#1
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Interesting bass (and history reminder)
At first look, the bass looks fairly generic until, you look closer. The purfling, varnish and top wood used all seem superior and more interesting over any shop-type 20th century German or Czech bass. The interior work of this bass looks even more impressive. This one was made in Moravia which at the time was Czechoslovakia and now the Czech Republic. Imagine being born in one country and then it gets re-named and after you die, re-named again. It had just been re-distributed(?) politically from the Austrian Empire to the Austro-Hungarian Empire only a few years before he was born. I hope the bass doesn't loose its note memory as much as it's had its home name changed. The town is Brno, the former capitol of Moravia but the Germans call it Brunn. The maker, Josef Kreutzer just goes the other way and uses the Italian name Brunensis. He was a fan of the Italian work. Studying the origins of this town and its various ruling regions over the years is more European history than I had in all my years in school. Or at least, paid attention to!
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#2
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Bass
You keeping this one ken? What's it sound like?
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#3
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It sounds like a great bass made 60 years ago that needs to be played. It has some Pirastro Permanent strings that usually sound bright but sound great on this bass. It is loud, clear, deep and I feel it vibrating when I play it. I think it's a bass i can use. I just finished a basic set-up to test it but it still needs a few things to meet my personal requirements if I am to keep it for awhile to use.
I have several basses that I like and use so this one although nice and a rare pedigree, is just one that is joining the family of basses already in my racks. This is the first time I have seen a bass from just north of Vienna with a round back and violin corners. This is more of an Italian Strad copy than anything from the German school. Most German basses in the last 100 years like this have outer linings as well. This one was made with a lot of thought. By the way, Vienna is closer to Brno than Philly is to NY so it should follow more the style of the Viennese I would think. I can only speculate that his working in Germany influenced his ideas as much as his study of Italian violins. The Scroll however looks typical western Bohemian/Saxon as do the Gears which look slightly modified from the norm. I will probably bring this up to Arnold's shop sometime in the near future and see what he makes of it all. |
#4
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Bass
I love violin corners & round back. Visually the bass is beautiful but I tend to like a darker varnish myself. What do you think of the lighter colored instruments like this one?
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#5
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Varnishes
Quote:
In researching Kreutzer's history, his teacher J. Werner came originally from Schonbach and trained there with V. Lutz whose brother made Double Basses. So, I can't say who made what for who from the earlier generations but Werner later headed up the Lidl firm in Brno as well. Kreutzer is also listed as one of the masters that passed thru Lidl so it was there I assume that he worked and trained with Werner. Kruetzer seems to have had a rich life in violin culture working for firms, associations and shops from Zurich, Germany and Brno (Czech/Moravia) as well as being directly or indirectly associated with various Court makers from Vienna to Schonbach (Luby). I am thankful for having spent good money on my collection of books. I hunted all of them down within the used market because they went out of print almost as fast as they were written. The Henley book unfortunately is limited when it comes to the vast majority of makers from the German, Czech, Moravian and Austrian schools. It seems only the majors and a few others get listed. I have two complete books for just these areas (German/Austrian makers and Bohemian/Moravian makers) and also another 2 book set of all the makers worldwide by Jalovec. The only two books I need to open my own Violin Library is one on Hungarian makers and one on the Spanish makers. At about $300 or so per book IF you can find them, it gets expensive. To list what I have already took hours and 4 books from Jalovec. The Henley book gave no additional information on the Brno/Moravian makers at all. I am still not done tracing all of each of the named makers/shops roots but the a nutshell, this guy Kruetzer didn't just crawl out of the woodwork. He crawled INTO it.. |
#6
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Knowledge
You are Always well educated on all the instruments you own & NOW I see why. The Internet is great but I miss the days when you had to go out in the world to seek knowledge & retrieve a book or seek out an individual that possessed the information you were after. The Internet is loaded with false information as well not like neatly packaged books that are either credible or not & if not then quickly written of by the community of whatever area of interests it contains.
