Re: Some work done on my URB and...

Again, I don't see the need for all this tinkering.

1) Upright action is SUPPOSED to be high, and every player has his own
definition of what "high" is. I've played basses that have INSANELY high
action for my taste, but the guy who plays it regularly has no problem.

If you're thinking you can tweak it down to fretless electric action, It
ain't gonna happen. Tweaking the bridge with sandpaper ain't gonna do it
either. IIRC, you've had this bad\bass for more than a year; it shouldn't be
eating away the bridge at this early stage, even if you play every day. Once
you have had a basic bridge shaping, LEAVE IT ALONE!

Ditto with the fingerboard and nut. I play a lot on a rosewood board, and
about every 6 months I get a divot around Middle C. A couple (literally)
passes with fine grit paper, and it's as good as new. I den finitely need a
new fingerboard, but I'm not going to panic over it until I see the maple
underneath...

And I hope you're not trying 10,000 different string sets to find the
"magic" combo. Decide: Gut ort stainless. gut A set on. LEAVE them on for at
least a year before you decide yea or nea.

2) EVERY bass repair guy has some CRUCIAL (read expensive) repair that needs
to be done to your bass RIGHT NOW. I have a student who is freaking out
because some luthier told him his neck might warp so much as to be
unplayable...in a DECADE or so... As long as the thing feels good and sounds
good, you have no reason to take it in for servicing. It's an upright, not a
Jaguar.

3) There is NO reason to constantly detune the strings, unless you fly cross
country every week; and even then, you're probably OK. Loosening the tension
is what caused your bridge to slide in the first place. Stop doing that.


I hate to be a ***, but it sounds like you're trying to find the "magic"
combo that SOUNDS like an upright and FEELS like an electric., There's no
such animal. IMO, you should wait at least 6 months before checking in with
"your guy", and allow yourself time to work up to the bass' level, not the
other way around.

--
Lessons, music and more at www.jmsjazz.com

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid,
but most stupid people are conservatives."
- John Stuart Mill








"Danko" <makniovobezvezvnovan-dankoxy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dth74s$dmg$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hmm, well I'm not sure. One thing I am sure about is that my action went
up
like crazy every two months in the past. I was at luthier's every two
months
with plee for "do something, my action is way high again".

But then my luthier went on a vacation, and I found another (expensive
one),
who shimmed the neck with a 1 cm thick piece of wood and put on a new
fretboard. He said the neck was twisting slowly on me and that was the
reason the action was going crazy on me. Should I belive him? Dunno. Neck
may or may have not been the reason. Maybe he just wanted to do something
radical with my bass and earn some money. He never mentioned the bridge.

Then it started happening again, and I noticed that it was partly my
fault.
I noticed my bridge moving toward the fboard, and tilting while I was
tightening strings. Then the day came "the day of positioning the bridge".
And everything changed. Now my action stays put, I can lower it myself
with
sandpaper and small phile for string grooves, and I'm a happy guy. :)

Noone told me to watch out for the bridge when I tighten the strings. I
went
to three different luthiers before and noone mentioned bridge position to
me. Must be something a guy should learn the way I learned it. (the hard
way) :)

Danko


"John Shaughnessy" <johngoogleplexNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:T0VKf.31577$no3.31558@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just curious: What needs tinkering every few months? As long as the bass
bar
is OK, and the neck isn't shaped like a pretzel, you shouldn't have any
reason to take it in that often.

--
Lessons, music and more at www.jmsjazz.com

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid,
but most stupid people are conservatives."
- John Stuart Mill








"Danko" <makniovobezvezvnovan-dankoxy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dteom8$i7a$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi all,

I just wanted to know few things I learned lately about my double
bass.
It's
a hybrid european bass with unknown origin. Must be over 50 years old.
(I'm
completely into URB right now... my bass guitar sits there in the
corner
neglected for months)...

1. It's too cheap to have a luthier tinker with it every two months. I
paid
about 500$ for it + invested around 400 into repairs and new fboard,
neck
shim, nut and bridge.
2. I can trim the bridge myself and position it right to lower the
action.
It costs less, and you are happier with the results if you do it
yourself.
3. If you loosen the strings and tighten them back, you need to be
careful
that the bridge doesn't tilt toward the neck. If it tilts, it would
raise
the action. Constant pressure on the bridge with one hand while tuning
with
another worked fine for me.
4. My bridge likes to "walk" toward the fingerboard. Must be the
colour -
she is a Rosie, and he is just a simple Maple guy. I need to keep an
eye
on
the bridge's position if my action starts to change. I wasn't aware of
this
changes before. I used to detune and retune alot. Now, not anymore,
keeping
the bridge's feet tightly on the belly. :)
5. My bass now plays better than ever (since I bought it).
6. For the price it has cost me so far, it's the best instrument in
the
country. I've tried several basses around and below 1000$ - new and
used,
and they needed more work then mine does to play decent. Some MUCH
more
work
with questionalbe result.

I have weekly gigs on my bass, and I'm really happy with it. Remind me
I
said this next time I start to complain. :)

Danko








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