Setting up a bass

 Bass Setup

Every bass that we build or keep in stock receives a full set up before it is sold. This usually takes around a day but sometimes longer and involves a lot more than just standing the bridge up and tuning. This page explains what we do and why.

Finger Board

The first step is carving the fingerboard. A correctly carved fingerboard has an even concave curve from end to end which is a slightly different depth for each string. When this is not right you will have problems with the strings buzzing. Factory fingerboards are rarely correct, being too curved, to flat or lumpy and uneven.

Sound Post

The second step is setting the sound post. The sound post has two functions in a bass, firstly to support the top and stop it caving in under the pressure from the strings and secondly it acts as a fulcrum and controls the way the top vibrates. When fitting a post we adjust the angles on the top and bottom, and the overall length to achieve a firm fit with good contact on the top and back of the bass. The position of the post is also important and can change the brightness and tone of a bass as well as the balance between strings.

Nut

The third step is shaping the nut. The nut is the small piece of ebony at the top of the fingerboard that the strings run over on their way out of the peg box. When basses come from the factory the nut is usually too high and the spacing between strings is often incorrect. This holds the strings further off the finger board than they need to be (or too far apart or close together), making the bass harder to play. We usually take the nut down so the strings have between 0.5 and 0.8 clearance at the top of the fingerboard.

Bridge Feet

The Bridge feet transmit sound from the strings to the top. When they are not correctly fitted they create uneven pressure on the top and will not transmit sound as effectively as they can.
Sometimes in cheaper basses the neck and finger board are not lined up with the center line of the bass. So when fitting the bridge you need to compensate by taking more off one side than the other to line the strings up with the center of the fingerboard while keeping the bridge feet in the correct place on the top.

String Height

Adjusting the string height is the last step. We make sure the strings are the correct height above the fingerboard so that it is easy to play but still maintaining enough curvature to use a bow.

Finally each setup is slightly different because it is customised to the player's needs. The double bass is used in many styles of music and each style has subtle differences in setup requirements.