I took the new bass out for a rehearsal today. It plays easy but it feels new. Duh..
I experimented playing some things in higher positions on lower strings like up most of the first octave of the E string and threw in some extension notes/8VL just to see how the bass responded.
It bows easy on all strings. Playing in an Orchestra is different than practicing at home. I cannot stress enough about practicing to know your bass as I had some intonation problems tonight. I played sharp and flat up and down the bass (only on occasion) as I was just 'going for it' and not worrying about where the notes were just to see how well the bass fit ME right out of the gate.
I think sticking with just ONE bass for now (harder for me than sticking to a diet.. lol) would be a good plan to play better in tune.
The bass seemed to be fairly loud, deep and smooth but had punch as well. I think the volume and presence brought out the intonation partly as well as adjusting to the height and feel of the overall bass. When playing it alone (no Orchestra) I can concentrate and play much better in tune. Once you throw new music in front of me, my attention is on the music and the bass needs to automatic under my fingers.
I remember playing the Riccardi bass and feeling how comfortable it was in my hands and against my body. Playing with the exact same Stool tonight I felt that same or rather similar comfort. The Riccardi was over a 44" string length and this one is under 42". Moving up the neck I was usually sharp possibly because of my muscle memory on the original needing more stretch to reach the notes. I am sure that in time I will get used to the modified length of this Copy bass as well as the original once it comes out of restoration at a similar length to what this one is now.