Show your Extensions!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bryan Leinwand

Can you explain why you think the post above will cause trouble down the line?

Was the post perfectly fit to begin with? If not, it is already damaging the Top. Possibly it will crack the top or poke thru it. I have never heard of the post being above the bridge. Playing a 1/2 sized basses with an extension and tuned up a 4th is a Tenor bass of sorts, not a double bass. So, everything is weird about this. Post some pictures so we don't all get a headache trying to imagine this. It is way off topic anyway so we might as well end the story with some visuals.

[Bryan Leinwand]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Was the post perfectly fit to begin with? If not, it is already damaging the Top. Possibly it will crack the top or poke thru it. I have never heard of the post being above the bridge. Playing a 1/2 sized basses with an extension and tuned up a 4th is a Tenor bass of sorts, not a double bass. So, everything is weird about this. Post some pictures so we don't all get a headache trying to imagine this. It is way off topic anyway so we might as well end the story with some visuals.

With all due repect, anyone concerned with the mechanics of a bass might be interested. If not, no harm done.
Is it off topic then?

The soundpost of course was refitted. Maybe you thought I would have just moved it as it was after doing all this work. Where's the argument here? I see none. I think that it arises from its unconventionality.

Haven't jazz players used extensions by the way? Is this forum only for classical bassists. Is it only for traditional techniques? is it open minded?
I would hope so.
I would hope to find any interesting or even controversial information in a forum such a this. Is that not what a forum is about?
We can all learn something here.

The bass works well as a contrabass too. And like I said, as a tenor bass, with the extension it only loses three 1/2 steps.

[Bryan Leinwand]

One thing, when I say above, I don't mean clear of the foot. Same position as what would be called below.

[Robert Anzellotti]

Slideshow:
http://s389.photobucket.com/albums/o...view=slideshow

I still haven't mounted it. Also need to smooth out the varnish a bit. This is the only one I've made from scratch. I ended up with just enough room to bring the string back over the scroll and over a second smaller pulley which sends the string down to the "A" tuner.

Ken, you make a valid point about the sharp ends of the fingers, but the example you saw was very early work. For many years now I have a greatly improved leather wrap, including a larger radius at the end. If this is still not enough, I can on special request wrap a thicker band of leather and make an even softer edge, but everyone out there who uses them seems perfectly happy the way they are. There is an aesthetic thing here too. Some people prefer so see less bulk on their scroll!

[JoeyNaeger]

Looks great, I was thinking a two piece extension would make routing the string around the scroll easy. Glad to see someone implement it the way I imagined. Here is an extension I finished last night.

[Robert Anzellotti]

Originally Posted by JoeyNaeger

Looks great, I was thinking a two piece extension would make routing the string around the scroll easy. Glad to see someone implement it the way I imagined. Here is an extension I finished last night.

Yeah. It would certainly be much more difficult to do a multi-pulley design out of a single piece - at least with my skill level. I was able to do all of the slotting for the string path and pulleys with a table saw. I know most people consider it a crude tool, but I bet I could make a working clock with one if I had to! I chose this piece of purple heart because I knew that with a clear varnish it would exceptionally compliment the red varnish in my Geiger. It will be awhile before I can actually mount it since the bass is in the shop for another repair, but I'll post results when I can.

[JoeyNaeger]

Originally Posted by Robert Anzellotti

Yeah. It would certainly be much more difficult to do a multi-pulley design out of a single piece - at least with my skill level. I was able to do all of the slotting for the string path and pulleys with a table saw. I know most people consider it a crude tool, but I bet I could make a working clock with one if I had to! I chose this piece of purple heart because I knew that with a clear varnish it would exceptionally compliment the red varnish in my Geiger. It will be awhile before I can actually mount it since the bass is in the shop for another repair, but I'll post results when I can.

If I had a table saw, that's how I would do it. A router works fine too. You'll notice Mine goes around the scroll as well, but it's one piece. I took some trickery to make it all work, but the string intunates nicely.Your solution is very elegant looking however. I like how the holes are blind on the one side. Someday I'll do a two piece extension like you've done.

[Robert Anzellotti]

Originally Posted by JoeyNaeger

If I had a table saw, that's how I would do it. A router works fine too. You'll notice Mine goes around the scroll as well, but it's one piece. I took some trickery to make it all work, but the string intunates nicely.Your solution is very elegant looking however. I like how the holes are blind on the one side. Someday I'll do a two piece extension like you've done.

