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Old 06-23-2009, 11:40 AM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Join Date: 01-18-2007
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Cool lol

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker View Post
My apologies for not being Ken Smith, but for what its worth, i think your bass looks very sexy. And BIG.

I wish someone would volunteer to demo my bass on video ...
That's a litte funny Matt..

Ken, I did look at it and listen as well. With Varnish the sound will soften up quite a bit as it does sound a bit raw now. EP strings are not the best for smoothness either. BelCantos are about the best for that for Orchestra. Jaegars if you can find a set is dark and smooth as well.

Now, the lip of the Top and Back overhanging the Ribs looks quite proud. Is this finished that way or still to be trimmed? How much does that Lip actually measure? I can't tell from the pictures but it does look big. Also, the linings inside look about double width as well. This I think will stiffen the Ribs and possible rob some tone as well. I am sure you are not totally done with this bass inside as well as out but since you asked, I am giving you my personal opinion as if the bass was being delivered to me personally. After all, would you want any less from me since asking? I see he tuned down to 'D' as well on the 'E' string and it sounds good. That's always a good sign in my book when you can de-tune and still have a strong open string sound. The Back Bracing looks a bit overdone but only time will tell. I have never seen anything like that myself. Maybe the heights of those 'Bars could come down as well

At the ISB I met Stefano Sciascia and wouldn't you know it, we didn't even talk about Cornerless basses, his or mine, just that we had met by Email once talking about it as an introduction. Robbie MacIntosh has my other Cornered/Cornerless Bass in restoration that we call 'Scalopini'.. lol.. Arnold has the Storioni as well so right now, I am personally Cornerless-less.. lol

Your Bass looks and sounds beautiful. I make the construction comments above only from my experience with older basses. I have seen quite a bit but one Bass I have goes against all the rules and sounds about the best of any Bass I have played or heard. That is the attributed Storioni of mine. When Arnold took off the Top he called me on my Cell Phone and could not believe what he found. The Ribs are burled maple veneer about 1mm thick or so but doubled completely all around by spruce about double that thickness with the grain running from top to back making bending easier. The small or modest lining strips are outside of that so it looks original. The bassbar was set in straight the last time it was repaired and that seems wrong as well. There is also a huge breast patch at the bottom of the Bar, under it, that is put in at 90 degrees on the grain direction. This and more are the kinds of things in this bass as well as other things I have seen inside these oldies. My big Gamba is another oddity with very little inner linings, a tiny little short thin shallow bass bar set way in from the F-eye and a brace system of 3-pieces with two repairs along side the inner joints of the X itself. The corner blocks are tiny thin obtuse shaped pieces that are longer at the upper and lower ribs than the c-bout where they touch. This is a full sized bass or as some say in london, a 5/4 as one a similar size is listed as over there. All this humongus size of bass and such tiny little itty bitty inner support and trim pieces.

After seeing and hearing basses like those, I wonder if the Bass itself needs to 'leave' the violin books and search for something more radical or more.. compatible. After all, the Bass is the only member of the Violin family that doesn't have a true form even today. It's what ever we make it as long as it plays the Bass parts. Then, no one cares outside of the player. Strange huh?

Imagine a violin or cello section (sorry violas, not important enough to mention here.. lol) with different sizes and shapes. One violin model, one gamba, some roundback, some flat, some round with center bracing like a flat back, some flatbacks braced with a single center brace like the french, some with 3 for or 5 braces or even twin 1/2" rails across the bottom like my big Gamba had originally. Some cornerless, some soft lower cornered Gamba like 'Big Ben', some Gamba upper and Guitar lower with c-bout, some violin upper and busetto bottom, some busetto bottom with gamba upper, some gamba on one corner (upper or lower) and violin on the other (I have seen 2 or 3 of these but may be cut-jobs on some).. etc, etc, etc..

Ladies and Yentlemen.. the Double bass is the freak of the Orchestra and we are the loners as well construction wise. We play violin parts as well as whole notes, solo as well as support and still we get no respect.. what is this world coming to?..
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