The Aluminium/Aluminum Double Bass **Mega Thread** :)

[Beedster]

40 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

All's well that ends well I guess. One slip with the fork would have put a dent in your f hole*.

Really, you assume I don’t take care? And anyway, how’s that any different to the use of any tool in the same situation.
 

And BTW, if it came to Fork v Pfreschtzner I know where I’m putting my money 👍

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

 

It was a small and sharp fork @alyctes. Have to admit I'm surprised/amazes/shocked at how easy and quick it was. I've been meaning to do it for a while and last night had the time and space so cracked on. I used a BBQ spatula to retrieve the post, then grabbed it between my first two fingertips through the F-hole, allowing me to get it vaguely into position albeit at a precipitous angle, and then used the fork to push it vertical and to them manoeuvre into place under the foot. I don't know if i was just very lucky or whether aluminium basses are easier to work with in this respect, but sitting down with a beer afterwards I couldn't hep thinking that like so many other technical aspects of instrument setup and repair, it's a whole lot easier than you think 👍

 

Thanks for your help above, that was going to be my next approach had the fork failed!  

Glad you got it sorted and nice work.

 

im tempted to get one of these to match the beast.

 

https://baguleyguitars.shop/collections/pre-orders

[Beedster]

7 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

Glad you got it sorted and nice work.

 

im tempted to get one of these to match the beast.

 

https://baguleyguitars.shop/collections/pre-orders

 

They are rather nice!

 

Gigging next week and hoping guitarist will bring his resonator, they'll make a nice pair  

[Burns-bass]

46 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

They are rather nice!

 

Gigging next week and hoping guitarist will bring his resonator, they'll make a nice pair  

Half of my gigs are with a resonator, they’re an ideal pair!

[Beedster]

25 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

Half of my gigs are with a resonator, they’re an ideal pair!

 

Perfect!

 

Sadly I suspect this'l be my last gig with the Pfreschtzner, much as I love it I find it quite small and having spent the last month playing my 4/4 exclusively, feel I need to opt for one size or the other (it's also why I couldn't get on with most EUBs, they just feel too small compared to my main DB). If I could take the neck and the board from the Pfreschtzner and put them on my 4/4 I'd do so in a flash, they are sublime, largely I suspect down to the work down by the Martins. But while the look of the thing is outstanding, my 4/4 is like an old pair of slippers   

 

Of course, if anyone has a 4/4 Pfreschtzner lying around....

[Burns-bass]

43 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

Perfect!

 

Sadly I suspect this'l be my last gig with the Pfreschtzner, much as I love it I find it quite small and having spent the last month playing my 4/4 exclusively, feel I need to opt for one size or the other (it's also why I couldn't get on with most EUBs, they just feel too small compared to my main DB). If I could take the neck and the board from the Pfreschtzner and put them on my 4/4 I'd do so in a flash, they are sublime, largely I suspect down to the work down by the Martins. But while the look of the thing is outstanding, my 4/4 is like an old pair of slippers   

 

Of course, if anyone has a 4/4 Pfreschtzner lying around....

 

Understand. 

 

What are you going to do with it? Couldn't part with mine now (even though the Bryant plays better and sounds better)

[Downunderwonder]

3 hours ago, Beedster said:

Really, you assume I don’t take care?

Nobody slips deliberately!

[Beedster]

4 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Nobody slips deliberately!

Fair point mate, apologies 👍

[alyctes]

9 hours ago, Beedster said:

 

It was a small and sharp fork @alyctes. Have to admit I'm surprised/amazes/shocked at how easy and quick it was. I've been meaning to do it for a while and last night had the time and space so cracked on. I used a BBQ spatula to retrieve the post, then grabbed it between my first two fingertips through the F-hole, allowing me to get it vaguely into position albeit at a precipitous angle, and then used the fork to push it vertical and to them manoeuvre into place under the foot. I don't know if i was just very lucky or whether aluminium basses are easier to work with in this respect, but sitting down with a beer afterwards I couldn't hep thinking that like so many other technical aspects of instrument setup and repair, it's a whole lot easier than you think 👍

 

Thanks for your help above, that was going to be my next approach had the fork failed!  

 

Glad it went well.  Can I ask, how did you ensure the post went in in the correct orientation? 

[Beedster]

8 minutes ago, alyctes said:

 

Glad it went well.  Can I ask, how did you ensure the post went in in the correct orientation? 

