Percieved Difference in the Low end on the E string

[Jeff Gellis]

If 50 years or so is a fair break-in period.... my bass is not broken in, not settled, not born yet. The bass was completed 90 days ago.

I hope that incremental improvements happen over time and I don't have to wait the full break-in period because at age 99 (I'm 49 now), I don't think I will be able to hear let alone play, a double bass.

At my funeral they can say "too bad he didn't live to hear his bass broken in"
I won't ask to be buried in it.

Great stuff, thanks all

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jeff Gellis

If 50 years or so is a fair break-in period.... my bass is not broken in, not settled, not born yet. The bass was completed 90 days ago.

I hope that incremental improvements happen over time and I don't have to wait the full break-in period because at age 99 (I'm 49 now), I don't think I will be able to hear let alone play, a double bass.

At my funeral they can say "too bad he didn't live to hear his bass broken in"
I won't ask to be buried in it.

Great stuff, thanks all

But, a bass is constantly changing and hopefully improving over time. That 50 years is just a general assumption and it doesn't just occur on it's 50th birthday. Like a person, he/she matures daily, hourly, monthly, yearly etc.

I just bought a new Bass recently and although it sounds beautiful, I know it will be sweeter and more mellow 50-100 years from now. The problem is, I won't be here to hear it! The solution, shop for an older Bass that you can afford or, just play some and see if you like the difference you are hearing.

When you play a 50, 100, 200 or 300 year old bass, you can feel the experience and hear it as well as far as the old, relaxed settled sound the Bass has. Mellowness comes in time. Greatness might come sooner!

[Matthew Tucker]

I had the same problem when I first got my ply bass. I found

- tension makes a big difference. you have to find the right tension for your top to work properly - adjusters can help you find this. On my bass, I found a higher E string made for better volume, but only so far ... as you wind it up, eventually the top just chokes up. In the end, a heavier E string helped me get the best tension at the best string height.

- a lighter tailpiece and synthetic tailgut worked wonders for my pizz sound.

- playing in the corner of room facing the wall is a good way to hear yourself better, especially low end.

For me, the E string is a litmus test of a bass. When I go into a shop, if the E string doesn't sound straight away, I can't get interested in the bass.

I just hope my home-built bass has a nice E sound