The 5-String Double Bass

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by David Powell

My clearance is definitely less by a bit than the .25 inch guide. And at the FB, if I hold my bow like in your photo, the clearance is dangerously close. I can play it all the way up into thumb position across all five strings, but more clearance would be better. Does your arching at the finger board match the arching at the bridge closely? How much could I increase the arch at the bridge without changing it at the fingerboard as well?

Ok, I just measured it rather than only eyeballing it. The clearance at both the Bridge and FB inside each 3-strings is actually only 4mm or so and not 1/4". The 1/4" is my regular clearance on a 4-string or about 5-6mm.

When you play a 5er, you have to keep the Bow steady so as not to bump the neighboring Strings. Also, make sure your 'draw' the string rather than press down with the Bow. Finally, when playing up the neck into thumb position, the Bow should also move down towards the Bridge as you get closer to the end of the FB for a cleaner sound.

So, I am using 4mm clearance with about 1" spacing (25mm +/-) at the end of the FB. The Nut is spaced 7/16-15/32 string to string and the spacing at the end of the FB (high C on the G) is about 23mm (+/-).

I would also like to point out that for about 15 years I played a 7/8ths high shouldered 18th century Italian Bass with about a 23.5mm Bridge Spacing so I am not new to tight spaced Strings or tight Bowing. Having a beautiful Sartory all that time didn't hurt either..lol

[Ken Smith]

Some 5s in Germany from my friend Sven-Henrik Gawron. The first Bass, a Rubner is very similar to Anselm's Bass.

Like Anselm's?; http://www.vektor-bass.de/rubner1957.htm




and this beauty as well; http://www.vektor-bass.de/bohem_5s.htm

[David Powell]

I must get a digital camera. But these come with shutter lag and timing is everything to me. So I'm still digital image challenged as one might say. I promise to have one by this week-end so we can compare bridge set-ups. As far as bowing goes, it is pretty much like you describe because as little clearance as I have there is no other way. Up in thumb land I bow about 2/3 down from the FB to the bridge. On the G, D, and A it is better, but E and B are really tight. I'm getting to know some cool double stops up there though.

From what I can tell (mostly from photos) there are two schools of thought on the part of the makers of 5-ers, at least with the arch of the fingerboard. One borders on being violone-ish with a flatter arch and the other one has a really high round arch. Mine is the first kind. That Chris was the 2nd. My Kremona model is now called a Rubner (I suppose after the famed Markneukirchen Josef Rubner) to distinguish it from a new model recently introduced.

A fellow over on TB just posted about an actual 5-string Rubner (don't know if that is Josef or Johannes) he got to check out for few strokes. I told him to come over here. He didn't have photos though. That Bohemian flatback is sweet! Is Paul W. around or is he, um, busy?

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by David Powell

Is Paul W. around or is he, um, busy?

Im right here.

[David Powell]

This one is a real beauty and I thought since we are obsessing over the devilsome issue of bowing a five string (pizz just seems pretty normal), I thought we should consider the difficulties in getting a good arco set-up on this one.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by David Powell

This one is a real beauty and I thought since we are obsessing over the devilsome issue of bowing a five string (pizz just seems pretty normal), I thought we should consider the difficulties in getting a good arco set-up on this one.

Looks like a '70s Pollmann but in a 6! The one 5er I borrowed was a big Gamba Busetto with a 41 1/4' String Length and fully decorated with Carvings but without the Rosette in the Top. This Bass must be for either a Jazz player or a soloist. I would love to see someone play that next to me in an Orchestra Rehearsal. The Double Stops will tell me when he's having trouble...lol

[David Powell]

I know this verges on insanity, but a French luthier has made one with 7, and the player does use a bow. His primary work is improvisational jazz. I have one of his older recordings using a 5-string, but this is the instrument he's playing now:

and here is a photo of the outline (different instrument, same maker, Antoine Leducq) compared to a gamba:

It reminds me of Savart a bit. At the risk of this becoming the quest for "one that goes to eleven" I'll stop with the lucky number. It's a bit over the top, but you have to wonder if one plays all double stops on these things with so many strings.

[Jeff Tranauskas]

"Several years ago I saw the 2nd one which was a Bob G/Bulgarian Bass. Must have been the older models with the shiny Lacquer finish and low neck stand model. I played only a few notes on it and that was it"