Foam damper

Rocker

Anyone here use a bit of foam to damp the strings of their bass. I hope to get a sponge tomorrow and try it out.

Funkfingers

I have a damper built in to my Rickenbacker. It rarely sees any use.

The bridge of my fretless Stingray has four rectangular tarnish marks where the adjustable damper pads used to be.

Some people who seek to emulate the sound of James Jamerson push a strip of foam under their strings close to the bridge. I find that this screws with the intonation. This is not hugely critical for the Jamerson thud but still annoying.

In the book, Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, Pino Palladino is photographed with an improvised foam block damper on his vintage red Precision Bass.

Judge for yourself. Try it. Then, try conventional palm muting.

Bridgehouse

The cheap way is a cut out bit of green sponge from one of those kitchen scourer jobs. 

Chop a chunk of soft green foam off, shove it under the strings by the bridge. Play it. 

It'll either be pleasing, or piss you off..

revsorg

Have you seen this Scott's Bass Lessons video?  He's a really inspiring guy, not just for his bass playing 

JezWynd

Funkfingers said:

I have a damper built in to my Rickenbacker. It rarely sees any use.

I'm not keen on the Ric damper, the material seems a bit too hard - getting it adjusted just right so that it dampens without killing the note is finicky. A straight piece of foam or sponge under the strings is the best way to go imo.

pintspiller

@rocker how it go?

Rocker

@pintspiller, I got a soft sponge but did not get the time to cut it and try it out.  Life often does that to one,.......

StanleyAccrington

I had a foam 'bar' on the bridge of my Fender Mustang bass many years ago. I thought at the time it was just transit padding and removed it. In hindsight it was a mistake. The sound of the lowest string was always boomy and indistinct and I reckon the foam was there to help combat this. You live and learn.

fftc

My experience is that the foam has to be the right size and consistency, but when it is it can work well and hasn't given me any intonation issues.

I use these. https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/255308958
Cut the top end just a shade longer than your action is high. Trim the ends so it is just a shade wider than the bridge, and fit standing upright IYSWIM. Slide it right up to touch the base of the bridge plate (on a P anyway) and I think the narrowness stops it changing the intonation. Can be fitted and removed easily and does just enough of the job of dampening the strings without doing too much.

sticker

I use the technique described by @Bridgehouse , it works well enough for my needs (to occaisionally play some Motown style basslines with a similar sound) .

PhilKing

I use a piece of foam from an old Bare Knuckles pickup box.  It works really well on my 57 P-bass (with flatwounds).

ICBM

StanleyAccrington said:

I had a foam 'bar' on the bridge of my Fender Mustang bass many years ago. I thought at the time it was just transit padding and removed it. In hindsight it was a mistake. The sound of the lowest string was always boomy and indistinct and I reckon the foam was there to help combat this. You live and learn.

That seems to be something of a feature of Mustang Basses... I had one years ago and noticed that, especially bad on the F and F# on the low E string. The chap I sold it to found the same thing, and quickly sold it on.

Years later, the same chap has now lent me another one he got, which isn't as bad - it's also missing the mute foam though, and I'm tempted to replace it just to give that odd spring thing at the front of the bridge something to do .

Rocker

Finally got to try out the foam damper on my Precision.  The foam sponge was found in the car accessories section of our local DIY store.  Bright yellow, it has 'holes' rather like some cheeses!  Cut a little strip with a utility knife and set out to find what it does to the sound of my bass. 

I used two very different amps: Blackstar Fly Bass and a Markbass Minimark 802 for the tests.  Results were pretty consistent and, to my ears, improved the bass sound by removing the sparkle of newish strings.  And the louder I played, the more the damper improved the sound.  I know this sounds a bit geekish, but at lower volumes, by angling the foam away from the bridge on the E string, improved the sound.  For some reason, mainly damping, I tend not to play open strings but with the foam damper in place, open strings are now on the menu.  Low E at volume is an impressive sound.  And the foam seems to keep it in some sort of control.

Testing such things reminds me of the worst excesses of hi-fi fanatics!  Or when I last setup a Linn LP12 turntable.  Setting the cartridge overhang was straightforward enough, setting the tracking weight and bias was when you began to question your own sanity. 

How the foam damper on the Precision performs in a band situation remains to be seen, a practice is planned for this week or next.  I will report back.

Octafish

I'm a fan of a foam damper, use one on my P bass copy (just a bit of a large car sponge). I don't play bass live, just on band demos and recordings (we have bass player retention issues). The foam tightens up the sound nicely, particularly open strings, and I never record without it in place.

Paul_C

A few years ago I spent an afternoon with a Washburn acoustic bass trying to get it to sound more like a double bass.

I tried lots of different thicknesses and densities of foam, but the closest I got was with some loosely rolled kitchen towel, which which worked way better than the sponge.

Bridgehouse

Paul_C said:

A few years ago I spent an afternoon with a Washburn acoustic bass trying to get it to sound more like a double bass.

I tried lots of different thicknesses and densities of foam, but the closest I got was with some loosely rolled kitchen towel, which which worked way better than the sponge.

Bounce?