Double Bass Wolftone Elimination Procedure?

[fred pratt]

I took my bass to David Gage. He said, in effect, that what was going on with my B flat was a textbook example of a wolf tone. When he bowed the B flat, which I had never done, the bow appeared to literally jump off the string.

He planed and sanded the fingerboard and moved the soundpost slightly. The playability has improved but the wolf tone is still there, and lesser wolfs have become evident to me on the G-string B flat and various F's.

The bowed pitch variation doesn't really bother me since I don't really do any bowing. But those dead spots when playing pizzicato really get to me. Even though others have told me it's hardly noticeable, it's really noticeable to me, and I do tend to play F's and B flat's once in a while.

So what's the appropriate aphorism? "C'est la vie"? "A wolf is a wolf is a wolf"?

 

[Bijoux]

I would suggest that instead of playing F you start playing F#

 

[fred pratt]

A half tone substitution.

 

[Bijoux]

Sure!!!
In fact it's alot more than a substitution. I would like to call it "Total tone replacement advanced technique"!

 

[fred pratt]

Alas, I often do play an F# instead of an F. I call it the inadvertent half-tone substitution.

 

[Bijoux]

Man, seriously now. If your Bb anf your F are not happening, you are screwed!
If you play Jazz, most tunes are in F, Bb and Eb, and if you don't have two of those, that is gonna suck.
I used to have a bass that had an awful wolf tone between F and Ab, it would change depending on my set up,(tailpiece distance,etc.) anyway it used to be very hard to play amplified, because the amplifier would pick on that and it would be hell.
Sorry you are having problems.
BTW I mentioned this before, I am using Velvet Anima Strings, they are supposed to have the same tension on all four strings. they say that it helps on eliminating wolftones. Well, it could be my bass too, but I don't have any problems with it.
Whatever you do. Good luck.

 

[fred pratt]

I've tried a few things. I tried a couple different sets of strings, Corellis, Helicore pizzicatos, Garbos, and Helicore hybrids. I found that even though the strings sound different (I like both the Helicores) the bass itself still sounds essentially the same. I tried the "Gummi-Tonfilter" that used to come with Spirocore strings, whose package promises, both in German and in English, that "all clashing sound and other possible disturbances of vibration are eliminated on the very place of origin." I tried one of the aforementioned wolftone eliminators, this one a Wolf-Be-Gone. It changed things a bit, but overall I liked the bass better without it. I considered putting on a tailpiece made by Mike Pecanic, but I bought a new bass and never got around to it.

I still play the bass. Nowadays, when I think about it I can still tell that there's a wolf on the B flat, but usually I don't even notice it or think about it. Whether it's actually gotten any better I don't know, but it doesn't really bother me anymore. Maybe my focus has changed.

 

[Anon2962]

I am using velvet compas 180s (the best strings EVER), which have a kind of 'shoelace' material at both ends. I am having slight trouble with a wolfy open G. It's not really bad, only when I playt long loud open Gs, which is not something that I'd normally do when playing anyway, but it is annoying nonetheless when practicing open strings. Has anyone used a wolf note eliminator on these strings? is that even possible?

 

[dfp]

stuffing a rag into the afterlengths of the strings, making sure it dampens each string's afterlength, got rid of my wolfy Bb (only a problem while bowing). it probably did also dampen the overall richness of the sound, but with a fine bass and brilliant strings, one can afford the trade. better to not have warbly Bb's, if you wanna play for money, IMO.

good luck!

 

[cole-emma]

Is this a wolf?

When I play "E" on the "D" string, and to a lesser degree, "B" on the "G" string, the bass goes crazy, the "E" string visibly vibrates and rings. Very disturbing. Both arco and pizz, acoustically and amped. Once the "E" string rings, it doesn't stop. I've tried different strings, adjusted sound post, moved the bridge, tried weighted wolf eliminators . . . no help. I always just thought of it as a sympathetic vibration, but maybe it is what you call a WOLF.

