anyone know where to find affordable adjustable bridge?

[BassInMyFace]

hey hey!
my adventures with the upright are going well so far. as expected the set up is basically awful on the bass i bought and the bridge especially is giving me cause for concern.
there seems to be a big chunk that has been chipped off between A and D string that whilst not immediately has any effect, i think it might be a good idea to replace. i dont think its fitted very well either as feet didnt look flush. have tried moving it around a bit. definite improvement on E string resonance with bridge higher up body but A string sounds awful (prob the string tho) and now action is too high to be comfortable.
as a quick side question, how dodgy is it to make bridge adjustments by slacking off tension? i admit i did collapse it once by accident but everyone survived unscathed. is it ened of the world? ie if i wanted to sand down the bridge can i safely remove it?

therefore...

very keen on getting an adjustable bridge but they dont seem to exist in the uk unless for silly money, £120+
am planning to experiment with all styles so reckon adjustable is the way to go.

have seen gollihur music has one for about 80 dollars delivered.

[b]does anyone know of a uk supplier that can beat that?[/b]
[b](also anyone used one from gollihur, are they any good?)[/b]

i have like a million other questions but am gonna spread them out by topic so people dont get tired of me....

[sarah thomas]

Pete Tyler's book 'About the Double Bass - a player's guide' has several pages on the function of a bridge, how to profile and fit the bridge, includiing profile templates and if you're feeling brave, how to fit bridge height adjusters. New bridges will need profiling and fitting. A lot of people go to a luthier. No, it's not cheap. But the DB is a money pit. As a newcomer myself, I'd be inclined to buy Pete's book, choose a new bridge and have a go at fitting it myself. If I was trying to fit bridge adjusters, I'd have a go on a couple of cheapo templates before attempting it on the real deal. Measure twice, cut once!

[Gareth Hughes]

Buying from Bob Gollihur is effortless and painless. Bob, and Mark - his son, are great guys to deal with. If you have any concerns or queries, they're always happy to take a call, tho take the time difference into account. One thing about buying a bridge from anyone, is that you'll still have to match the feet on the bridge to the surface of your bass. That could be tricky if you're not confident about it. I'll happily take apart bass guitars and modify them til the cows come home, but with double basses I wouldn't risk it. It's worth the extra money to get a qualified and trusted luthier to do it properly. And you'll also be able to get the bass set-up to optimal performance while you're at it.

[fatback]

+1 for Golllihur's. Got mine from them and it's excellent.

[BassInMyFace]

seems like gollihur's is the way to go.

and yes, i have already spoken with the violin shop down the road who said they will fit the bridge. as you say, its one thing being a bit handy but to get best sound and performance i reckon it needs a pro.
as the existing bridge is a NOT great fit and is damaged i think i will purchase the gollihur bridge and get luthier to fit.

thanks for info folks.

Edited February 14, 2012 by BassInMyFace

[BassBod]

The Gollihur bridge is good, but it will save a lot of potential hassle to get it fitted by someone with (a lot of) experience. When you slacken the strings everything, including the internal sound post, becomes mobile. Its also a good time for a general fine tuning - nut slots, endpin fit, tailpiece chord etc.

Good luck, but the end results should be well worth it

[Maxcat]

I bought a Bass Max pick up from Golihurs and it was seemless. Great site and quick delivery. Will definately use them again

[Mr Bassman]

[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/gewa_bass_steg_34.htm"]Thomann[/url] do one

and so do [url="http://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/products/adjustable-bridges-166/double-bass-bridge-with-adjusters-247.aspx"]Touchstone[/url] Tonewoods

or you can buy adjusters and retrofit them to your existing bridge

[SeanFitzpatrick]

Kai Dase Violins can make, repair, alter your bridge, set up your bass 01159587663, in Nottingham centre

[KaiDase]

Hello BassInMyFace, if you have a million questions I might be able to help you with them.

I wish you luck with sorting out your adjustable bridge, if you need any help I'm happy to assist. I've done bass repairs for almost 15 years and things a novice might struggle with can be easy and straightforward to the luthier.

I can talk you through it step by step and we can figure out what needs doing to improve the bass. Pictures help :-)

Best wishes,
Kai

PS: Thanks Sean for the plug :-)

[BassInMyFace]

Appreciate the offer Kai. I will almost certainly take you up on that!! have taken the plunge and bought a gollihur bridge and will see how much the local places will quote me to fit it. I think for the bridge fitting it's worth getting a pro to sort it. As it's so fundamental to sound I know I would just question every dead spot and rattle if I wasn't confident of the fit.

For all the other set up questions I'm coming to you though!! You will rue the day you opened this can of worms!!

[TPJ]

[quote name='BassInMyFace' timestamp='1329474732' post='1542922']...You will rue the day you opened this can of worms!![/quote]

Let's just hope it aint wood worms

[SeanFitzpatrick]

Hi Kai, good to see you on here.Thanks for everything with the Bass and for all the Coffee and advice.
Kai's shop is a Wow,a huge lounge,complete with Baby Grand,often being played,by friends and the general public.
He has some beautiful Basses,even more Violin's.
He is also the perfect host,serving light refreshments to customers and the General Public,who are drawn to the window full of beautiful instruments.
There are impromptu jams,interesting conversations,with friends you never met,the smell of coffee and the sound of the baby grand,flow around the building.
Kai workshop is also a must,Instruments under construction and repair,the level of craftsmanship and his attention to detail and skills are incredible.

I found Kai's shop purely by chance traveling into Nottingham,Christmas shopping,my Lady spotted the basses in the window,although there was nothing available in my Budget,Kai offered to check over any potential instrument if I required,several times I posted/telephoned and asked his advice,Kai set up the bass,I eventually purchased,the work was completed on time,for the agreed price,at every stage.I might just be starting on my Double bass journey,but I realized that finding a willing and able Luther,that I could trust was an essential.I am sure that Kai is this person for me,I invited him as have a few others to join Bass Chat,I am pleased to see him here,He has already made his presence felt posting on the boards.

I am sure Kai will help through this forum,offering his help and advice,but please,visting the shop experiencing the Strad lounge and Kai's hospitality is also a must,I am sure Kai would also appreciate us allowing him to work on our instruments.