Three Essentials of Double Bass Setup - Interview with Neal Heppleston

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

So, what are your top tips to make your bass more playable? 🤔For me, getting the nut height correct is huge and often overlooked.

[@peterstephen1562]

Back of bridge to tailpiece saddle is one sixth of playing length. This gives a pitch on the remaining length of two octaves and a fifth above the open string.

[@honeybee4316]

Finally a useful bass set up video. Thank you for this!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks so much :-)

[@jamesrichardson3322]

​@@DiscoverDoubleBass I will take my bass to a professional to fix my double bass , I don't have the confidence I could fix the issues. To set up and put new strings on!! I had my bass fixed this year the finger board came off and I had a peg put on and etc.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

@@jamesrichardson3322 Yes, I would always recommend a luthier does the setup work for you. It can be expensive, but it's a necessary investment for 99% of bassists.

[@jamesrichardson3322]

@@DiscoverDoubleBass I agree 👍💯% with you, I recommend you store your bass in a basement or somewhere cool. Humidity will cause damage to your body and fingerboard. Learn a valuable lesson that I had to learn, an expensive one 💰.

[@dreamingpanthers1847]

Wonderful, clear walkthrough Neal and Geoff. Saved to my Trello so I can refer to it often. I tweak my own setup all the time, and look for all the information I can find. The detail about where the neck scoop should level out at the standoff is something I've not found anywhere else. The sound post positioning section is the clearest single reference explanation I've found anywhere. By this instruction, I'm spot on with my placement. As always, inspiring and informative. Cheers! ~~ Wade

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Glad it was helpful Wade! Thank you so much for your kind words. :-)

[@peterstephen1562]

I think the expert meant that the relief scoop should have it's lowest point at the upstand rather than running out there. I don't think this is correct for a low action.It is better to restrict the relief for 12th. to nut and be straight there after.

[@jimslominski8006]

Excellent video! That was interesting to find out about how the f-notches line up with the string crossover rather than the centre of the feet. I've always used the foot centre. I'll have to check when I get home to see if I need a little readjustment on that. It was also interesting to find out how to check for the sound post location in relation to the top of the bass. I'll have to check that as well. Very informative. I personally check my setup once a month with a quick 3-point visual just to make sure nothing has gone out of alignment with tunings or especially going in and out of vehicles and the gig bag, where things can get knocked about. I'm going to add some of these tips to my routine. Thanks again!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks Jim, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :-)

[@MrVarisauzins]

Very useful information! In such a short video - so many golden tips for setup to start with! Thank you!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching :-)

[@scoopmcg]

What a helpful and informative video - Many thanks to Neal & Jeff !

[@SimonWojcik1]

Great video. Thank You.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks Simon :-)

[@andrewbrowne5557]

Thank you both!! GREAT video!!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Glad you enjoyed it! :-)

[@tomd1826]

Fascinating! I looked at my bass while watching this and noticed the bridge lined up to the outer notch rather than the inner. I changed it to Neal's suggestion, and it seems to have resulted in a slightly drier but more characterful arco tone! I suppose because of the slight change in relative length of the string?

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks and I'm glad it worked out. I guess it will also change the distance between the soundpost and bridge foot, so that may be part of it. Good news it's sounding well.

cool tips thanks! The only thing missing was to talk about the tailpiece but that's ok. Thanks!

[@peterstephen1562]

The back of the bridge top to the tailpiece saddle is usually one sixth of the open string length or in pitch terms the remaining length gives a tone two octaves and a fifth above the open string.

@@peterstephen1562 thanks man!! really helpful info!!

@@peterstephen1562 in my bass is not the same in the 4 strings.. (is a compensate tailpiece), a mayor 3rd in A and E and something like a diminished 5 in G and a mayor 6th in D.... is that ok?

[@keithrawlings7741]

Wonderful information here!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Thanks :-)

[@pabloarruda]

That was an amazing explanation! Thanks a lot to both of you!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Glad you enjoyed it! :-)

[@luke_bass91]

Thanks a lot. Great video!

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

You are welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it :-)

Truly enlightening! Thank you very much.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much.

[@mikelawct]

Great vid you need to know these basics for sure. Also you should know the proper way to replace strings. I use an L square to make sure bridge is perpendicular to the top

[@peterstephen1562]

For a low action it is better to have a slight relief only from the 12th.semitone position to the nut and dead straight from the 12th. to the end. The more relief there is the higher the action must be.

[@peterstephen1562]

By that last comment I mean that the string height at the board end can never be lower than it is at the octave position. That is : the amount of relief sets the minimum action height.

[@ASMRHongKong]

Thanks The Excellent Teaching Video 👍👍👍

[@drjazzproject]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! from Ukraine.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

You are welcome! :-)

[@michaelanderson001]

I wish he would have described how to adjust a soundpost, especially if it became dislodged at a performance.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

That's a great topic. I'm sure we will get to it in a future video.

[@chriswelsh6170]

Thank you. String height for Arco makes sense. How much difference for a slap technique using Thomastik super flexible strings?

[@johnljspiro]

Very informative video, thanks guys. Is that .4 mm at the nut the same on every string?

[@Nuit__official_]

3:35 Hello, I have a question. The bridge on my double bass is curved at the back and flat at the front, is this the wrong setting?

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

The flatter side of the bridge faces towards the tailpiece and the more curved side towards the fingerboard. If your bridge is fitted in the opposite direction take care that the bridge feet are fitted (shaped) correctly to the top. It's possible that turning around a bridge could cause issues if that's what you are considering. I always recommend a luthier to fit (shape) the bridge feet.

[@analizandoliteratura9958]

Is it true that a business card can be used as a some kind of measurement or reference to fit under the strings in the nut area ?

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Yes, that's often how it's been done for a rough guide.

[@DavidSantos-sv3pm]

And what about the tunning of the "small strings" between the bridge and the tail piece? I feel that when they are in tune the bass resonates more but how to get that in tune? All the best

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

I've never looked into that, but I think you can tune the after length of the string with special bridges.

[@kennedyparadabrasil4734]

Brasil otimo

[@Benjybass]

Their soundpost explanation isn't complete: no mention of how to position it with a soundpost setter which can actually be very complicated for a beginner. If you don't know how to do it, then leave it to someone who does.

[@DiscoverDoubleBass]

Yes, we deliberately don't cover any of the actual setup work in this video and strongly recommend that it be done by an experienced luthier.