Double Bass Questions

[Gordon Gary]

Hello all, new to the forums and have another what about this bass questions.
Posted on another site but did not get much feedback.
What I know.
1. It's a Rubner
2. It's plywood
3. Plays well
4. Looked inside and all I found was a piece of newspaper tack on with a thumbtack written in German

I suspect it's just a student bass and was looking for more info.
Here are the pics.

http://s637.photobucket.com/albums/uu98/rotosound1/


Thanks to all

[Ken Smith]

There were three generations of Rubners and worked as a family passing down the shop as they each trained with their elder. They all specialized in Double Basses and listed as DB & Cellos as well. I don't know the periods of the Cellos with the family but DBs were the main in all 3 generations. The basses were made in 4 and 5 strings in Gamba and Violin form as well as some other Busetto type models which I have seen pictured.

The first was Joseph(Josef) R., b.4/7/1864-d.7/4/1927

Then his son Otto R., b.8/7/1885-d. 1963

Followed by Otto's son Johannes, b.2/10/1924 who is listed as still working with his father Otto in 1969. He passed his makers test in 1959 as listed in the Jalovec book of German makers.

The shop was in Markneukirchen. How is your bass labeled if at all?

With laminated basses, there is no way of knowing without personal first hand knowledge if they were made in their shop or just completed there by contracting the model out to a firm that specialized in laminated basses. In this period, Juzek bought the Laminated models from the Lang firm and the carved basses from the Wilfer's. Several shops/brands shared suppleirs from what I have seen.

Your bass looks post 1960 to me from the pictures shown. They are dark but I get that idea from the tuners and model. That brand was common on the basses from that period and latter as well. I don't know if there is or was a 4th generation that followed Johannes.

By the way, how wide are the strings centered on that bridge? They look extremely wide to me. Are they evenly spaced at least, center-to-center?

[Joel Larsson]

According to their website, it seems that the Rubner firm is alive and well, but specializes in metal parts (tuners etc). But, the bass player in the orchestra up here keeps talking about ordering a new Rubner, describing how they are available in different price ranges and so... so either he's hopelessly out of touch or there is more to the Rubners today than what meets the eye.

[Gordon Gary]

Not sure if the string spacing is wide or not, but they are even. Approximately 1& 1/4 inches across.




Thanks

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Gordon Gary

Not sure if the string spacing is wide or not, but they are even. Approximately 1& 1/4 inches across.Thanks

1 1/4" string to string, center to center?

That is WIDE. The widest I have played is 1 1/8" or about 28mm spacing. I used 27-28mm spacing depending on the bass. I used to use 23.5-24mm spacing (about 15/16") but that was over 20 years ago. For Jazz I like it tight and fast but for orchestra, I need more bowing room.

Did you choose that spacing or is that just how someone cut it for you? What kind of playing are you doing and what strings?

Height under the end of the fingerboard from the G to the E is also another factor to look at.

[Gordon Gary]

Ken, I was wrong about the spacing. It is 1 & 1/8.
The spacing from the strings to the fingerboard about 1/2 inch.
The fingerboard to the front of the bass is 3 & 1/2 inches.
I've had the bass for a number of years and decided to really learn how to play it. My major interest is Jazz. I've been using the Simandls Book.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Gordon Gary

Ken, I was wrong about the spacing. It is 1 & 1/8.
The spacing from the strings to the fingerboard about 1/2 inch.
The fingerboard to the front of the bass is 3 & 1/2 inches.
I've had the bass for a number of years and decided to really learn how to play it. My major interest is Jazz. I've been using the Simandls Book.

I am not sure exactly how you are measuring these points. Where in PA are you located? Is the 1/18" in the measurement 'between' the edges of the strings or measured from the center (splitting each sting in half) of one sting to the center of the other? Are they evenly spaced?

You say 1/2" height off the Fingerboard? On all 4 strings? Are you related to Hulk Hogan?

The Fingerboard off the body measurement is not relevant because or the Archs of the Tops that vary bass to bass. The Height of the Bridge is way more relevant, how high the center of the bridge is off the Top with maybe a 1/4" string height under the end of the fingerboard on the G and a 3/8" under the E.

For me, measureing in inches (I usually use MMs for string heights), my Martini strung with Flexocors is 3/16" under the G and 5/16" under the E and I can dig in playing in the Orchestra or play jazz with the same set-up, same strings. My Gilkes has Evah Pirrazzi's on it now and although they may require more height to work, the fingerboard on this Bass has more camber in it (more curve, scoup). Also, the Gilkes is just barely a 41" string length and the Martini is a proud 41.5". I find that the shorter length necks are often tighter, tension-wise. The scoup/camber of the fingerboard can make it feel more or less in either direction with more scoup making it feel tighter or maybe harder to press down.

With having a gazillion note to play in a Beethovan concert, the lower action helps to pull it off with less effort. Having a loud and powerful bass also lessens the pain by being able to play easier and still be heard.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Ken, did you say "action"? ...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Ken, did you say "action"? ...

I did and I will again.. Mainly because it is more easily understood to those Electric Bass players just starting out on Upright.. Oh, I mean, on the Double Bass.

For what it's worth, in my mind, 'action' is the combination of all the adjustability that makes the playability, known and unknown. Aka, 'the feel'.. Can you feel it Baby??

It may not be the exact Luthier definition but then again, a Luthier today is not what a Luthier was 400 years ago. Meaning two things. One, we don't play the Lute and two, we have running water and such..

So your gets my .. and one other 'sign' not currently on the system.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I did and I will again.. Mainly because it is more easily understood to those Electric Bass players just starting out on Upright.. Oh, I mean, on the Double Bass.

Didn't you mean "Standup Bass"?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Didn't you mean "Standup Bass"?

'Stand-up'.. Gee.. I've been away from TalkBass so long that I'm starting to forget these important things.. lol

By the way, I sit on a stool most of the time so that term was never on the tip of my tongue.. A learning defect in the making.. lol