Double Bass Why was this done?

[KSB - Ken Smith]

When the top is removed from the instrument the ribs are free to bend a little and the neck can move back and forth some. Is it possible to change the neck angle to gain a higher or lower bridge once the top is off and, if so, to what extent?

Unless you are making a new Top to fit the new Rib positions I would say for one reason NO. Second, it will be adding tension to the Back and Rib/block assembly over time. You just can't twist a Bass into a new position to raise the Bridge.

 

[Aerdna]

It makes sense. I think I actually read something about this being possible, maybe it was Traeger's book.

 

[Matthew Tucker]

If you move the neck enough to make a decent change in bridge height, the twisting of the ribs will mean that the edges of the ribs are no longer flat. So when you go to glue the top back on, either the neck will just pull back where it started, or the top will end up glued to a twisted rib assembly. Some movement is usually inevitable, but often its enough of a task to keep the fingerboard straight, let alone introduce more twist!

 

[Bob Branstetter]

There is no question that you can make the neck move while installing the top, but I agree with Matthew that raising the fingerboard height by this method is not a good idea.

On a similar similar subject, I stopped counting the number of basses that I have had to remove the top just to reset an off- center fingerboard caused by someone not being careful when reinstalling the top. It's a good practice to always do a "dry run" with your clamps before you actually glue the top back on. If you carefully measure the fingerboard height and position before you remove the top, it's a lot easier to get the bass back together without introducing new stresses into the corpus.

 

[foilracer]

The shim and neck reset info here has been very good and informative. These "old" posts somehow "end"... but I sure am glad to be able to review & and revive them.

My question here...has/does anyone know of a thread that addresses the idea of....."from a distance" (non amplified)...or

what does the "adjustment" do to the acoustic sound of the bass at the "back of the hall"?

Do we too often want the "sound in our ears" rather than the sound for "who" might hear us?...are we considering the acoustic sound at 20' - 100' ? or, is the "from a distance" sound just the "amalgamation" of us..the bass guy?

-foilracer