Nice bass & neat to hear about the books. On a side note it would be nice if you put up sounds clips or video with audio of the new basses you get. They are Simply eye candy for readers on the forum. It's like someone making a beautiful steak dinner then only allowing you to look at it w/o taking a bite haha |
#7
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no clips
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The smoothness or sweetness of a bass cannot be felt thru speakers. You are limited to what the speaker can do. You need to play the bass and hear it live. The Kreutzer feels great inside my body when I play it. It goes thru me. I can feel it on my knee and stomach depending on how I hold it. That is what I look for in a bass. Not a recording that is doctored up or compressed to fit a speaker. Several years ago when I first fit my pickup to the Martini bass I had, the speaker nearly broke when I played the A string and the E just distorted it totally. The true fundamental was too thick a signal for the speaker to handle. THAT is what I am talking about. It it amplifies well and easily, it's a thin sounding bass! |
#8
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Db pickups
What type of pickups do you prefer for double bass?
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#9
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I have been using a Shadow dual Piezo, similar to an underwood.
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#10
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USA debut, Moravia comes to Pennsylvania!
Ok, I took her out Wednesday (10/10/12) for an Orchestra rehearsal. The Principal there asked me to cover his spot because he was unavailable. There are from 6-8 basses in that Orchestra, this concert is 6. Although I just sit in the back there, the Principal felt there was no one in the section that could lead other than me and I am basically just a guest when I am available.
The bass was more powerful than I had imagined and the lower two strings, more than adequate. The bass has a set of Pirastro Permanents now that are usually too bright for my ears but sound nice n smooth on this bass. I will keep them on for now. I think for a mid 20th century made bass, it is as nice as anything Italian that I have seen. This is basically a Strad model in a true sense of the art. Now I need a name for the bass, a nick name. Joey maybe? |
#11
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Nickname
Basses are always Ladies according to the Italians. You can even see it in the shape of the Bass. Don't Break the Tradition of Lady Names Ken : )
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#12
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Joey?
Joey can be a female as well. Look it up. The maker is Josef.
With the ballz this bass has, I think a unisex name might be the safe way to go! |
#13
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Retraction
I retract my previous statement haha. Joeys a fine name then
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#14
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Well, it's getting a C-extension now along with a full set-up. This bass has a future being played in an orchestra setting.
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#15
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She's back...
Quote:
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#16
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Extension & setup
How does it play now? What's the lower clamp on the extension? D natural?
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#17
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Quote:
The middle Capo is a D. The fingerboard was slightly thin when I got the bass and was a bit too flat. The board was dressed a bit and now plays even better than before. Due to the combination of the scroll/pegbox shape, the neck-graft angle between the neck and pegbox and the slightly thin fingerboard, the bracket for the Eb capo would not fit without cutting slightly into the cheek of the pegbox. So, I opted for just a plain E-capo extension. Then, Arnold suggested a D-capo and I agreed. I have played many parts that go down to D and C. Only on occasion have I had to lock the Db capo. The Eb capo is handy to have as well but close enough to the nut to finger as well. I have owned 2 basses with just an E-capo in the past. One a few years back and one in the early '70s. This E/D/C Extension is the first like it I have had. I think it will work just fine. The season starts up in January right after the holidays and I will bring it to rehearsals as needed and give it my normal on-the-job test. I am sure it will work well. |
#18
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Extensions
I've never owned a bass with a extension but I always thought if I had one a plain c extension with only a E capo would be better for me rather than a chromatic in 2 ways, more cost effective & only 2 possible different open string notes. The bass & extension look great, I've been really wanting to play a bass Arnold setup as I haven't had the chance to.
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#19
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Ken, any particular reason you went for the "drill a hole through the scroll" instead of the "no-hole wrap-around" style extension?
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#20
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Quote:
At least we are not cutting scroll like many of the earlier luthiers did. It is so hard to repair those heads and make them look good unless you are fitting a new extension over it to hide the repair. |
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