Tight G string on my bass

[Strahinja Petrovic]

Hello!
I have a problem with my double bass - every single G string on it feels tighter than the other three string. It's ok for the pizz, but for my style of playing, tension on G is too different for the slap.
I took my bass to the luthier, he said that everything looks and acts ok. I even bought a new Tomastik Superflexible Solo set - same story. I tried also rotosounds - G also tighter.
Now I have Cordes Lambert strings and they even send me custom G string which is thinner, but it's also a little tighter than others.
I even tried to make bigger hole in the tailpiece so I could shorten my string afterlenght (i read that that affects tension also).
Do you have some ideas what could go wrong?

[Ken Smith]

Show us the bass.

Could be Bridge, Fingerboard, Nut, Post, etc.

Hard to exactly say without inspecting in person.

[Strahinja Petrovic]

http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/2361/80659744.jpg
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/1623/54706913.jpg
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/1074/21698383.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6083/39102733.jpg
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/3317/27697702.jpg

thank you for your fast answer!

[Thomas Erickson]

Well, why not just try a lower tension string? There isn't really any adjustment you can make to the bass that will change the actual tension of the strings.


For example, Helicores come in three gauges; you could use medium or heavy on the lower strings and light on top...

Or, you could use the 'A' string from a solo set; that should have even less tension.

The problem is most likely that the shape of the bridge and/or fingerboard is making the G higher than the other strings, so it just feels tighter. Of course the only way to fix that is to spend some $$$ on a setup and probably new parts too.

[Strahinja Petrovic]

Well, why not just try a lower tension string? There isn't really any adjustment you can make to the bass that will change the actual tension of the strings.


For example, Helicores come in three gauges; you could use medium or heavy on the lower strings and light on top...

Or, you could use the 'A' string from a solo set; that should have even less tension.

The problem is most likely that the shape of the bridge and/or fingerboard is making the G higher than the other strings, so it just feels tighter. Of course the only way to fix that is to spend some $$$ on a setup and probably new parts too.

I can't change strings because I use Cordes Lambert. Mr. Lambert made me custom thinner G string, it's a little better but it's still tighter.
I'm ready to spend the money! I don't have money for a new bass and here in Serbia it's hard to find decent bass that could suit my style of playing. It's impossible to find good plywood bass with ebony or rosewood fingerboard or without beveled fingerboard (I hate it!) and good quality parts.

[Thomas Erickson]

Can you try consulting a different luthier?

If you already have an extra light G string and things still aren't working how you'd like, some adjustments are in order.

[Strahinja Petrovic]

That would be hard. Luthiers are not friendly with slap players.
Playing rockabilly here and complaining about difference in string tension that is only obvious with slap is very hard :) I consulted a lot of bassists and my luthier and they all think that I'm a little crazy!

[Thomas Erickson]

That would be hard. Luthiers are not friendly with slap players.
Playing rockabilly here and complaining about difference in string tension that is only obvious with slap is very hard :) I consulted a lot of bassists and my luthier and they all think that I'm a little crazy!

It is no different here; I don't know a single luthier who knows about slap bass. Not that I do either! :D

[Strahinja Petrovic]

It is no different here; I don't know a single luthier who knows about slap bass. Not that I do either! :D

I don't ask you to know about slap bass, I just want to think that I'm not crazy! That's enough! :)
I know basics of bass setup and everything on my bass looks fine. Maybe the soundpost is too tight! Or something like that :) I don't know almost nothing about soundpost and how it affects string tension.
I have to go to see the luthier to sand my fingerboard (steels did some damage) and we'll try to do something, but I don't know what!
But it's not easy when my bass is not comfortable to my, I have gigs all the time and I can't enjoy 100%.

[Eric Hochberg]

Looks like you have a solid tailpiece wire. Change to a braided cable. That might loosen up the feel of the bass a bit. You also might play around with raising the tailpiece towards the bridge and see if that affects the feel.

[Mike Mandelas]

You can also try a Marvin wire tailpiece. In many basses it dininishes tension considerably and improves sustain and volume.
Mike

[Thomas Erickson]

You can also try a Marvin wire tailpiece. In many basses it dininishes tension considerably and improves sustain and volume.
Mike

Will you please explain how exactly a wire tailpiece can, on many instruments, reduce string tension?

[Strahinja Petrovic]

It's a little better now.
I moved bridge down. I have notches on F holes (right being hole where E string is and left being hole where is G string) but they are not in the same line. Bridge was in line with notch on the F hole on the G string side. Now I moved bridge a little down (toward tailpiece) and everything works better now. It's not perfect, but it's ok. Now my E and A string sound better and have more punch.