Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
Don't slight yourself, sir.
The bass is stable. You have improved over the past four years!
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Like in what way?
You mean, practice really helps one to get better?
I have to say that the main differences in the 3 or 4 basses of mine over the last 4-7 years, the best sounding one is not always the most comfortable one 'to me'!
The Hart has the easiest playability for my left hand transitioning in and out of thumb position. The Neck-set and Eb heel as well as the back slope combined is a huge factor.
The Martini was my best feel to body and overall bass but the youngest of the 4 and the sound in the middle. The Neck work was done in part by me as I had recarved it (nearer to an Eb heel) after the Fingerboard and Shim job was done. It felt perfect to me but the Shim was only a temp fix. Then, I had a new neck put in to improve the bass and ready it for sale and the new set-up although favored by most players, was not as favored by me as was the set-up compared to before.
The Hart before its restoration had the sweetest G and D sound under the bow over any other English bass I had heard and equal to or better than most Italians but, the bass was falling apart. The A and especially the E was weak in volume. Post restoration the low end is killing and the sweetness is developing back year after year.
The Storioni only out of restoration a few months was before when 44+" playing length and a killer sounding bass that sat right in the body. After restoration, I hear the sound creeping back little by little but the D-Neck feels thick and the thumb position reach just a bit more than before. The Hart's Eb heel and general upper note reach is what makes it easier for me to play than the Storioni, I think.
The Gilkes was almost an Eb and the shortest string length of all, barely 41". After its restoration, it still was great and the sound even better than before but, the cello shoulders and round back pushed the bass a bit further away from my left hand and wrist as did the Martini which had a higher bridge after its new neck.
So, sound is one thing, playability is another, neck heel, neck shape and thickness, girth of the bass etc etc etc.. Playing the Hart yesterday at the shop I noticed that all of the notes, ALL of them were just were my hand wanted them to be.
I have played all of these basses in Concert before (and 3 of them on jazz gigs) and I can get used to either of them. I just think that for me and my body I need to go with the bass that 'melts-in' the quickest and easiest.
A funny thing happened a few years ago when I had the Dodd bass, a slightly wide shouldered celloish shaped bass. I had to reach from the side or play it more in front so he said "Ken, you used be able to get a lot closer to the bass"!
.. That was maybe 40-50 pounds ago. I was so skinny when I was younger that people thought I didn't eat at all. Well, I made up for it since.
Now that most of my basses are out of restoration, I can finally choose which one I play the best as well as which one sounds best. The ones still being restored are not on my 'easiest to play' list which include an old Neapolitan Bass, a French Bass, the Malvolti and an original early Gemunder. All great basses but business inventory. So, I might have to pick two basses because for some work, the Storioni feels the best but for reaching up high back and forth, the Hart is easier. See, I'm sill confused.
At least with the Martini and Gilkes out of the picture I am down to only 2 basses so rather then choose, I will just play them both, back and forth each day like I have since yesterday. What's fair is fair and you can't favor one child over the other..