It rests against a small block at each end so was quite simple, there is a slight angle on the top surface rising away from the f-hole so I made sure that it was aligned correctly to that before I started to nudge it fully upright 👍

[Beedster]

6 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

 

Understand. 

 

What are you going to do with it? Couldn't part with mine now (even though the Bryant plays better and sounds better)

 

Not sure, common sense says sell it, emotion says keep it. You know how it is 🤔

[Burns-bass]

18 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

Not sure, common sense says sell it, emotion says keep it. You know how it is 🤔

I have two double basses and logic suggests I don’t need them both. But yet I still have them.

 

The problem is the wood one does stuff the metal one can’t. And vice versa.

[Beedster]

Just now, Burns-bass said:

I have two double basses and logic suggests I don’t need them both. But yet I still have them.

 

The problem is the wood one does stuff the metal one can’t. And vice versa.

 

I agree and I agree 👍

[Burns-bass]

If you do sell, let me know first…!

[Happy Jack]

2 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

If you do sell, let me know first…!

Because the only thing that's better than an aluminium DB is TWO aluminium DBs ...

[Beedster]

16 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

If you do sell, let me know first…!

Strong possibility mate, drop me a PM if you’d like to talk 👍

 

[Beedster]

Previous owner Wes demo vid of mine 👍

[Beedster]

So since fixing the sound-post, a rattle has developed. Sounds a lot like a loose screw. There's 204 of them in total. Could be a long afternoon 🤔

[Downunderwonder]

On 30/09/2023 at 04:36, Beedster said:

It rests against a small block at each end so was quite simple, there is a slight angle on the top surface rising away from the f-hole so I made sure that it was aligned correctly to that before I started to nudge it fully upright 👍

Is that blocks glued to each side of the body? I assume spreading the load so the aluminum won't punch out over time?

 

I was reading a bit about them. Spruce bass bar? Glued or screwed?

[Downunderwonder]

10 hours ago, Beedster said:

So since fixing the sound-post, a rattle has developed. Sounds a lot like a loose screw. There's 204 of them in total. Could be a long afternoon 🤔

A stethoscope would be handy to narrow down which general area is loudest.

[Beedster]

7 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Is that blocks glued to each side of the body? I assume spreading the load so the aluminum won't punch out over time?

 

I was reading a bit about them. Spruce bass bar? Glued or screwed?

 

7 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

A stethoscope would be handy to narrow down which general area is loudest.

 

I guess with 204 screws there's no need for glue (BTW 204 is only the body, there's another 30 or so in the headstock). As I understand it it has pretty much conventional internal anatomy plus, as you've suggested, one or more modifications necessary to maintain structural integrity. 

 

Luckily I found the culprit pretty early (about 10 screws in), it was one of the small screws near the treble side foot of the bridge, now sorted 👍

[Happy Jack]

That home welding course really paid off, eh?

 

😉

[Beedster]

17 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

That home welding course really paid off, eh?

 

😉

 

Luckily it was quite an easy fix, the process of identifying a rattle in one of these is potentially quite a long one 👍

 

[Hellzero]

When you have a long day to spend, you can unscrew all the 234 (funny suite) screws one by one, put a drop of Superglue or Threadlocker and screw each one back.

 

This would prevent any screw rattle forever, but it will be a very very very long journey.

[Beedster]

On 29/09/2023 at 09:45, Beedster said:

 

Perfect!

 

Sadly I suspect this'l be my last gig with the Pfreschtzner, much as I love it I find it quite small and having spent the last month playing my 4/4 exclusively, feel I need to opt for one size or the other (it's also why I couldn't get on with most EUBs, they just feel too small compared to my main DB). If I could take the neck and the board from the Pfreschtzner and put them on my 4/4 I'd do so in a flash, they are sublime, largely I suspect down to the work down by the Martins. But while the look of the thing is outstanding, my 4/4 is like an old pair of slippers   

 

Of course, if anyone has a 4/4 Pfreschtzner lying around....

 

I've gigged the Pfretzschner a few times since the above post and think that I'm going back to my 4/4 on which I just feel more at home (and which for a number of reasons I'd never sell, it's been with me longer than any of my other instruments for a reason).  I'll be gutted to let the Ali Beast go, but given the work I still have to do on my rehearsal space and ever increasing costs of living it seems a but daft to have it lying around unused  

 

There's a couple of people have enquired but if you're interested please drop me a PM, I'll probably list it properly at the weekend 👍