CalJock Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 (edited) Hey all, just wondered if anyone could offer up some advice. I live in a flat, where there are people in a basement flat below me, and someone in the flat upstairs because of the noise complaints I get when playing at a regular volume I've found that I can't practice the upright at all unless I go to the back of the flat in the middle of the day and play quiet. I got someone to play my bass when I went to the downstairs flat, and it just turns their flat into a bass trap (which explains my noise complaints). I don't really want to upset them more than I have because they've just had a baby and the guy who lives there is a bouncer. Also I went busking the other day and realised that I've lost all my calluses! I wondered if anyone could offer some advice as to either 1) something to stop the upright turning my neighbours flats into bass traps, or 2) a way to harden my calluses without playing at volume. Cheers Edited December 1, 2011 by CalJock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 For starters, have you tried a mute like [url="http://www.alangregory.co.uk/music/Ultra_Heavy_Rubber_Double_Bass_Practice_Mute.html"]this one[/url]? I haven't, to be honest, but it looks cheap enough to be worth a gamble. The only other suggestion I would have is pulling up your floorboards (perhaps just in the one room you want to practice in) and stuffing the gap with sound-murdering material. The last time I lived in a flat it was insulated in that way and I never heard a peep from the upstairs neighbours and they never heard us either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Swap flats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1322746724' post='1455257'] The only other suggestion I would have is pulling up your floorboards (perhaps just in the one room you want to practice in) and stuffing the gap with sound-murdering material. The last time I lived in a flat it was insulated in that way and I never heard a peep from the upstairs neighbours and they never heard us either. [/quote] Or put some of this down: http://soundstop.co.uk/ZABSLAY15.php and if necessary lay chipboard on top. This will decouple the bass's spike from the floorboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 [quote name='bremen' timestamp='1322746950' post='1455263'] Or put some of this down: [url="http://soundstop.co.uk/ZABSLAY15.php"]http://soundstop.co.uk/ZABSLAY15.php[/url] and if necessary lay chipboard on top. This will decouple the bass's spike from the floorboards. [/quote] This. Although you might try using just an single small piece of auralex under the spike (as well as the mute) and see how far that gets you. One of the few pluses of living in the country is having no near neighbours. Mind you, the ones you do have pack shotguns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I have this problem. It's a real drag and if you are using the bow it's even worse. Practice mutes help, but don't solve the problem. I've reluctantly decided to buy an EUB. I'm staying in a hotel till christmas eve and I'm going mad not being able to practice. I'm now spending my time trying to find an eub as much like an upright as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fonzoooroo Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Those "ultra" mutes are pretty effective - (saying that, I've only got one for cello - not bass) they seriously cut the acoustic sound. I reckon you could do a lot worse than getting hold of a piece of board and gluing foam underneath, then stand the bass on that. It's the vibration you're trying to disconnect as much as the sound. ... Some of this: [url="http://www.studiospares.com/sound-insulation/auralex-platfoam/invt/461330/"]http://www.studiospares.com/sound-insulation/auralex-platfoam/invt/461330/[/url] round the edges of a board, either a small one just to stand the bass on, or if that's awkward, a metre square board (with more foam underneath to withstand your weight) so you can stand on it to play. I did something of the sort for when I was practicing EUB when I lived with my parents - The vibration used to rattle the light in the living room below... foam under a foot square board fixed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Just a thought, and feel free to shoot me down in flames but how about an Auralex Gramma Pad? Just shorten your spike a wee bit and put it on top of that. Being the height it is I would imagine it would be a better barrier against direct transfer through the floor boards/joists than that thinner high mass flooring, it would probably be a cheaper outlay to try too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1322746938' post='1455262'] Swap flats? [/quote] what, and put roundwounds on a DB? you sir, are a deviant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalJock Posted December 2, 2011 Author Share Posted December 2, 2011 Cheers for the advice, I think I'm gonna give a mute combined with somekind of insulated block a go, seeing as how I just found a bunch of carpet and underlay, I figure that I can get some "proper" sound insulating material to go into it as well and hopefully end up with something that stops the complaints Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Worth a try since it's cheap to do, and you get good neighbour points for trying either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 And if you think you've got a problem, living in a flat I used to have to practice the trumpet by standing in a closet playing up the sleeve of an overcoat. Really. Bass seemed the easier option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalJock Posted December 2, 2011 Author Share Posted December 2, 2011 Hmmm.... if an overcoat