.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

You can find older discussions of this and related topics here, here, here, and here.

 

[Ike Harris]

I am thinking about checking out Corellis, so the action will likely go down a bit. On the Christopher I am playing right now, I am not getting the definition or clarity I want with the Obligatos.

I think the next set will be Weichs on this bass(Kolstein Panormo). Barrie recommended them before he came out with the Heritage set. The bass is almost 4years old now and has opened up nicely. The Oblis were getting too muddy sounding(of course were old, too) and I could never get them to respond quickly enough for the bow. I played in orchestra last night with the Arcos on and though they were still scratchy, responded quicker, to the point where I was coming in too soon on some entrances.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Plus, BOBIN ALONG be playing a damn Hawkes, which sounds louder than Niagara with NO STRINGS fer cripes criminey...

 

[John Goldsby]

I keep my string height at about 9 mm on the G and 11 mm on the E. Sometimes I'll move the action up to about 10 and 12, if I'm playing a gig that calls for a more traditional sound. I'm usually using Thomastik Weich gauge. At that height (9 and 11) I can still play a melody with the bow on the G string - dig in with the bow - and not have (too much) buzz. My fingerboard's almost flat - planed more like a cello, so the thumb position is still playable. I know that Dave Holland has a similar string height as does Eddie Gomez. I think Ray Brown could play anything at any string height. In his later years, the strings were a little lower -- about 7 and 9.

I think the resistance of the strings plays a big part in the creation of a time feeling. If the strings are too low, you lose a physical movement that creates the time, i.e. the groove. The motion creates the sound. It's like the difference between playing a piano and an unweighted synth keyboard.

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Plus, BOBIN ALONG be playing a damn Hawkes, which sounds louder than Niagara with NO STRINGS fer cripes criminey...

Which i wanted to mention is not the Panormo copy, it's the slighty smaller and more manageable "Concert bass". Not so much loud but very deep.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Isn't the Concert kind of a Fendt copy?

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Isn't the Concert kind of a Fendt copy?

I don't know. what's a Fendt all about? i'm not familiar with that make. Know where i could learn more?

 

[AMJBASS]

Talk to Barrie Kolstein. If anyone knows anything about your bass, he would...

I wish I still had my Hawkes! I couldn't afford to keep it. I just picked up a Prescott Church bass for cheap, but in order to make it a playable BASS(piccolo bass anyway), it is going to take a long time and a lot of money!

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Simon Fendt, don't know from where originally but ended up making instruments in Perfidious Albion. Look here.

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Yes! that bass is virtually indistinguishable from mine, i can't see any signifigant differences. Interesting!

 

[Pete G]

I've played that bass. It's amazing.

 

[Adrian Cho]

My G is about 7 mm and my E is 9 mm. I'm playing on Chorda G (unwound gut), Oliv D and Eudoxa A (wound gut), and Superflexible E. My action is pretty low compared to what I used to have it at on a previous bass but I can get so much more sound of this bass with so much less effort because the bass is simply a much better instrument. I also think the setup on this bass is a lot better than I had on the previous one.

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Ok, after my first set last friday night with my super low action i cranked the bridge back up to 5-7 . Much better, still low . may go up another mm yet.

 

[Alexi David]

Ok, after my first set last friday night with my super low action i cranked the bridge back up to 5-7 . Much better, still low . may go up another mm yet.

We're with you Robin! Mine went up too, yesterday, G is at 10mm

 

[Bijoux]

Robin,
why is your actiuon so low anyway?
I played your bass when you first got it, and it seemed OK, had a nice sound, projected well, and you could sort of hook the G string with your finger. I thought your sound was great, I walked in at Sambuca, you were using a combination of mic and pick up, if I am not mistaken you had a mic on a stand in front of the bass. I thought it was a great sound, I actually thought, "there goes Robin with all that fancy stuff, and now I have some catching up to do!"

 

[Robin Ruscio]

Robin,
why is your actiuon so low anyway?
I played your bass when you first got it, and it seemed OK, had a nice sound, projected well, and you could sort of hook the G string with your finger. I thought your sound was great, I walked in at Sambuca, you were using a combination of mic and pick up, if I am not mistaken you had a mic on a stand in front of the bass. I thought it was a great sound, I actually thought, "there goes Robin with all that fancy stuff, and now I have some catching up to do!"

Wait, I always thought you had lower action then me- where's yours at these days? I only used the mic on the stand into the house PA before i got the K&K, BTW.

 

[Bijoux]

I had the tendonitis going on, but before that and also now that I can address my heath problem, my action is to where I can play a gig with piano and drums without an amp, I don't bother measuring, but I can almost put my index finger under the G string. I always liked that kind of vibe, for a while I just couldn't do it, because my wrist was always inflamed, and playing 7 nights a week like that was pretty hard.

 

[5stringDNA]

man... I keep running into more Denver TB folks. What are some common venues for you Robin?

Pardon a terribly ignorant question from a complete newbie, but what is considered a "normal" or average string height? Is it measured at the octave or end of the fingerboard?

 

[AMJBASS]

Messured at the end of the fingerboard. There isn't really any "normal" string height. You set it at what ever is comfortable for you to play without sacrificing sound. I like the old Ray Brown standby. If you can stick your finger under the string, you've got it right!