Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomas Bouda
here is my problem.
i have a 2003 paesold 593 bass (i am the original owner/player) and i have been really happy with the way it performs. however, i have always noticed that the d string actually touches the fingerboard about a half inch before the nut...which makes fingering across the strings a really weird exercise in ear training. but, seriously its about a half inch off. i want to know what my options are, and i look forward to what you guys (pros) know.
thanks a lot!
ps
it also came with a wittner composite tailpiece...but i think it sounds really wimpy. having a heavier wood, or even just wood would make it sound ballsier, wouldn't it?
thanks again!
|
Blind advise is not always accurate having not seen the bass in person.
So, tell me this being that you have had the bass for several years now;
Has this situation been there all along or is it something you just noticed recently?
I like my strings as close to the Fingerboard as possible. Sometimes after getting it just perfect I change to a different string. If the String is a smaller diameter or requires a lower bridge set-up (steels vs synthetics) the Nut can become too low for one or more string.
If it is all the way across you have two options in my book. Shim the Nut slightly of shave the Fingerboard just under the Nut till it plays the way you need. If the problem is just on one string, shave the Fingerboard under that one string up near the Nut till all is well.
I have done all of the above with good results. No need to make a whole new Nut or completely dress the Fingerboard. Just tweak it till it's right.
That my opinion. The Basses I play for the most part are quite expensive and I feel confident I am not hurting anything making these minor playability adjustments.
On your Tailpiece question I am sorry to say I have no experience with that type you mention. Believe it or not, most of my basses do NOT have Ebony TPs. They are black in color but being that they are very old, they pre-date the modern use of Ebony as the standard TP wood. I guess I have some in Maple, Boxwood or Sycamore. I never shaved the black stain off to see. They were all made long before any of us here were born.
I say that the lighter the TP, the brighter the sound but I don't necessarly buy that. I have one in Cocobolo and one oldie in stained Maple. In a tap test the Maple was deeper. How then does the brighter sounding heavier weighted Cocobolo make the bass deeper? This in itself confuses me. Also, woods that ring more might have more high end due to the comparison that woods that don't ring might deaden the sound. It's not a science. Just trial and error matching what's best on your bass. It's a pain in the butt doing these changes but how else will you know? For me, unless the TP is pure crap, I leave it alone.