Ok guys, I know it sounds like I can't make up my mind but the truth of the matter is.. that's a good possibility.. lol
As you may have heard before, I always fall back to the
Martini as if it's my 'default' bass. Well, it seems that it is. It is the one that fits me best followed by the
Gilkes. This is body-to-bass fit mainly. The heel issue of D or Eb is secondary I believe. The bass has to fit my body first. No bass is ever perfect for everything I guess. There will always be something you find fault with in your own personal instrument whether it be a string, a wolf or what have you.
I went back and forth all week playing the 4 basses and although the
big Gamba spits the notes out like no other and the
Hart has the best Eb Heel-to-Thumb position, the Martini is just easier for me to play overall. If it had the Hart Eb Heel area and the massive sound of the Gamba or the round power of the Gilkes, it would be awesome. But, it doesn't. It probably puts out about 10-20% less sound in one way or another than the other 3 basses.
Now this is not like I am picking a weak bass. To the contrary, a friend of mine has a fantastic English Hawkes Panormo that I helped him acquire. The word was that in the Orchestra it was in before, that Hawkes Panormo was considered unstoppable in the section.
A few weeks ago we A-B'd the massive English Hawkes and the Martini side by side. The Martini beat it hands down regardless of which one of us was playing it. Also, at the ISB while someone was pounding away on the Gamba bass, another person was playing the Martini beside it. The Martini cut right thru the middle of the Gamba as if it bore a hole thru its sound. The Gamba was much louder overall and with more spread but the Martini was sweet and focused and would not take second place in the sound department.
So my personal bass as suggested to me by several others in the past and recently as well will remain the Martini with the Gilkes being my standby when I need more cutting power. The Gilkes is actually louder and rounder sounding than the bigger Gamba bass. Go figure..
I love the Hart and the Gamba sound wise and everything else. They are fantastic basses. They just don't fit me as well personally.
You know, I had a fantastic Prescott and an English Dodd as well that was also more powerful than the Martini. Again, I just didn't play them as well.