BassBus Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 This is one for those of us lucky enough to buy a custom bass from new. I picked up my Overwater SDS about three months ago now and at the time there was something about the tone that didn't quite settle in with me. Here we are three months on and the tone seems to have matured and fattened up to a tone I am more than happy with. I had exactly the same experience with my Status S2 fretless. Didn't really like the tone in the first few weeks but six years on it is just sublime, perfect. Is this something that happens with a new instrument. Afterall not long ago the Overwater was just a few bits of raw wood. I suppose glue takes time to cure as will finish. Given time those bits of wood all become one. Has anyone else noticed anything like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Its just you getting used to it, strings playing in a bit, things like that Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Assuming it hasn't been finished with a nitro finish you'd imagine that all curing and outgassing has already happened by the time you get it. However, I suppose there's one possible area where change might occur - the neck. If it's tuned to pitch and held continuously under tension where previously the wood wouldn't have had that stress on it, can the cellular structure of the timber change and would that affect how it responds to vibration? I don't know the answer; it may make some, little, or no difference with a bass neck but it is a long piece of wood and it's known that you don't leave traditional long bows strung because they lose their strength. According to the University of Cambridge: "time-dependent deformation such as creep and viscoelasticity occur in wood. Creep of wood makes it important that longbows or violins are not left tightly strung. Creep occurs due to movement of the non-crystalline (amorphous) sections of the cellulose microfibrils." http://www.doitpoms.ac.uk/tlplib/wood/printall.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 I'm sure there is an amount of getting used to it but that doesn't explain my experience with my ACG. That I managed to get a fine tone from within days. That was four years old when I bought it earlier this year. I was once told of a violin maker who, having finished an instrument, placed it on one of his hifi speakers for a few days. He felt that "played" the instrument in. There must be an element of that with solid bodies as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Having come to bass from trombone I remember the storey from Denis Wick a maker of mouth pieces for brass instruments, he wrote a small pocket book. One storey was about a guy who could not get a certain note on his trombone who discussed this with is teacher. Who then had a go and blew the note hard and long into the instrument and from that day on the student could also play that note. He uses this storey to explain how all instruments improve with age as the vibration from playing aligns the molecular structure of the brass or wood. Vibrations and resonant frequencies of the notes seem to lock themselves within structure of the instrument. Well there are plenty of 300 year old cellos and violins as well as 60's basses that support this. So am not suprised at your comments and probably is more than just you getting used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 Interesting it happens to more than just wood. My double bass certainly improved with age. Even during any one session. It might start out with an OK tone but within half an hour that tone had improved again, much greater depth to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I also think older instruments even electric basses would have been made with seasoned woods , cheaper mass produced instruments today are not, A luthier would ensure he selects woods from reliable sources, the best he can get hence the price tag and better consistent tone if you are willing to pay the money. You could try leaving your bass on its stand in front of the stereo all day while you are out at work well it was a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 The whole wood changing thing is nice in theory.... but the second bass the OP uses as an example is a status.... not much wood there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1408907985' post='2534534'] The whole wood changing thing is nice in theory.... but the second bass the OP uses as an example is a status.... not much wood there [/quote] Yeah I spotted that, which is why I thought it [i]might[/i] be a possible source of change for his SDS and maybe other conventionally built basses. I don't know enough about carbon fibre to say how it behaves under constant stress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 [quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1408909015' post='2534544'] Yeah I spotted that, which is why I thought it [i]might[/i] be a possible source of change for his SDS and maybe other conventionally built basses. I don't know enough about carbon fibre to say how it behaves under constant stress. [/quote] Nothing I would have thought, Isn't that what it's designed to do? To be uber lightweight and strong and work under constant stress... otherwise you wouldn't be able to use it for things like F1 cars, Tour de France bikes and so on. You can't have a F1 car where you drive it far enough and the road vibrations cause it to develop all sorts of resonant frequencies in it's suspension armature.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Yes I'm in complete agreement about the virtues of carbon fibre - it's great stuff! As an aside, what do you reckon Status use the "walnut centre tone block" for in the S2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1408910737' post='2534555'] Nothing I would have thought, Isn't that what it's designed to do? To be uber lightweight and strong and work under constant stress... otherwise you wouldn't be able to use it for things like F1 cars, Tour de France bikes and so on. You can't have a F1 car where you drive it far enough and the road vibrations cause it to develop all sorts of resonant frequencies in it's suspension armature.... [/quote] They were saying on the GP at the w/e F1 cars now have vibration sensors and if they pass a certain level they have to retire the car/change the tyres. Something to do with the suspension components and in order to get them light/strong there is a trade off and they can just shake to bits due to tyre degradation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1408907985' post='2534534'] The whole wood changing thing is nice in theory.... but the second bass the OP uses as an example is a status.... not much wood there [/quote] No, there isn't much wood in my Status except the five different pieces that were stuck together to make the body. It' a bolt-on as well so no neck through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1408961630' post='2534870'] They were saying on the GP at the w/e F1 cars now have vibration sensors and if they pass a certain level they have to retire the car/change the tyres. Something to do with the suspension components and in order to get them light/strong there is a trade off and they can just shake to bits due to tyre degradation [/quote] Yeah now you mention it, after one of the Mercedes (was it?) flat-spotted his tyre and with the ensuing vibration he asked his pit crew about it and they said it was just about at the limit; I know suspensions have failed after hitting kerbs hard... watching all the bits flying off front wings after contact and the shards left on track afterwards... it's strong and light but not quite as resilient as they'd like. I understand as well that Status ended up having to put truss rods inside their necks; earlier versions didn't have them and they weren't quite as stable as they'd hoped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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