bridge position

[NickA]

Took my bridge off to fix its adjusters....and forgot to mark where it had been.  Experimentation time!

 

The usual rule is, I think, to align the middle of the bridge with the f-hole notches... But that sounded rather soft and dull, warm but unexciting. Recalled that on my cello, it's harder to play but has a better tone with the bridge shifted down towards the tail piece ...but that made my bass sound softer and duller.

 

Moving the bridge nearer the fingerboard brightened the tone and improved the attack... Also a bit harsh and "boxy".  So back a bit and now it sounds better than ever.

 

Are there any useful rules about where the bridge should go and what effect different placements have on the sound ?... or is every bass different and it's just a matter of experimentation?

[Hellzero]

Looks like you've found already the sweet spot which is around the f-hole notches. 😉

[Beer of the Bass]

I suspect the difference you hear when shifting a bridge backwards or forwards slightly is the change in the relative position of the soundpost qnd the bridge foot. If you move it by 5mm, say, that's going to be a barely noticeable change in scale length, but a significant change in the gap between bridge and soundpost. 

[bassace]

And the string heights will alter.