Christopher Basses

[Rick Auvil]

Just playing my Christopher 500 series Busetto fiver for a bit. Giving thanks (after all it IS Thanksgiving evening!) It's sounding better every week! My wife always complains about the low B; it seems to keep her awake! Happy Thanksgiving to all - give thanks for your families, your health, and your talent!

[Terry McDougal]

I've tried those Christophers and they sound great to me.
I tried basses from the 500 and 600 series - quite similar, methinks.

[Shane Wilcox]

In case anyone is interested, I am the proud purchaser (if not quite yet the possessor) of a new Christopher 401T (i.e. carved Gamba flatback). It's a biggish 3/4 size (on some websites it appears to be listed as a 3/4-7/8), dark matte stain, nicely put together and with Rubner machine heads and an adjustable bridge. It's strung with Corellis (I'm assuming from their gauge and tension that they are the 370M, but waiting on confirmation of that), and sounded loud and rich played pizz.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to play it under the bow. The vendor (an experienced bassist, but not a luthier) loosened the strings (in his defense, it was only a little) in order to lower the bridge and the sound post dropped. He thinks it may have been on the short side, but will obviously be getting it back to his luthier. Good that it happened in his shop while he was messing with it!

I compared it with a Stentor (see other thread), and a German carved bass from the 60s (looks very much like the vendor's Hofner from a similar time). Much bigger and "fuller" (I guess more pleasant combination of harmonics??) sound than either of them, at least pizzicato. There were a number of other Chinese and Korean basses there, but these were not really in the same league (or price bracket!)

I'm looking forward to its arrival, probably in a week or so, and if I have anything further to add, especially regarding how it plays bowed, I will.

[Richard Prowse]

Originally Posted by Shane Wilcox

In case anyone is interested, I am the proud purchaser (if not quite yet the possessor) of a new Christopher 401T (i.e. carved Gamba flatback). It's a biggish 3/4 size (on some websites it appears to be listed as a 3/4-7/8), dark matte stain, nicely put together and with Rubner machine heads and an adjustable bridge. It's strung with Corellis (I'm assuming from their gauge and tension that they are the 370M, but waiting on confirmation of that), and sounded loud and rich played pizz.

Well done Shane!
I'll look forward to hearing it.
Let me know when you're taking it to a gig.

[Shane Wilcox]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

Well done Shane!
I'll look forward to hearing it.
Let me know when you're taking it to a gig.

Cheers, Richard. Have a gig at Meow on 1/7/11; hopefully I'll be comfortable enough with it by then to play some relatively straightforward country in a new band I seem to have got myself into.

Apparently the strings on the bass are Corelli 370TX, the "heavy" tungsten set. If these are the heavy ones, I'm not sure I'd be able to see the light gauges. Have a good rep as a bowed string, so looking forward to trying them.

[Richard Prowse]

Do the strings have black wrapping, with a red stripe, at the tailpiece?

The Corelli strings I have in my string drawer are 370 TX 'FORT TIRANT'. Nice and punchy when bowed and similar to Weichs, slightly less stiff for pizz. In other words, the Weich pizz is a little better.

[Shane Wilcox]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

Do the strings have black wrapping, with a red stripe, at the tailpiece?

The Corelli strings I have in my string drawer are 370 TX 'FORT TIRANT'. Nice and punchy when bowed and similar to Weichs, slightly less stiff for pizz. In other words, the Weich pizz is a little better.

I can't remember what they look like (except that they're shiney!), but I'll let you know when the bass arrives. It'll be good to compare the feel against the Weichs I have on my EUB. If memory serves, they probably did feel a little "softer" under my fingers than the Spirocores.