works for muting a trumpet I may invest in a hefty coat for my bass, and maybe a hat for over the scroll, yes I think the "dress-up-your-bass" kit might help, even if it just makes me feel less bad about how little time i've been devoting to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 You think YOU'VE got problems with the neighbours? Mine was banging on the door at 3am this morning. Lucky for him I was up doing bagpipe practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabillybob1 Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 next time you have a bath put the bass in with you and play it underwater that will damp it down , id advise weedwacker strings then they dont rust ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 (edited) I think one of the most important things you can do is have a dialogue with your neighbours, if that's possible it's amazing how much less they will 'hear' you if they think you care about disturbing them, if you agree times and try to accommodate them, if they are reasonable people then it works wonders. Obviously there are people out there that won't be reasonable but it's worth establishing that first IMV All the deadening advice above is sound.... geddit... it's [i]sound[/i].... geddit (skulks away reaching for coat) Edited December 2, 2011 by jakesbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 A cheap(ish...) sound insulator can be made up of a couple of squares of ply, with four holes, one near each corner. A tennis ball (yes, old ones will do...) in each hole on the bottom square, the second square on top of that. The holes are there to stop the balls from rolling around. This gives a decent suspension, isolating the vibrations of the bass from the floor. Here's a pic of the version used for drumset insolation; reduce the size for just the bass, and you should be fine... [attachment=94352:Soun_Proo.jpg] ...Hope this helps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunker Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 I used to have this problem. I got one of the rubber mutes mentioned before, which helped a great deal. After advice from Paul King, I also stuffed the gaps in the "comb" with some pieces of soft sponge.This damps the vibration considerably more than the mute alone. You have to strap the mute to the bridge with a piece of velcro to stop the sponge from lifting the mute off. I've also made some plugs for my f-holes from more dense foam (the sort used in flight-cases). I made templates from paper, then cut the plugs out a few mm oversize so they fit fairly tight. The effect of both these methods is considerable. I would estimate it stops at least 70% of the acoustic energy and I can practice whenever I like really. I hope this helps, and will take some pics if anyone is interested. Ewan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ficelles Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 (edited) I hate to rain on the mute idea but I'm afraid it won't do much to low frequencies, it's more of a high frequency damper for arco practice. I had a nightmare scenario in my last place with a total jack*ss in the flat above who objected to everything from anyone, never mind the fact that all around him could hear his radio, tv and video games. Every time I played the acoustic he complained (sure it was audible, but no more than his pigging x-box!). One night he hammered on the door after I'd had a beer or two and I told him to go f*ck himself and soon after he had a row with the landlord and suddenly moved on, but then he wasn't a bouncer... If you have sound insulations problems then EUB is really the only way as low frequencies will always carry. I'm in a different flat now with much better sound insulation but even so I limit my acoustic practice far more than I would like to. ficelles Edited December 3, 2011 by ficelles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bassman Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Maybe you need a [url="http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/strings/silentbasses/slb-100/?mode=model"]silent bass[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1322851524' post='1456744'] A cheap(ish...) sound insulator can be made up of a couple of squares of ply, with four holes, one near each corner. A tennis ball (yes, old ones will do...) in each hole on the bottom square, the second square on top of that. The holes are there to stop the balls from rolling around. This gives a decent suspension, isolating the vibrations of the bass from the floor. Here's a pic of the version used for drumset insolation; reduce the size for just the bass, and you should be fine... [attachment=94352:Soun_Proo.jpg] ...Hope this helps... [/quote] Oh good call! Seen this done to suspend an entire studio floow (used alot more tennis balls, but same principle). Must be the cheapest reasonable means of getting a suspended floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Looking at the suggestions already posted, I'm wondering whether taking the rubber bung off the endpin spike and harpooning a tennis ball with it might be worth trying? Perhaps along with plugging the f-holes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 [quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' timestamp='1323075326' post='1458825'] Looking at the suggestions already posted, I'm wondering whether taking the rubber bung off the endpin spike and harpooning a tennis ball with it might be worth trying? Perhaps along with plugging the f-holes [/quote] I guess it's worth a go, but I've tried loads of similar things & didn't get anywhere. It's a real pain. Let us know how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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