Help with my String/Bridge Height

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Pino Cazzaniga

Calvin,
your fingerboard is too flat for the string spacing / bridge curvature you like, as Arnold said.

If you will make it planed with the same curvature of your present bridge, you will not lower as now the A and the d strings when you press them to the fingerboard in high positions.

The more the fingerboard is concave, the more this effect is noticeable

So, probably you will need less bridge curvature for the same bowing.

A way is to plane the fingerboard with a bit less arch than the one of your present bridge, and then to set up the bridge again.

Find a good luthier to do this.
A good luthier is someone who can listen you, realize what you really need, share with you his opinions and make the work.

Is the fingerboard thick enough to plane it?
Have you adjusters on your bridge?
Are you going to play soon for auditions?

For Bowing a Bass, a Flatter arch will NOT work as the Bow will hit 2 strings at the same time on the middle D and A. There is a minimum arch you need for bow clearance. Slide a long pencil along the top of the bridge touching the G and A string. Eyeball the height of the D to see that arch. Do the same with the E and D and look at the A-string clearance.

If I had a dollar for every Bridge top, height and or Arch I have re-cut in my life it would be more than.. Dinner at a nice restaurant. I work on almost every bridge of every bass I play to tweak it just right. If the Fingerboard is not right then get that fixed as well but never match the Bridge to a bad fingerboard. That will only cost you a new bridge later on. Maybe doing both at the same time is best but Bridges can be saved sometimes.

As I mentioned before, a 1-1.5 mm height graduation is what works best but that depends on the board as well under the strings.

I measured a bass yesterday as several points and the relations between strings are similar up and down the board showing a good arch from nut to bridge.

More playing and less fixing is always best. Get it done right the first time and get back to playing..