ISB @ Penn State..

[Calvin Marks]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I don't care if my bass sounds 5% better standing. If the bass is not good enough without standing, then get a better bass.

I've played some really fine basses that sound very muted when your knee/leg touches the back of the bass. That being said, they sounded terrific and vibrated properly when I played standing.

From my experience (albeit rather limited), flat-back instruments are more prone to muting.



Ken, the Brun book is all tertiary information. The author took so many of the things ridiculously out of context and failed to document some of the sources properly. That being said, there is some validity in what's being presented, but his opinions of it are often taken as fact versus conjecture.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

I've played some really fine basses that sound very muted when your knee/leg touches the back of the bass. That being said, they sounded terrific and vibrated properly when I played standing.

From my experience (albeit rather limited), flat-back instruments are more prone to muting.



Ken, the Brun book is all tertiary information. The author took so many of the things ridiculously out of context and failed to document some of the sources properly. That being said, there is some validity in what's being presented, but his opinions of it are often taken as fact versus conjecture.

I agree that anything touching a bass mutes it including your hands. I use a Bow quiver on all of my basses that weighs from 4-5 ounces, about 112-142 grams or so. I barely hear any difference with or without a quiver. Also, most of my Tailpieces are the older type non-ebony stained black. The quiver brings it back to the ebony weight in a way but not the same density. If slight muting is a problem then we have to live with it. A bass should have enough sound so sitting with it Flat or Roundback doesn't matter.

On the seating, in context or not, I think it shows good examples of different ideas being used and that there was not one perfect way. My reverse type way the last two concerts worked so well that I will petition to use it all the time if permitted to do so but depending on the layout. If our Scrolls are blocking the Opera Singers than maybe we will be pushed off to the side. So far, it has worked just fine. Variety is the spice..