Staggering on

I have a Stagg but I'm trying out an SLB200 and wonder if the strings are set up correctly.It is used but in perfect condition but I have no idea of who owned it or what it was used for.I have lowered the bridge almost as far as it can go but the strings still seem very high,especially at the nut.It doesn't look like any work has been done on the nut,neck or bridge and the neck looks OK.It is hard to get good sound and is hard to play compared to the Stagg.I'm trying to use proper technique but I'm a bit frustrated.The woody sound could be great but it is hard to judge when I have to work so hard at it-yeah,I know it's supposed to tough.I've played it for several hours now and all my adjustments haven't made much of an improvement. Any suggestions would be appreciated,especially related to string height at the nut.I have played another SLB 200 and it wasn't like this one. Maybe it's the strings!Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

Nicely done.It looks good and it does the job-a clever piece of work.

Today I tried playing my Stagg on the stand and it is possible by moving the neck support down so it holds the body.By lowering the bracket that holds the end pin it gets to a reasonable playing height.I don't plan to use it this way but it could work well if you modified the neck support bracket or replaced it with something to attach the body directly to the stand.Seems simpler than trying to modify something else since most of the bits are already in place.I like to move when I play so it's not for me.

Checking around various dealers the shipping weight of the Stagg EDB34 is usually about 21-22 pounds as opposed to the NXT4 which is under 13 pounds.That may explain why the Stagg stand is so large.I have a Stagg stand and use it to hold the unwieldy beast at home and between sets at gigs but I don't use it when I'm playing it although apparently some people do.I find it easy to use when I am switching from the Stagg to my EB at gigs and the size and weight of the stand makes it safe and secure.I would rather have the weight properly supported and avoid disasters. I like to use the end pin because it makes me feel like I'm playing a "real" bass and I can move around while playing.Guess I'm a wannabe DB player. Good luck with your project. Bob in Canada Another thought-some welding and fabrication shops have very creative people who might be able to make exactly what you need and you have input in the design.

I am using some foam now and I like the result. After a 2 month learning period I finally played my Stagg on a gig.This involved 4 sets of mostly jazz standards and I used the Stagg on at least 90% of the tunes!I got out my old Yamaha EB for a few numbers but the Stagg has become the "go to" bass for me.We recorded the gig and I was amazed at the fact that it sounded so good and that I was pretty much in tune most of the time.Of course there were lots of questions about "the stick" and there is a definite "wow"factor when you show up with one of these.People who had heard us at other gigs were impressed with the sound (and some of them were musicians).All in all a good night and a boost for my confidence.I find my playing style has changed since I got the Stagg and I'm trying things I never would have done on the EB.I'm glad I bought it and would like to thank people at Basschat who have helped out,what a useful site. Right now I'm watching Kate Davis doing "All About That Bass".That should raise the profile of basses a bit-if you haven't seen her,check it out. Bob in Canada

I wonder if I have accidentally discovered a little thing about my Stagg.I have noticed a couple of times that the bridge seems to have a tendency to lean towards the end of the fingerboard after a lot of playing.It's easy to just push it back to upright but it may need a bit of tuning.The important thing is that when the bridge is back where it should be the position dots on the side of the fingerboard suddenly become accurate again!I wonder if some of the comments about the inaccurate placement of the dots might be due to the bridge and whether it is set up properly.I didn't notice this the first time or two when I adjusted the bridge but I have paid attention to it more recently.It makes sense when you see the top of the bridge move up to 1/4inch! I have only had the Stagg for a couple of months and I'm having a lot of fun with it-first gig in about 10 days when I will be using it more than my EB.That said,due to my work schedule I have probably put in well over 100 hours playing since I got it(I have no life) which may explain why the bridge has moved so much.Anybody else have issues like that with the bridge? Trying to play some hot bass in cold Canada(-27C this AM). Bob

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1421858352' post='2665894'] If you go too low it will play easier but a lot less DB like and lose some of the thump, make sure the nut slots are cut deep enough but not too deep. Mine is about 9mm on the E reducing evenly to the G at about 6mm I think. Of course different strings will have different tensions too so there is no definitive answer really [/quote]Good advice,thanks. Bob

[quote name='Erik' timestamp='1421908766' post='2666406'] E 9 down to G 6 is about what I use on my Stagg (and on my acoustic bass too for that matter). That works fine for both arco (which I play most) and pizz. Most Staggs are setup pretty high to prevent buzzing (as the painted fingerboards are not the smoothest in the world and both the painted and the rosewood FBs have too little or no scoop at all) Cheers, Erik [/quote]Thanks for the advice.I measured mine and the heights are close to yours. Bob

Hi again from Canada Anybody have a suggestion for the height of the strings above the end of the fingerboard?My EDB34 was set up very high when I got it from the previous owner.I know there are some measurements in other posts on this site but I wonder if there was a factory set height.I play in a jazz quartet and would like to know what set up other people use in a setting like this. Thanks Bob

Hello from Ontario Canada!I got a Stagg EDB34 just over a month ago and I'm having way too much fun with it.See my post in introductions and can someone tell me(not very good on my Macbook yet)how to post to this page.I have questions in my introduction page but I'd like to be part of the Stagg page. Thanks Bob....still Staggering on.... ...oops,dumb question,I just posted to this page.Anyway,I am on the introduction page.Have patience,I'm an old guy.

Hello from northern Ontario in Canada.This morning it was -26C and we have lots of snow so it will be a perfect day to stay inside and spend some time with my EDB34.I got the beast(used) about a month ago and have been spending(not wasting!) 2-3 hours a day working with it.I've been playing guitar(1967 Gibson J50) for over 50(gasp) years and electric bass for about 25 years.Most of the bass playing has been in jazz or blues bands and I have been in my current band for almost 5 years playing jazz standards.The band has piano/vocal,drums,tenor/clarinet and me on my trusty old Yamaha RB750A with flatwound strings and singing on a few songs.For quite a while I have been thinking about getting an EUB and when I saw one for sale only about 200km away(remember,this is Canada) I went for it.I've never had so much fun and the band loves the sound and the look of it.I have checked out the lessons from Geoff(thanks for the tip on Basschat)and would recommend his site.The Stagg will get its debut on a gig early next month and will be used on most of our songs(we have about 140+ in our playlist)with a few played on the Yamaha. I think string height is still an issue(suggested measurements?)with me but they were set very high when I got it and have since lowered them a lot.I have also found that as the battery starts to lose power a long time before it abruptly dies,I begin to get a lot of hiss and it is not the cable or amp(Laney).The hiss was in the earphones too so if you have this problem check your battery voltage. Time to put some more wood in the stove,pour a coffee and get to work on some tunes. Stay warm everyone. Bob