You can do alot with a router, of course. Did you channel from the back and then glue in a patch where it touches the scroll? Thinking more about it, this also seems like a good approach, whichever tool you use. Still, you're right. doing a two piece means you've got a nice flat surface against the table. It's gotta be easier!

[JoeyNaeger]

No, I just did some very careful drilling. One hole from the back of the extension, and then another connecting that hole to the tuning shaft.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Robert Anzellotti

Slideshow:
http://s389.photobucket.com/albums/o...view=slideshow

I still haven't mounted it. Also need to smooth out the varnish a bit. This is the only one I've made from scratch. I ended up with just enough room to bring the string back over the scroll and over a second smaller pulley which sends the string down to the "A" tuner.

Ken, you make a valid point about the sharp ends of the fingers, but the example you saw was very early work. For many years now I have a greatly improved leather wrap, including a larger radius at the end. If this is still not enough, I can on special request wrap a thicker band of leather and make an even softer edge, but everyone out there who uses them seems perfectly happy the way they are. There is an aesthetic thing here too. Some people prefer so see less bulk on their scroll!

Rob, I am all for innovation but for ease of quick flipping them from the edge with a back hand motion, the outer edge of your capos are still at a 90 degree angle and not rounded on the front edge, just around. That is the area I am referring to. Look at the ebony fingers on these examples and see what I mean about rounded. Not the top, but the outer edges.



Here you can see varying degrees of rounding regardless of the mounting method, size or shape of the fingers. If your Capos could be smooth on the edges like these, it would make a world of difference.

The other argument is the tension. You said one full turn was 1/24". Is that correct? If the threads were finer it would adjust that much finer? Correct? Well, if I go from a .105" diameter E-string to a .108" diam. string, I can turn my top screw just a fraction, not a full turn, so it feels the same. With a 1:24 ratio, it would not be possible to adjust .001-.003" as yours have a fixed amount per turn. If I go from .102" to .108" it falls in the middle again. One turn too little and 2 turns too much. I adjust my 'fingers' as the weather changes and the string slightly grooves itself into the finger pads or when I change strings to a different gauge. I think .004166" (1/24th") is a bit hit and miss to get the tension just right if you are finicky about it.

Your newest extension does look nice however.

[Robert Anzellotti]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Rob, I am all for innovation but for ease of quick flipping them from the edge with a back hand motion, the outer edge of your capos are still at a 90 degree angle and not rounded on the front edge, just around. That is the area I am referring to. Look at the ebony fingers on these examples and see what I mean about rounded. Not the top, but the outer edges.

Photos deleted for brevity

Here you can see varying degrees of rounding regardless of the mounting method, size or shape of the fingers. If your Capos could be smooth on the edges like these, it would make a world of difference.

The other argument is the tension. You said one full turn was 1/24". Is that correct? If the threads were finer it would adjust that much finer? Correct? Well, if I go from a .105" diameter E-string to a .108" diam. string, I can turn my top screw just a fraction, not a full turn, so it feels the same. With a 1:24 ratio, it would not be possible to adjust .001-.003" as yours have a fixed amount per turn. If I go from .102" to .108" it falls in the middle again. One turn too little and 2 turns too much. I adjust my 'fingers' as the weather changes and the string slightly grooves itself into the finger pads or when I change strings to a different gauge. I think .004166" (1/24th") is a bit hit and miss to get the tension just right if you are finicky about it.

Your newest extension does look nice however.

Ken, as I said, I could always make a thicker leather wrap and do more roundover. There have been no no requests for this.

Let us separate tension and height. On my latches, tension (rotational resistance) is "set at the factory" if you will, and is unrelated to intonation. Only finger height and to a degree angle of incidence affect where the finger stops on the string.

As for adjustment, the slots in the mounting brackets allow for a lot of movement, so the Capos are plenty adjustable beyond # of screw turns. This is not the case with the E-Stop I concede, but there are ways to deal with this, and all my installers seem to make it work without incident.

As for later intonation adjustments, it doesn't seem to be necessary except when changing string gauge. A dimple presses into the leather during the first days, but the leather doesn't wear or further compress after that. Perhaps it varies from bass to bass, but on my main axe I've had Capos installed for fifteen years, and I've only ever adjusted them when changing string gauge.

My closure system is a significant departure from standard designs, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work