Setup Advice

[Calvin Marks]

Hi all! It seems that the weather is playing havoc with my new bass and I need some help/advice here. I have a very tall "Belgian" style bridge on my Gorman bass which the maker himself admits that he made the E string side of the bridge too low. This in turn results in the E string smacking against the end of the fingerboard...I have a few options/ideas...

1) I can raise the bridge to a very high level to give the E string an appropriate level of clearance but this in turn will result in the G string being too high for solo playing...

2) I could have the bridge raised to a level where the E string speaks properly and then have the G string side of the bridge slightly lowered to accommodate thumb position "acrobatics".

3) I could perhaps have a "bevel" put in my fingerboard to give the E string more clearance. My bass has a round fingerboard...Is it unheard of and difficult to have a bevel put in?

4) I could have a new bridge built...Seems like the best option but I have limited financial resources.


I'd like all of your excellent opinions on what I should have done...Keep in mind that I have limited finances at this time.


Thank you VERY much.