The (unofficial) Upright Bass Showcase Thread

[fmm]

4/4 is _really_ big.  I don't know that anyone builds them anymore.  There was a player in the Minnesota Orchestra who had a 4/4 cut down to 7/8.  It had a real steampunk look to the tuner, it was a cool bass.

[edwardofhuncote]

... the bow he was using cost more than my Alembic ...

   !!!!!

My response exactly!

Peter

Believe it. You can pay whatever you want for a bow, or an upright bass for that matter. Commensurate with your budget, and hopefully your skill level. I have three bows, two pretty decent ones, and one pretty crappy one Itake to fiddler's conventions. The best of which is maybe worth $500. And it's better than I need. It sounds good though. And you can get a good-sounding bow without blowing a grand.

All mine are French-style, just because that's what felt most natural to do. I never could get that German grip to feel like I was getting enough pressure on the strings. What little training I received told me I should go with what felt natural. It's no more complicated than that. (wherever you are Bob Thomas, thanks for that...)

[cozmik_cowboy]

So, I went to the Nick Lloyd site, and I (who know nothing about doghouse basses except they sound great and can be a bear to mic), and I noticed that he offers 3/4 & 7/8 sizes.  Is 4/4 not a thing?

Peter

No, there are some for sure. I have one... it was gifted to me many years ago. It's huge. Gamba-style flatback Bohemian that started life as a 3-string and got converted to a 4-string sometime in the early 20th Century. I haven't had it strung up in 20 years, but it sounds heavenly. Golly that thing is a double handful to play though. Fractionals are more commonplace though as folks dropping that kind of ka-ching want an upright that fits just right. My main gig-bass is a 3/4 with an unusually longer scale. I can play other basses but would rather not.

And since I did go look around the Nick Lloyd site, I know what "Gamba-style flatbck" means.  Learning all kindsa stuff today!

Peter (who will note for those who didn't go look, Mr. Lloyd's starting price is $40K)

[mavnet]

I bought a very inexpensive upright bass at David Gage in NYC. While they were setting it up i got to play some of the other instruments they had in the shop. Some were okay, some were really nice. I played one that sounded amazing, felt incredible, and I thought - man, I could really PLAY this one.
"How much is this one?"
"oh, about $850,000."
"oh..."

... the bow he was using cost more than my Alembic ...

   !!!!!

My response exactly!

Peter

Believe it. You can pay whatever you want for a bow, or an upright bass for that matter. Commensurate with your budget, and hopefully your skill level. I have three bows, two pretty decent ones, and one pretty crappy one Itake to fiddler's conventions. The best of which is maybe worth $500. And it's better than I need. It sounds good though. And you can get a good-sounding bow without blowing a grand.

All mine are French-style, just because that's what felt most natural to do. I never could get that German grip to feel like I was getting enough pressure on the strings. What little training I received told me I should go with what felt natural. It's no more complicated than that. (wherever you are Bob Thomas, thanks for that...)

[garyhead]

My girlfriend in the 70’s / 80’s went to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Was talking to a classmate who went to Argentina to audition a 1850’s bass. Paid $25,000 for it ($84,000 in 2026). Must be nice to be 22 and have parents that can foot that bill. Trying to remember his name…. Will Google it. Most students went on to remarkable professional careers.

[garyhead]

Yup. Just googled. He did a stint with the Philadelphia Orchestra among other accomplishments.

[edwardofhuncote]

Boy, leave my bass alone! You gonna' break thuh neck out of it or sumthin'!


~My Dad, to 17 year-old me... who just knew he could play one of them cursed things...


A couple years later, I gave his bass back and bought myself one. The same one I still have and play today. I actually can't remember how the whole deal went, but there was some horse-trading and bartering involved. He traded that bass off for something else, and we never saw it again. It was an early 40's Kay C-1 though. I had refinished the back of it at some point, and inlaid the fingerboard with markers for training, so it has ♤-♡-◇-♧, in the first position. It also has an old English "E" inlaid into a circle of ebony in the heel of the neck, hiding a button repair I did. Other distinctive points, it has a three-piece neck, and walnut fingerboard. One scroll ear doesn't match. (because it's homemade) I don't really want it back, but I would love to see that bass again. If for no reason other than I played my very first notes on it. Made my first dollar with it.

[David Houck]

... I played one that sounded amazing, felt incredible, and I thought - man, I could really PLAY this one.
"How much is this one?"
"oh, about $850,000."
"oh..."

 

[cozmik_cowboy]

I bought a very inexpensive upright bass at David Gage in NYC. While they were setting it up i got to play some of the other instruments they had in the shop. Some were okay, some were really nice. I played one that sounded amazing, felt incredible, and I thought - man, I could really PLAY this one.
"How much is this one?"
"oh, about $850,000."
"oh..."
(/quote]

And even then......
I am reminded of the time I was recording a concert by the Vermeer Quartet, and Shmuel Ashkenasi, 1st violin, was having technical difficulties; finally leaned over to the talk-to-the-audience mic and says "Geez; ya pay a million bucks for a fiddle, and a $4 rosin bag doesn't work......"

Peter

[fmm]

There was a violin shop in St Paul that was a dealer for Yamaha EUBs.  Over lunch I went to take a look, and discovered that they don't stock any in the shop.  The shop owner asked if I wanted to play any of the uprights while I was there.

I picked one out, no idea what kind, it had a price tag of about $20,000.  The owner asked what kind of bow I wanted to use, I declined.
I played a scale, then played the Flintstones theme.  The owner grinned, and commented that no one had ever auditioned an instrument in his shop with that song.