Any suggestions to taming this particular wolf, if it is one, since an open string is involved? Any opinions to what string I should put the eliminator on since an open string is involved. I've read the previous posts and may need to go back to my luthier.
Thanks

 

[bassman1489]

Is this a wolf?

When I play "E" on the "D" string, and to a lesser degree, "B" on the "G" string, the bass goes crazy, the "E" string visibly vibrates and rings. Very disturbing. Both arco and pizz, acoustically and amped. Once the "E" string rings, it doesn't stop. I've tried different strings, adjusted sound post, moved the bridge, tried weighted wolf eliminators . . . no help. I always just thought of it as a sympathetic vibration, but maybe it is what you call a WOLF.

Any suggestions to taming this particular wolf, if it is one, since an open string is involved? Any opinions to what string I should put the eliminator on since an open string is involved. I've read the previous posts and may need to go back to my luthier.
Thanks

what you are describing does not sound like a wolf. playing the same pitch an octave (or a 5th) higher than an open string causes the string to vibrate. in a way, this is good, because it means you are in tune with your open E string! it also helps to project those notes. it's absolutely nothing to worry about.

 

[cole-emma]

Well . . . actually it is something to worry about. It is unusually loud and disruptive. The whole bass rings the when the "E" is played unlike other basses I have played. This is a change that has occured over the last year. Perhaps a sympathetic ring and a wolf all in one?

 

[Don Higdon]

What is happening is not what is meant by a 'wolf'.
I believe it is a setup problem, but I'm no substitute for a luthier.

 

[Bob Branstetter]

In his book on Vibration DeDamping, Professor Gerhard A. v. Reumont describes an interesting method for locating the areas of high vibration amplitudes that occur during a "wolf" and placing weights to eliminate (or at worst case greatly reduce) the wolf. The method calls for a mechanical device attached to the bridge to vibrate at the exact frequency where the wolf occurs. Once that is done, he sets a stroboscope 3 to 5 Hz off from that frequency. By doing this, the high amplitude vibrations are made visible to the naked eye. Although the "source" will most likely be located on the top, he says that it is sometimes possible to eliminate the wolf by placing weight inside the peg-box, the tailpiece and other places depending on the amplitude. However, the optimum location is at the area on the top where the wolf node is located. Prof. Reumont has a developed a method to attach a weight to the inside of the top once the location has been determined on the outside.

I have not as yet tried this method, but since I already have all the equipment needed, I am anxious to try it.

 

[cole-emma]

Thanks Don. I thought it was probably a set-up problem as well, but all this reading about wolfs made me wonder. Probably a soundpost/bridge adjustment is in order.

 

[mrpc]

Almost every good bass has a wolf. Often, it is worsened by adjusting the post too far from the bridge in an attempt to coax more bottom from the bass.

 

[jack62]

I have the issue of a bad wolf on my octave harmonic A. It has made my working on the Bach suites less than enjoyable. Any suggestions? Currently I play on a 2012 bjorn Stohl with Permanent Strings (Just trying theses out).

 

[Eric Hochberg]

I have the issue of a bad wolf on my octave harmonic A. It has made my working on the Bach suites less than enjoyable. Any suggestions?

When I changed to a Marvin wire tailpiece, the wolf went from Ab to A. See what happens if you attach weights to your tailpiece.

 

[Ricardo basso]

I have a huge wolf tone Bb to B on the D string which I eliminated but has appeared on the C# on the G string instead. This is worse. Now what do I do.
My eliminator is a brass sleeve that slips over the string.

 

[Reiska]

I feel that wolf eliminators are no use but in context of a particular piece of music in a particular key played arco. Wolf notes around A is the nature of the beast. I have a strong wolf on A harmonic that kills the note when bowed,and has something to do with the qualities how A and D strings behave, pizz and arco. Drop D tuning kills the wolf completely if I let the low D ring with rest of what I play, 5ths tuning makes life easier but the wolf exists there. My luthier sports WOLF TERMINATORS, which is a device that is attached to the inside of the top plate. I`m considering getting one installed, it propably opens up the instrument, all the same that which tuning it`s in.

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