| Author | Message | ||
| pauldo
Advanced Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 257 Registered: 6-2006 |
I was playing my upright yesterday outdoors - it was 63 degrees - it was for an event for Big Brothers/ Big Sisters... Anyhow all of a sudden while playing the bridge went KAWWIINNGG and came flying out from underneath the strings, strings and tailpiece collapsed. I loosened the tension on the strings and repositioned the bridge. HOWEVER the sound post is about 9 inches south of where it should be. Question: Is the best way to store it until repair to have the strings loose and bridge standing up, or remove the bridge and let the strings lay..OR??? TIA for any input | ||
| richbass939
Senior Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 1059 Registered: 11-2004 |
Do you feel comfortable repositioning the sound post close to where it should be and putting the bridge back on with enough string tension to keep it from falling over? If not, you may want to take the bridge and strings off. If you do, make sure to pad any moving parts (strings, if you leave them on, and tailpiece, for example) so that it doesn't scratch the top when you transport it. That happened once when I moved our cello. There wasn't enough string tension to hold the bridge down. When the bridge popped out the tailpiece moved back and forth. A fine tuner scratched the top. Any idea why the bridge came out? Once it happened with our cello because the bridge had warped slightly into a curve toward the nut. Just enough pressure from the bow pushed it past the critical point and out it came. Rich | ||
| pauldo
Advanced Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 258 Registered: 6-2006 |
Rich - I'm not sure why it failed - my wife had taken a few pictures earlier in the day and it appears that everything was seated well. It was a rather cool day so there certainly was a temperature change of almost 10 degrees. Another thing that happened that my very well caused something to shift is that it was on a stand and the wind blew it back twice, it did not fall over completely; the bass blew backwards and the stand took the brunt of the blow against a van - it was about a 20 degree tilt backwards from a perpendicular position. After the wind blew it twice I took it off the stand and layed it on its side on the grass. I don't have a large enough F-hole to get my hand into the bass to grab the post. Right now the bridge is in position and the post is still 'wedged' between the front and back of the instrument and string tension is just enough to hold things together. I made a call to Denny Rauen guitar repairer extraordinaire - I figure if he can't fix it he could at least recommend a capable set-up person. | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1364 Registered: 2-2005 |
I haven't used them for any work but there is the Double Bass Workshop over in Madison that specializes in upright basses. Keith | ||
| pauldo
Advanced Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 259 Registered: 6-2006 |
Keith - Interesting that you mentioned them - a compadre from a community orchestra that I used to play in highly recommended them. Rauen is closer for me. So how is that someone from North Carolina knows about a Madison double bass shop? It must be that World Wide Web thing that I hear so much about . . .  | ||
| john_judge
Intermediate Member Username: john_judge Post Number: 167 Registered: 4-2009 |
Paul, A guy I met, uses 2 grill forks like the kind for outside grills to help set up the sound post and move it which I did on mine, but tape around where it touches the "F" hole area to avoid scratches, just put a fork in each side of the "F" holes to guide and stand it up with. If you put the strings on very loose you can try to stand it up yourself and try to get it in position which is really important, by luither standards he had told me that on all uprights your sound post should not be moved more than 2" either direction from where it was built and rested, tones can change from movement as little as 1/8 of an inch. My post fell over one day when I changed strings, not enough tension at once caused it to fall, if you have some patience you can do it yourself, he walked me through it over the phone and it worked just fine, just target for the original marks and move it very little at a time so it doesn't fall again, if you got the time then go for it, just be sure after it is standing that you slowly start to tighten your strings to hold it in place. Good luck John | ||
| john_judge
Intermediate Member Username: john_judge Post Number: 168 Registered: 4-2009 |
Hey found a pic for ya, evidently other people use this method also  | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1365 Registered: 2-2005 |
Paul, They used to carry Bag End and Thunderfunk equipment. I bought my Bag End D10BX-D and D10B-D through them. They were able to beat the competition by a couple hundred bucks delivered. As far as Madison itself goes I used to head up there from Illinois when y'all still had an 18 year old drinking age and Illinois was 21. It was in rotation with Lake Geneva and believe it or not Eau Claire when college was in session. Keith |
