The Traeger Principal says that all elements of the bass vibrate and thus play a role, however large or small, in the sound of the instrument. This simple formula holds the key to configuring string instruments to custom specifications and it is at the crux of Traeger’s third and final book: String Instrument Setups: 10 Setups That Will Make Your Instrument Louder, Better, and Easier to Play. The book is the culmination of forty-five years of acoustic research involving every string instrument with a moveable bridge and a moveable tailpiece, or one that can be made moveable.

Charlie Traeger, one hip cat and a regularly frustrated client of NYC’s instrument repair shops, began his pursuit of sonic perfection in the Big Band era. He opened his first repair shop in 1969, and before he knew it, he found himself handling the instruments of school band novices and the New York Philharmonic alike. On his seventieth birthday, Traeger retired from musicianship and devoted himself to comprehensively documenting all he had learned about his craft. Two decades later, shortly after he put the finishing touches on String Instrument Setups, Chuck Traeger passed away on November 9, 2016 at the age of 90.

Albeit with a heavy heart, Hal Leonard Books are proud to present this remarkable man’s parting gift to generations of current and future musicians.

String Instrument Setups: 10 Setups That Will Make Your Instrument Louder, Better, And Easier To Play available at Amazon.com