Ex-Riccardi Cornerless Bass Copy (formerly attributed to 'Storioni') (SOLD)

[Ken Smith]

Getting back on topic here I would like to mention that Arnold sent me a few pics yesterday of the bass after he applied the golden yellow ground. Wow, the flames of the maple are just popping out all over. I would say the figure looks 2-3x stronger now than when the wood was just in the white. The flames of the original back are much broader in width and oxidized about 300 years. Not much we can do about that but this will be a close second if not right up there.

Sorry, I cannot share these pics due to circumstances beyond my control but, I can tell you about it. Arnold was telling me on the phone and I begged him practically to stop teasing me and send me some pictures.. Ok, I have a few pics now. That should hold me for a day of two..

Oh, and string length for the 'inspired copy bass' (the un-official description for accuracy) is planned for about 41 3/4" length.

[Eric Swanson]

What color finish are you and Arnold planning, once all the finish layers are applied?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Swanson

What color finish are you and Arnold planning, once all the finish layers are applied?

I can't say for sure but not as dark as the original because age and oxidation has contributed to that. Also, since this is a publicly read Forum and the bass is being entered into a competition I would not reveal the color IF I knew it. No one should know who the maker of this bass is until after the judging. I will post pictures before xmas.

She will be pretty..

[Craig Regan]

Will this Bass be entered in the VSA?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Craig Regan

Will this Bass be entered in the VSA?

Can't say. You gotta ask Arnold..

[Thomas Erickson]

You almost have me confused here. Please, go out and play in an Orchestra for a few years. A community orchestra, for free most likely. Get some real experience with the music. Play all the Rep. and then we can talk. Your comments on playing make no sense to me.

Been there, done that, years ago - played the "rep" and a lot of basses too. Sorry if I don't make sense, I admit to having developed an unorthodox approach to technique and instruments both.

Longer string length also generally creates more tension, at the same pitch, as a shorter string length.

Well... sort of. I think it is here that we get into the issue of "string length (mensure)" vs. overall string length of the instrument.

Sorry to further derail the thread.

Ken - want to copy some of these posts over to the current thread on string length modifications? I certainly don't mean to be negative or argumentative on the subject, or to hijack the thread about your new bass!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Thomas Erickson

Been there, done that, years ago - played the "rep" and a lot of basses too. Sorry if I don't make sense, I admit to having developed an unorthodox approach to technique and instruments both.



Well... sort of. I think it is here that we get into the issue of "string length (mensure)" vs. overall string length of the instrument.

Sorry to further derail the thread.

Ken - want to copy some of these posts over to the current thread on string length modifications? I certainly don't mean to be negative or argumentative on the subject, or to hijack the thread about your new bass!

No, I don't need to copy it. Feel free to copy and post your ideas where applicable. If the subject turns to the side a bit it's ok by me to air out the thoughts on it and then get back to the mainstream topic.

On your 'been there done that' comment about playing in an Orchester I gotta ask you this. You were born in 1982. You have a Shen made in 1997. You were 15 when the bass was made and and you are 28 now. Is the Shen the bass you played in the 'been there done that' statement?

I once asked a retired player who played without a C-extension for 15 years in a Pro Orchestra but had a converted 5er a question about the Storm 6th part. I wanted to know if he played all the low individual 16ths on the 5er or on the 4 an octave up? He replied, 'we never played the 6th!'

So Thomas, how do you approach that part on the 6th?

I know this is off topic but you made the comment about length and if I read you correctly it was a bit condescending to todays players in the 41-42" string length range. If you were referring to beginners and jazz players trying to go shorter than 41" for whatever reason then please say so.

For the record, I subscribe to the 41-42" length for everything I play, buy or modify. Sometimes the bass is just too small or too big or too long or the FFs too low or close together to modify but, I do have these numbers in mind as a goal and for a very good reason.

Back on topic, the Varnish is in the final coatings. The last round of pics Arnold sent me look stunning. In order to keen the strong maple flames showing, the varnish cannot get too dark. The oxidation of the wood on the original is something we cannot buy in a jar and put on a bass so we will just have to wait a few centuries for that..

[Thomas Erickson]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

No, I don't need to copy it. Feel free to copy and post your ideas where applicable. If the subject turns to the side a bit it's ok by me to air out the thoughts on it and then get back to the mainstream topic.

On your 'been there done that' comment about playing in an Orchester I gotta ask you this. You were born in 1982. You have a Shen made in 1997. You were 15 when the bass was made and and you are 28 now. Is the Shen the bass you played in the 'been there done that' statement?

I once asked a retired player who played without a C-extension for 15 years in a Pro Orchestra but had a converted 5er a question about the Storm 6th part. I wanted to know if he played all the low individual 16ths on the 5er or on the 4 an octave up? He replied, 'we never played the 6th!'

So Thomas, how do you approach that part on the 6th?

I know this is off topic but you made the comment about length and if I read you correctly it was a bit condescending to todays players in the 41-42" string length range. If you were referring to beginners and jazz players trying to go shorter than 41" for whatever reason then please say so.

For the record, I subscribe to the 41-42" length for everything I play, buy or modify. Sometimes the bass is just too small or too big or too long or the FFs too low or close together to modify but, I do have these numbers in mind as a goal and for a very good reason.

Back on topic, the Varnish is in the final coatings. The last round of pics Arnold sent me look stunning. In order to keen the strong maple flames showing, the varnish cannot get too dark. The oxidation of the wood on the original is something we cannot buy in a jar and put on a bass so we will just have to wait a few centuries for that..

I don't mean to condescend at all - I think that discussion of topics like this can't help but benefit all of us! I admit that I tend to push buttons though - but only in a good way.

Sure, I'm not the oldest guy around, and while I do have a fair bit of experience playing in orchestras, I'm not currently a pro orchestra player. The Shen is my current instrument due to circumstance but believe me, I'm not proud of it. It is an appliance at best; a questionable appliance at that (I'm sure that will offend someone)...

Really, my only point is just that people seem to see *string length* (often not knowing what it actually is) as some magic factor to making a bass playable, when the reality is that there are so many small factors that all add up to make a musical instrument.