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-   -   What can rattle/vibrate inside a double bass? (http://www.smithbassforums.com//showthread.php?t=2521)

Bin Hire 05-26-2014 12:40 AM

What can rattle/vibrate inside a double bass?
 
A friend has a lot of rattle/vibration problems. He thinks it might be that the face isn't stuck down properly. Is this a possibility? I know there's a bass bar inside, bit is there something else that could be causing a rattle?

Ken Smith 05-26-2014 01:27 AM

plenty
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bin Hire (Post 27161)
A friend has a lot of rattle/vibration problems. He thinks it might be that the face isn't stuck down properly. Is this a possibility? I know there's a bass bar inside, bit is there something else that could be causing a rattle?

No way to answer this as anything can be loose. Look inside and count the pieces that are not outside and all them up.

I had a noise the other day on a recently restored 1840 French bass. 100s of pieces of wood in there. Then, I realized it was the downward angle of the strings to the tailpiece so I slight re-cut the back end of the slots and fixed it.

It can be anything so take it to a professional. Hopefully they will find it and not take you to the cleaners.

You didn't say what kind of bass or its age or condition. Pictures would help, maybe.

Bin Hire 05-26-2014 02:14 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Thanks for replying Ken,
The bass is a Christopher that was built in the early 2000s. It's fully carved. A very nice bass - I've played it. It is in good condition. My friend has booked it in to a luthier next week.
Thank you for your advice.

Ken Smith 05-26-2014 12:06 PM

also..
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bin Hire (Post 27163)
Thanks for replying Ken,
The bass is a Christopher that was built in the early 2000s. It's fully carved. A very nice bass - I've played it. It is in good condition. My friend has booked it in to a luthier next week.
Thank you for your advice.

Is the rattle metallic sounding, wood-type sounding or a little of both?

The most common metallic problem is the endpin 'inside' the bass when it's long. Also, the tuner plates as well touching the pegbox.

Try and find out 'where' the rattle is, up, down, middle, like that. Like I said, an old bass I just got back from restoration had a rattle at the 'fret' of the tailpiece because the downward angle off the bridge was a tad shallow. This was only noticed if I played hard or if I raised the bridge which lifted the strings off the TP Fret even higher. It went in my mind from a top removal and internal search for something loose to an actual 5 minutes of slight 'filling' of which I have over 40 years of experience doing.

Bin Hire 05-27-2014 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Smith (Post 27164)
Is the rattle metallic sounding, wood-type sounding or a little of both?

The most common metallic problem is the endpin 'inside' the bass when it's long. Also, the tuner plates as well touching the pegbox.

Try and find out 'where' the rattle is, up, down, middle, like that. Like I said, an old bass I just got back from restoration had a rattle at the 'fret' of the tailpiece because the downward angle off the bridge was a tad shallow. This was only noticed if I played hard or if I raised the bridge which lifted the strings off the TP Fret even higher. It went in my mind from a top removal and internal search for something loose to an actual 5 minutes of slight 'filling' of which I have over 40 years of experience doing.

Thank you very much for your thoughts. I think the rattle is coming from the lower end. It seems to shoot out, sounding almost like a wooden ruler being held tightly with one hand and flicked, when the octave C (on G string) is played.
Again thank you for your concern.
Bin

Bin Hire 06-22-2014 11:08 PM

Apologies for not posting earlier and many thanks Ken for the advice. It turned out that the front wasn't stuck down properly. The luthier re glued it and now my bass is sounding fantastic. Cost $50. I bought him a bottle of wine too because I was very grateful. I'm very lucky.


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