Introduction

[NelloSanti]

Hi everyone

Just registered and thought I'd introduce myself. First off all let me tell you that I am not a bass player (my daughter is). She had been playing a 1/2 size laminate borrowed from the the school until I stumbled across a 'bargain' just before Christmas which I couldn't refuse. A friend of a friend wanted to sell a Double Bass which had been sitting in his loft for a number of years. His asking price was £250 ($350??) and I managed to beat him down to £230. Before passing the money on to him I took it to a Lluthier which said that it is a 1950s Checzh made Bass. It is fully carved with a pine top and maple ribs and back. I had to spend £150 to have it re-setup and replace the tuning pegs and end pin. It has a label that says 'Selmer London, made in Checkoslovakia'.
Anyway I've gone off the subject. Since I got hold of this bass I have become obsessed with double basses and their sound. Apart frrom the fact that I love the sound I just want to know everything about them.
Apart from looking and reading about double bass I am also heavily involved with a charity, BOYM (Brentwood Orchestras for Young Musicians www.boym.org.uk (http://www.boym.org.uk)), this is an organization which looks after some 300 children (from 6/7 to 17) subdivided in six orchestras according to their age and ability. I arrange music and organize concerts and trips for the them alongside the normal day to day running.

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Ken I would like your experienced comments on the bass.

Thank you

Nello

[Ken Smith]

Please show me some pics of the back and sides as well. For the money, you stole this bass.. lol

Basses like this even being lower end carved models go for at least $2-3k at a minimum here. My first carved Bass was similar but about 50-75 years old in 1970.

Take good care of it and keep it well adjusted. Never alter the Varnish on a carved bass. In repair, touch-up and maybe french polishing or clear-coating at the most after repairs. This is only to be done by a qualified Luthier. Other woodworking professionals and hobbyists are just not schooled in the materials used in varnishing, making or repairing violin family instruments.

This Bass looks fairly healthy so just make sure it doesn't get banged around too much. Basses can crack easily especially if dropped. A repair can easily cost in the thousands depending on the damage done. I just had one restored that ran well over $20k, but under 30. I will pick it up in a few hours and see the total cost. It was brought in 5 years ago and I've never played a single not on the Bass. Actually, to the credit of your countrymen, it's an early English Bass from 18th century London. I still own 4 of the 5 English Basses that I have bought. All but one of them are from the King George era (Geo. III and IV I believe). One is a modern replica of a J.F.Lott c.1830 or so. In case you were not aware, England back in the day produced some of the finest Basses in the world ranking with some of the better Italians.

Make your daughter aware of the care a Bass needs and to be carefully not only carrying it around but other players walking near here with their instrument cases. A Bass is like a big delicate baby. It cannot take care of itself. It always needs mothering.

A few months ago a trombone player on the way out of rehearsal bumped his case into me highly valuable attributed Storioni while it was in the bag on the floor while I was gathering up my music from the stand (I always pack the Bass first for safety). Last month we played a concert together with a reduced chamber sized orchestra and he was at my side all week. I reminded him of the incident which he was clueless about but I did let him know that the Bass he bumped into (it was in its padded bag) was about the price of a house. He now knows to be careful and not walk near the Basses with his case. I guess he needs his house.. lol

I learned about caring for a Bass in the 8th grade. Me second teacher then was a former professional bassist as well and taught us about caring for an instrument and respecting it. Teach her this now. She will have it for life.

[NelloSanti]

Thanks for the response Ken, I really appreciate it. Wow!! Didn't realise I got such a 'GOOD' bargain!! As you read in my previous post I am only just starting to get into Double Basses, and the more I read, and learn, about them the more fascinated I get.
I will take some more pictures this weekend and post them.
It sounds really good (to my untrained ear anyway) big sound and good projection.
I was advised to get a set of Pirastro Flexocor by my daughter's teacher, over here in the UK they are about £150. Are these good orchestra strings? The strings that are on at the moment, I am told, are not very good. Any idea what they are? They are light blueish at both ends, I think you can just see the color in one of the picture.

Nello

[Ken Smith]

The E looks like a Jaegar. The A a Dominant maybe and the other two either Superflexible or Orig. Flex with faded silk. I would need to see the ball ends under the tailpiece as well as a better shot of the other end inside the pegbox.

Which Flexocors did he suggest? The Originals might be too thick for her. The Flex. 92s would be slightly softer. Other choices are Evah Pirazzi or BelCantos. Ask her teacher. All of these are the top used professional orchestra strings. The Evah's from Pirastro now come in a lighter Weich gauge. I havent used them yet but may thy them soon on my old English. I used the regular gauge Evah's on my Gilkes last week in concert. Now I am back to Flexocor with that Bass and the Evah's will go on my Lott model. I have Belcantos in my Hart Bass now and had Original Flex's on my Gilkes before the Evah's so I use them all myself.

[NelloSanti]

Hi Ken

Sorry it took so long by here are some more pictures as requested.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Nello

PS sorry about the quality but had to use a flash

[Ken Smith]

Nice clean Bass. Still not so sure about the Strings. Maybe a close look at the Ball ends under the tailpiece will help.

[NelloSanti]

No worries about the strings I've gone and ordered a set of Flexocor '92 which should come in a day or two.
My question is how long does it take to 'brake in' a new set of strings? The problem is that my daugther has an audition next Friday (04/02/09) and wandering if I'd be better off leaving putting the new strings on until after that.

Nello

[Ken Smith]

No worries about the strings I've gone and ordered a set of Flexocor '92 which should come in a day or two.
My question is how long does it take to 'brake in' a new set of strings? The problem is that my daugther has an audition next Friday (04/02/09) and wandering if I'd be better off leaving putting the new strings on until after that.

Nello

I have put flex 92s on the day before a Concert with no problem at all. These strings sound good from the get go. One word of advise is to wipe them gently up and doesn't each string with a soft rag after tuning them up. That will get the metal grease off the strings that you do NOT want in your Bow hairs. You will see the grease on your finger tips after installing the strings. Just wash your hands before you rub your eyes. After all of the string trials I have done between the new types coming out and the old ones, the 92s are still my favorite string. Depending on ones bass and playing, the Orig. Flex (nothing orig. to me on them) or the Orig. Flat Chromes (the old Eudoxa flatchrome steel) might suit you better. The Belcantos are nice too and even smoother with the Bow but the Pizz is not as sweet as on the Flex 92 and neither is the tone.. 92s all the way in my book..