gypsyjazzer Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 [b]Your advice most welcome.[/b] My EUB I suspect--though not sure---has a warped F/B. 2 photos are attached. A straight edge is placed on to F/B from the nut to the end of the F/B. A curve is seen--with no strings attached. With strings under tension I would suspect even more of a curve. Time to re-shoot the F/B? [attachment=207602:Pic. 1.JPG][attachment=207603:Pic. 2.JPG] Am I correct in thinking that with strings under tension there should be a[b] very slight[/b] curve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 You may find that the curvature remains unchanged even with strings on. This (obviously) depends on the strength of the neck and strings you use. Is it playable with a satisfactory action as it is? You may get lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsyjazzer Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Hi 3below Thanks for the reply. The EUB in question is a quality instrument--an Eminence. Being well versed with banjo's & guitars these instruments do not seem to have such curvature as the Eminence bass neck, they have neck relief (very slight curvature near the nut end of the neck which is different to a warped neck). The EUB has the deepest part of the curvature at the octave G on the G string. The strings I have used vary from steel to synthetic. On double bass I have a pretty high action so the curvature does not really bother me--but I wondered if the bass neck works on the same principle as banjo's and guitars--wondering if the bass does have a warped F/B. Just for the record should all string instrument fingerboards--guitars/banjo's/violin's/cello's etc.---work on the same principle of slight neck relief near the nut end?---or are they all different 'breeds' ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 How deep is the gap between the fingerboard and straight-edge at the deepest point? It might turn out to be within the normal range. Is there any buzzing around the middle of the fingerboard when the bridge is adjusted to your preferred height? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 I know nothing about EUB fingerboards but if it's got too much relief when strung up to tuning tension I'd expect buzzing (or rather 'sizzle' which is how I describe it with a fretless) up at the end of the fingerboard rather than in the middle or near the nut - at least that's how it works with bass guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornagainbass65 Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Don't know if this helps, but there is a Q & A on the gollihurmusic.com website that says... [b]My fingerboard isn't flat, it's curved - do I need to fix that?[/b][color=#7B3333][font=Verdana, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif][size=3] No. If you lay a yardstick lengthwise against the board you should see daylight in the middle. "Relief" is the term used for the concave curve that is purposely cut into the fingerboard, to allow strings to vibrate without hitting the fingerboard. Unlike most bass guitars and similar instruments that have adjustable truss rods, the relief is planed into an upright bass fingerboard. This is necessary to avoid getting buzzing from undesired string/fingerboard interaction in some positions, and it must be done carefully if you want very low action from your instrument[/size][/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I'm not familiar with your bass but my Stagg EUB has a truss rod, so can be adjusted just like a bass guitar if required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsyjazzer Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 Hi Guys Many thanks for your replies. The Eminence has no visible truss rod adjustment. There is no sign of buzz the entire length of the F/B. The distance at the deepest point of the curve--which is at the octave G on the G string--is just over 4mm with the strings under tension, measured from F/B to the bottom of the string. Is that the norm for an EUB? What is your curverature depth at the octave G? The reason for the question was I thought just over 4mm was a bit excessive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 From what I've read online, upright basses usually do have 'high' actions compared to bass guitars; that's why they can seem difficult to play for beginners. A 4mm action doesn't appear unreasonable to me (but again this comes from somebody who's never owned one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 (edited) [quote name='gypsyjazzer' timestamp='1450612326' post='2934251'] The reason for the question was I thought just over 4mm was a bit excessive. [/quote] Neck relief on a DB (fingerboard camber in DB terminology) varies depending on string type, playing style and personal preference but somewhere around 2.5mm would be a pretty typical amount of 'relief'. Your neck doesn't sound warped, it just has quite a lot of camber which might make some notes in the low/mid range harder to stop. I've recently spent a bit of time carefully planing some camber out of my fingerboard and it's now much easier to play. Disclaimer: My DB is a cheap old thing and fair game for a bit of 'home improvement'. DIY camber adjustments obviously not advisable on anything of value! Edited December 20, 2015 by ikay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Hmmm, is this 4mm we're talking about here the action or the relief? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 From the pic in the first post I think relief/camber, not action Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Could be worth sending Eminence an email, see what they say. No setup guide immediately obvious on Internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Looks fine to me. Double basses usually have the relief (clearance) carved into the fingerboard, not adjusted by a truss rod. The amount of relief, and the shape of the curve depends on the player and the choice of strings. Probably best to take it to a double bass luthier and let them check it out. If you are settled on a particular string type and finding a problem (excessive rattle, or strings requiring a lot of strength to sound cleanly) then it might need re-profiling to work better for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsyjazzer Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 Thanks everybody for thoughts on my fingerboard question--much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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