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Fitting a new Double bass bridge


ceilidhswinger
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if you have never done one dont do it get a luitier to do it or practise on a bridge that dosnt matter, get a sheet of sandpaper and tape it to the belly of the bass so grit faces up and work the bridge back and forth to get the feet of bridge the right shape very time consuming you can buy a tool of ebay that holds the bridge solid whilst you do it, or do it free hand the feet of the bridge have to be perfectly shaped to the belly of bass with no gaps, or the bridge will rock about and give a bad sound if your anywere near wigan i use a guitar repairer and he does them fitted to your string height for 50 pounds and he does them perfect, so even i dont do my own at that price he is called thompson guitars tel 01942 820532 if that helps

Edited by rockabillybob1
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There are step by step instructions on how to fit a new bridge in Chuck Traegar's book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Setup-Repair-Double-Optimum-Sound/dp/1892210061/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324326636&sr=8-1

As Bob points out, to do it properly is a fairly involved and skilled process. I did one recently and if I remember correctly, it took about four hours.

Jennifer

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm thinking of lowering the action on mine, kind of nervous about going too far though (it's a bridge I had fitted new last year when I was in Bristol, too far to go back just for an adjustment). I guess I can follow the existing profile and sand carefully down to match but that kind of fine adjustment is pushing my woodworking skills a little... has anyone on BC done this themselves?

ficelles

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Hi, yes,just done this.
Wasn`t too fussed about mucking it up,as it`s not a great bridge and is missing a wing.
At the very worst I was just going to get it to a luthier.
I used a bit of wood about a centimetre thick to rest on the fingerboard and marked where that was on the bridge as in pic below.

I marked the position of the string notches before I cut anything and followed the arc of the board round the bridge.

I knew there would still be a reasonable action due to the centimetre of wood,and I reckoned I could lower the action further by filing out the string notches if needed.
Once I was happy with the pencil line, I took my saw to it and cut just above the line.
I then made partial notches for the strings where marked, before sanding the new cut smooth with paper.
I then just used a cheap round file from ebay to deepen the string notches till they suited the strings.
I also used the same file to take a bit off at the nut end.
I have to say it was a great success for me, making an unpleasant and painful action into something I can actually play with some finesse and speed.
Give it a go, it`s worth it for the experience.
MM

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  • 3 years later...

I am going to attack my bridge with a needle file this weekend as my action seems to be about four times higher than anyone else in the world!!!! No double bass gigs in the book this side of Christmas so if it all goes pear-shaped, I have time to get an adjustable bridge fitted!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

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