Show your Extensions!

[JoeyNaeger]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

I think the Robertson extensions are elegant and beautiful. But I have two questions: 1)Why do they screw the extension on (in two places)? This makes it difficult to change strings and near-impossible to dress the fingerboard. 2)Why do they cut fancy filigree into the back of the extension? Sometimes a player needs to quickly get his thumb behind the extension to hold a long note manually, and the dips and points back there make it dangerous.

You'd be better off asking robertsons those questions. I will say that the small hump they put in the back is nice. There are no sharp edges and it really makes it easier to know where you are. Different people, different strokes I guess.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by JoeyNaeger

You'd be better off asking robertsons those questions. I will say that the small hump they put in the back is nice. There are no sharp edges and it really makes it easier to know where you are. Different people, different strokes I guess.

Playing any of the fast moving low parts of Beethoven's 3,5, 6, or 9 etc, there is no time to hold anything. A sharp point like that in the back can easily get in the way or do nothing at all. All keys are usually open when you play those parts with the exception of one part in the 9th where you set the 'D' key for the octave. Using single latches as time allows or fingering a single slow note or two is a different story. My point is that for universal use, the less things sticking out the better. I even sanded the edges of my gears on the G and D strings so I don't cut my self jumping back and forth quickly. Sitting on a stool with the Bass slanted helps and brings the notes/ext closer. Still, if you have the Keys there, why would you need something in the back to tell you where to finger?

[Charles Federle]

I have to admit that I really cannot play on the extension past Eb unless I am seated.

As for the humps on the backs they are nice because sometimes you do need to play something like a low D that is followed by C# or something to that affect. Something like the opening in the 4th movement of Beethoven 5 or letter N in Beethoven 7 1st movement (I have been told to play the cello line sometimes). Sometimes you could a bit of fancy latch work, but sometimes I find it easier and safer to just use a finger.

As far as fast passages I know exactly what you mean by sharp edges being dangerous. Though for me it is only those on the tuners that I worry about as I play most fast extension work without putting my thumb behind, kind of like a really low and reversed thumb position hand.

What is most important I think though it get what works for you, and is comfortable (or safe perhaps ).

[JoeyNaeger]

Perhaps mine is different, but I haven't encountered any sharp edges along the back of the extension.

[Ken Smith]

Here's the Hart with a new design by Arnold using Jeff's hardware..


This is a slightly shorter 3-string Scroll/Pegbox c.1830, original to the Bass. This was possibly passed off as a Maggini as I have heard of another similar Bass that was used in London for 30 years which was thought to be a Maggini until they learned it was English. Later it was attributed to William Vallentine who was actually employed by Hart to make Basses later on. They did not see the Hart stamps I assume so the attribution was very close. Another London dealer thinks this is the work of John Devereux who worked for Fendt before moving to Australia in 1854.

Either way, it's a beautiful Scroll and another custom Extension by Arnold with some supplied parts by Jeff, similar to the ones used on the Bisiach. Arnold made his own Ebony fingers though.

[William Stephens]

I've always liked the look of hat peg tuners....that is until I had an extension installed on my current bass!

The G tuner is positioned perfectly to stop my hand in it's tracks when reaching back for the D and Db on the extension!

I wonder what others have done in this situation? at first I thought I'd just learn to cope with it, but I can easily see myself making some sort of "modification" in a brief moment of frustration


I wonder about the history of fingered extensions....
As far as I understand it the early ones were exclusively mechanical, staring in germany around 1880 or 1890 and then sold commercially by Max Poike.

I had my extension made by Mike Hart in Suffolk, UK who has probably made more fingered extensions than anyone else over here.

He told me he made his first in 1971 after a player returned from the states where he had seen Ron Carter play. I think in those days the norm over here was the Fawcett-type mechanical, although these days they are rarely seen in the UK (with the exception of London), Fingereds being the general rule now.

Did the fingered type start as a result of removing the mechanism?

how common were fingered extensions in the US in the 60's and 70's?

Just wondering.....

[Ken Smith]

Ok, in 1972 or so I was in a car accident and my Mechanical Ext. was broken along with the Neck. The Bass was restored by Peter Eibert in NY. When I went to pick it up it had a fingered Ext. with just the E-latch. Peter opted for that rather than to try and fix my Mechanical one. The Bass was way way lighter and quieter as well.

Now, on your latches which I have played on other Basses you cannot quick-flip easily with the edge of your fore-finger/palm-strike like I can with my ebony-fingers. Also, the tension cannot be adjusted as minutely either.

I see others using 2 or 3 fingers to 'lift' the closed latches to open the Ext. partly or all the way. I can run my hand back up there sideways and knock them open in a flash and then set them easily with one finger.

Speed of usage is a major factor when you have little or no time to open a gate or close one. The Robo's are a nice idea but work too slow for my taste and hurt my fingers/hand when trying to open them in a flash like I can my Ebony's.

I don't know the exact history of the fingered extension but if you ask around in the UK shops you might hear a few stories. I have the 3-set Elgar books and in either 1 or 2 he talks about extension ideas. This was written in the 60's so it was in use easily by then. Being 'in use' and being commercially available are two different things.