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Old 05-30-2010, 09:40 AM
Robert Anzellotti Robert Anzellotti is offline
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Join Date: 11-20-2008
Location: Cologne, Germany
Posts: 10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer View Post
OK, I'll join the fray. Rob, I think your capos are a good second choice for making an extension chromatic. If they were the best thing out there, you'd see Robertson's, Mario Lamarre, Dan Hachez, Jeff Bollbach, Robbie McIntosh and me using them exclusively. I do use your capos on occasion when retro-fitting an existing extension or when a player needs to economize. But I prefer ebony for its aesthetics and feel. If you made brackets that looked as pretty as your current ones, that worked with standard 1/4 x 20 hardware, and they stood off a bit more, I would buy them. I believe there is a place for both pre-made capos and custom ones. Ken has an opinion that you don't like, but the world is full of people who disagree yet get along.
Well, Geez! why didn't you say so before? I'd be happy to make some mounts to fit your needs. I agree that there are advantages to wood fingers. They can be shaped artistically to fit a particular bass, and even a special wood or finish chosen. There are those like Ken who simply prefer a larger surface for finger contact, and some people want a tail so they can have thumb operation. I designed my fingers to be simple, compact, unobtrusive, and universal. It's impractical for me to offer too many options, and I can keep my price low by offering only the single design in two lengths.

Many bassists and luthiers are happy with my finger design (otherwise I wouldn't be in business!) but I realize that this doesn't fit everyone's needs. For them, I encourage the use of wood fingers, which can be easily mated with my mounting hardware. I am happy to sell the brackets by themselves, so the luthier can go wild making the fingers, and not have to worry about machining.

One final note. I use the slightly larger stud because it is not only more stable, but allows for my "internal brake" which eliminates the need for a locknut for resistance adjustment. Also, the threaded approach makes for simpler height adjustment. This makes the assembly simpler (fewer parts), lighter, more reliable, and easier to install than with the traditional approach. I think that these innovations are a step forward on the design side, but I conceed that it also makes later resistance adjustments more difficult. I am no fundamentalist. Arnold, if you want a bracket with a 1/4" thru hole and appropriate races for washers, I'd be happy to accommodate you! Let's talk.
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