ShergoldSnickers Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I've booked my 5-stringer DB in for some work, namely: Quality adjustable bridge Carbon composite tailpiece Fingerboard reshaping or replacement if reshaping would thin it out too much. The adjustable bridge is to allow me to experiment with the action, and get a good balance between ease of playing and sound. The tailpiece already fitted is a bit of a heavyweight apparently, and the bass would benefit from a lightweight one. So I'm told anyway, and I've no reason to question this. The fingerboard is set up for someone very much into arco, and I could do with the profile flattening off a little. As usual, I'm off to the Beverly Music Centre and leaving Matilda under the craftsmanship of Peter Hall. Full report on completion, and barring any financial emergencies prior to dropping her off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 An adjustable bridge is a good idea. The set up of the fingerboard needs to take account of the big vibration path of the low B and quite often the fingerboard is asymmetrical and thinner on that side than on the G string side - the bridge will help and stop buzzing. All the best with it and look forward to some photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I had a carbon fibre tail piece added to my bass and it made a big difference. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShergoldSnickers Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 [quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1389309124' post='2332822'] I had a carbon fibre tail piece added to my bass and it made a big difference. Steve [/quote] Hi Steve — Peter said it would make a real difference, so I'm happy to go along with that. As ubassman says, the fingerboard is profiled to allow for the larger amplitude of the low B, and has a flatter section under the B, that has been planed away from the radius to allow this extra room. It's this radius before the flattened section that is a bit too rounded, and it's a question of whether there is enough meat there to ease it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Wondering if it was a standard fingerboard from a supplier but with a Romberg bevel that may have been made to the dimensions for a four string instrument - it would give you a nasty hump between 4th and 5th strings ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShergoldSnickers Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 It might all be academic as I've just had the motor back from the MoT. Needs a bit of work. . Counting the pennies now. I think the fingerboard is original to the build, and it was intended as a 5 string from the outset. There is just too much of an acute radius on the G to E part really. The B fits in well with this if that's the radius you want. It needs to be a little flatter for me. I think this DB has been used orchestrally rather than for jazz or anything else non-classical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 It all sounds like work worth doing, but I'm sorry to hear the dreaded MOT has scuppered things. Fingers crossed you will get them done soon as I think a good set up can transform an instrument and how much you enjoy playing it. My bass is pretty basic, but it has been completely rebuilt since I bought it, including a neck graft and after years of tweaking by Martyn Bailey the set up is superb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jezyorkshire Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Just dropped my westbury of at Peters for just the same work doing lol, plus full circle fitting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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