Aubert Bass Bridge Luxe, Belgian Model, ZR-B21B

Technical data

Features

• Bridge blank for double bass, Aubert no. 21
• Fitted by the violin maker

In practice

• This bridge is a blank. It is not supplied finished and is not a do-it-yourself item: fitting the feet, thinning, curving and finishing are done by a violin maker with special tools.
• Before ordering you need two figures: the foot width and the instrument size. Foot width is also chosen with the sound post position in mind, so talk to your violin maker first.
• Aubert manufactures in Mirecourt from selected maple, seasoned naturally over several years in defined stages.
• Signs of quality in a blank are straight, close grain, annual rings running straight across, and pronounced medullary flecks. The flecks are mainly a visual criterion.
• A common mix-up: stars on a bridge are not an Aubert quality marker.
• The grades differ in the selection of the wood; on the instrument, cutting and fitting by the violin maker shape the result.

Versions

• 158 mm, ZR-B21B-4_4-158
• 139 mm, ZR-B21B-3_4-139

Sound and physics

The double bass bridge stands around 15 cm high, with an average string length of around 107 cm. Like every bridge it is a vibrating component whose resonances fall with added mass, and the fit of the feet on the top plate helps determine how much of the string vibration arrives there.

The foot width follows the size of the instrument: guide values are 160 to 165 mm for 4/4, 145 to 155 mm for 3/4 and 135 to 140 mm for 1/2. Five-string basses need a bridge of their own; Aubert offers one, for example, for number 21 as the ZRB21/5.

The maple of a bridge blank (density around 650 kg/m³) is around five times as stiff in bending along the grain as across it. Modulus of elasticity and damping (how quickly a vibration dies away in the wood) vary from tree to tree by around ±25 and ±50 per cent, so that even boards from the same tree turn out differently.

Aubert sorts its blanks into quality grades that can be read from the number; the pattern carries its own marker, such as the B for the Belgian model. 'Aubert Mirecourt' is the house stamp and at the same time the name of the basic grade; above it come 'Luxe' and, as the highest of the grades we carry, 'De Luxe', recognisable by the L in the number.

Our experience

Frequently asked questions

Which foot width does my double bass need?

As a guide, 160 to 165 mm on a 4/4, 145 to 155 mm on a 3/4 and 135 to 140 mm on a 1/2. The violin maker takes the exact measurement on the instrument.

Are there Aubert bridges for five-string basses?

Yes, number 21 also comes as the five-string version ZRB21/5. Please get in touch with us directly about it.

What does the number on an Aubert bridge blank mean?

It denotes the quality grade of the blank. Above the basic grade 'Aubert Mirecourt' come 'Luxe' and 'De Luxe'; the L in the number stands for De Luxe.

Why is a bridge supplied as a blank?

Because every bridge is fitted to its own instrument: the violin maker sets the feet, height, thickness and curve on the instrument itself. How well the feet fit the top plate helps determine how the vibration is transmitted.

Are stars on a bridge an Aubert quality mark?

No, Aubert marks its grades by number and name. We know stars as a grading mark from other makers, Teller bridges for example.

These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.