Taking all strings off and keeping sound post in place

[ikay]

Is there a trick of the trade to stopping the sound post from falling over when all the strings have been removed and there is no downward pressure from the bridge? I have an old DB which needs a bit of work on the nut and the bridge. Realise this is really a job for a luthier but it's a fairly straightforward adjustment and I'd like to have a go myself first. Trouble is I need to take all the strings off and I can't work out how to keep the sound post in place. There must surely be some way to do this? Any advice gratefully received! Thanks

[icastle]

I use strips of carefully placed masking tape to mark the edges of where they sit.

When you're done, just realign the sound post to the tape.

[ikay]

Thanks icastle. Repositioning a sound post looks horribly tricky though and needs a bunch of weird Victorian dentists tools like the pic below. Ideally I'd like to prevent it falling over in the first place if such a thing is possible?

[paddy109]

I've changed my strings more times than I care to remember (costing me ££££) and never had a problem with the soundpost moving. I always put the bass on its back on the kitchen table which is a great height. Perhaps I've just been lucky but it works for me.

[Rabbie]

Before you do anything, mark the current position of the soundpost (providing that is the sound you like). To do this, tape a pencil to a long object (like a wooden spoon!?*#!!), go in through the F hole and trace a light pencil mark around the base of the soundpost. Why? So if all fails ant the post falls over, you know where to put it back in.
As for removing all strings at ones, keep some pressure on top of the bass: I like to make a little pile of books roughly same height as the bridge and tighten a couple of the strings on top, so the minimum of pressure prevents the post from falling. As already suggested, you need to keep the bass on its back.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Rabbie

[ikay]

Ah, thanks Rabbie, that's very helpful, will try that.

[Marc S]

Sounds like good advice from Rabbie - ta for that
Good luck ikay - hope it goes well, let us know how you get on

[BassBod]

Keep the bass on its back and put some weight over the soundpost area, usually works but it all depends how tight a fit it is..and the weather..

[Martin Penning]

The best way to prevent the soundpost from coming down when changing strings is to change them one at a time. This will keep the tension on the front. Keep checking that the back of the bridge is at right angles to the front and the feet still fit and are not getting any gaps. It`s best if you can do it on a bench or table. Good luck!

[mtroun]

[quote name='Martin Penning' timestamp='1428474357' post='2741523']
The best way to prevent the soundpost from coming down when changing strings is to change them one at a time. This will keep the tension on the front. Keep checking that the back of the bridge is at right angles to the front and the feet still fit and are not getting any gaps. It`s best if you can do it on a bench or table. Good luck!
[/quote]
This.
The man's a genius at bass setup and repair.

[ikay]

Thanks again for feedback. And yes I understand about changing strings one at a time, but in this case I also want to take the bridge off to do some work on it.

[ikay]

For anyone who's interested, after a bit of head scratching and a few false starts, I used a tensioning strap (this one - [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolfcraft-B3418-Ratchet-Strap-Tensioner/dp/B0001P19IG"]http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B0001P19IG[/url]) which worked a treat. Very handy little gizmo.

[Rabbie]

Well done for thinking out the box and thanks for sharing.