Kolstein Maggini

[Samuel Budnyk]

It is a Fawcett/English Extension, but it sounded like (due to the way Mr. Kolstein described it) it is manufactured for Kolstein.

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

So Sam, is this the Stenholm or Facwett Extension? I think the Facwett is chromatic with the keys from nut to bridge in direction and the Stenholm is in reverse, correct?

Which one do you have? I ask because I might consider trying one on a bass of mine just for those times when it's easier in the music than the fingered chromatic. I hear that for the most part, the Facwett is better but that on some pieces, the Stenholm reverse chromatic works easier depending on the music.

Looking just now on the web at both the Tom Martin site and Lemur site while making this post, yours looks like the English Facwett from the finger shape and the Stenholm must be what I had before it was busted in a car accident in late '72. I only had it for a little more than a year or so but did get some use out of it.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Samuel Budnyk

It is a Fawcett/English Extension, but it sounded like (due to the way Mr. Kolstein described it) it is manufactured for Kolstein.

Regardless of it being Kolstein or T.Martin, I think it is the same machine. Is your ext. fingerboard painted black under the machine or is it Ebony? I ask becase from England they come mounted on something other than Ebony and are painted black from what I have heard. A luthier I know says he makes a new ebony ext. board and re-mounts the entire machine on it.

After looking at pictures on-line I know now my old one in the early '70s was the Stenholm so I have never used this exact kind. I will get to try one out though before long as someone is coming by within the next month that has one.

I am working on Mendelssohn's 'Overture zu Ruy Blas' for next week and it has a few quickies in there down low, especially towards the end. I am trying to decide between 3 basses with the same extension which one I can 'spit' the notes out quicker, cleaner and easier on. It looks like the Hart but I am working with a new set of strings on the Panormo. Let's see.. lol

[Chris Shaw]

Just thought I'd add to the discussion on extensions. The mechanical ones seem to be gaining ground again here in the UK amongst both professionals and amateurs. I think this is due to the huge improvement in design of the Barnaby extensions. Unlike the old Fawcett ones, these have internal springs and are totally silent in operation. I used to have a Fawcett extension and they certainly do rattle. I then used a manual one for a while but it was no good for fast playing of low notes. Now I have a Barnaby extension and I really think that it is the best compromise (no way of getting low notes is ideal, is it!) The ones that Tom Martin has on his website are made by him but seem to be a direct copy of the Peter Barnaby ones.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Chris Shaw

Just thought I'd add to the discussion on extensions. The mechanical ones seem to be gaining ground again here in the UK amongst both professionals and amateurs. I think this is due to the huge improvement in design of the Barnaby extensions. Unlike the old Fawcett ones, these have internal springs and are totally silent in operation. I used to have a Fawcett extension and they certainly do rattle. I then used a manual one for a while but it was no good for fast playing of low notes. Now I have a Barnaby extension and I really think that it is the best compromise (no way of getting low notes is ideal, is it!) The ones that Tom Martin has on his website are made by him but seem to be a direct copy of the Peter Barnaby ones.

Does the Barnaby and Facwett originals look similar. I am mainly familiar with the Stenholm from way back. Also the Martin one come mounted on some not so great wood. A Luthier here says he has to make a full Ebony mounting board for the Martin Ext. I don't know how they are delivered over your way. Also, what is the time period for the original Barnaby's or are they still available?

[Chris Shaw]

The Barnaby and Martin extensions look pretty much identical to me. In fact I thought that Tom might have been selling for Peter Barnaby but it would seem not. I'm not sure how either are supplied as mine came with the bass when I bought it. I've only ever seen them mounted on wood that I would agree isn't as nice as ebony, but I guess we must be less fussy over here! It doesn't really need ebony I wouldn't have thought as the wood doesn't get the wear that a manual extension does. I think Peter Barnaby is still making extensions. I sent mine back to him for a service a few months ago which he did really speedily. He doesn't seem to have a website but has does have e-mail.

Hope this is of some use - I really love my Barnaby extension as it's so much better made than the old Fawcett ones.

Note: Barnaby Email by PM only

[Anselm Hauke]

Originally Posted by Chris Shaw

It doesn't really need ebony I wouldn't have thought as the wood doesn't get the wear that a manual extension does.

ok, i am a 5string-player and have no right to write here, but:
i understand the argument from chris, +: it saves weight not to use ebony, right?

[Samuel Budnyk]

I recieved it from Kolstein about a month ago -I was very excited to get it back with a "slide rail" extension in place of the mechanical one. However, immediately after getting the bass inside I tuned up and looked up to do so... And noticed a crack from the the top of the neck and up through the scroll. We immediately contacted Kolstein and we sent it back to him within a day or two. Based on the damage, we concluded that the bass had to have been dropped at a very unusual angle to send that much force through the bass (which was in a flight case!) yay for shipping
We also decided that the only fix would be a new neck. This neck, however, is going to be made of maple. Stopped by Kolstein's yesterday to see if he had any basses I would exchange my Maggini for and, while I found a few that I liked better tonally and in feel, they were above the bass considerably in price. I am also, as of now, planning on getting a Laborie endpin drilled.
Any advisements with regards to modifications such as tailpieces or carbon fiber vs wooden Laborie endpins?