Mechanical Extension. Not my best idea.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Samuel Budnyk

To tell the truth -I would LOVE that over this.

Sam, what Extension is that that fell apart?

I know players that swear buy each type (not brand) of extension as that's what they like to use best between the Fingered Ext., Chromatic Ext. and Mechanical Ext.. The old original Facwett and Stenholm are the mainstays of the worlds bass sections. There are a few shops that make great handmade Chromatic extensions with mostly Ebony Capos that you can 'HIT' moving back to open them in a hurry without breaking any bones or cutting any Arteries. There are some that will injure you and those I can't stand to play on. Cheaper and easier to install yes but not easier to operate or use in the long run. You get what you pay for when it comes to labor, if you are lucky.

Having a single E capo MADE or buying a completely new Facwett or Stenholm re-issue would be my choice for that bass as the extended fingerboard is not the best for a fingered conversion from what I can see.

Asking these questions on the internet you get answers from veteran extension players, people that sell them and players that just have an opinion. Good luck with your decision with this.

[Samuel Budnyk]

Mr Kolstein as always is providing excellent customer service. He has offered to replace it with a fully chromatic or partially fingered extension in exchange for the broken mechanical.

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Sam, what Extension is that that fell apart?

I know players that swear buy each type (not brand) of extension as that's what they like to use best between the Fingered Ext., Chromatic Ext. and Mechanical Ext.. The old original Facwett and Stenholm are the mainstays of the worlds bass sections. There are a few shops that make great handmade Chromatic extensions with mostly Ebony Capos that you can 'HIT' moving back to open them in a hurry without breaking any bones or cutting any Arteries. There are some that will injure you and those I can't stand to play on. Cheaper and easier to install yes but not easier to operate or use in the long run. You get what you pay for when it comes to labor, if you are lucky.

Having a single E capo MADE or buying a completely new Facwett or Stenholm re-issue would be my choice for that bass as the extended fingerboard is not the best for a fingered conversion from what I can see.

Asking these questions on the internet you get answers from veteran extension players, people that sell them and players that just have an opinion. Good luck with your decision with this.

[Samuel Budnyk]

Oh, and as far as type I believe he said it was an english extension... But its buttons are NOT in reverse like the old ones.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Samuel Budnyk

Oh, and as far as type I believe he said it was an english extension... But its buttons are NOT in reverse like the old ones.

The German Stenholm was in reverse. The English Facwett was not. Was your English Extension a New one he put on or something 30 or more years old? Was it the new English 'made' one or the English 'copy' he is having made for his shop? Big difference here between the three. Tom Martin supplies the new ones from England. The Old English ones are gone for decades now. Kolstein might have something else from what I have heard.

Well, I hope it works out.

[Jeff Campbell]

This is a Fawcett machine made in England circa early mid-1970s. I had one on former bass and I love it. The only problem was that while all the cams were made of stainless steel, the mechanism that held it all together was made of aluminum. Eventually, it wore out and I had a machine shop fab a new part. After that, it worked great. I eventually sold the bass - so no more Fawcett extension. After a while, Fawcett stopped making these and at some point, the English Luthier, Ronald Prentice bought the patterns and started production on them (Mr. Prentice sent me a few minor parts (springs etc.). Now the machine is sold by Thomas Martin's shop - I don't know if he makes them or contacts them out but they are shown on his website.

The Fawcett machine was a designed to finger in the same chromatic manner as you would on the fingerboard - a departure from the German ones that finger in reverse - although I have seen at least one Fawcett machine that was designed like the German ones. Martin has redesigned the keys and they don't look like the 'open hole - clarinet keys' from the original Fawcett. It may be likely that new keys could be purchased from Tom's shop.