The 5-String Double Bass

[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?