The (unofficial) Upright Bass Showcase Thread

[edwardofhuncote]

There's bound to be a few of us Alembicans qualified on the old-old-school basses... care to show yours off?

My main gig bass since 1991 is a German import (supposedly) from the nineteen-teens or twenties. It's a3/4-size bass but has a full 42" scale, F# neck with a deep "U" profile. The body is all arched laminate construction, but with some very nice flame maple veneer. It's not the loudest or the quietest bass ever, but it mics very well, and currently set up with D'Addario "Zyex" lights, whether arco or pizz, it plays like the sweetest dream you ever had.   

It's been from coast to coast with me, and crossed the Mississippi River four times. Only one major repair- the top began slowly collapsing above the treble foot of the bridge... after a couple years it became critical, requiring a top-off repair. I had her back up and going in less than a week, and she's been solid as a rock since.

I have a couple more uprights too, and will get to them another time, but this is my favorite. 

[pauldo]

Gregory that is a beautiful instrument.  I have a Knilling Bucharest 3/4 size.  Not fancy but special. I will have to setup a photo shoot, it would look nice outside next to the barn, but far too cold right now.

[sonicus]

I have recently been gifted a half sized instrument  that is in dire need of repair that I might be asking for guidance in the near future .   Thanks for this thread !

[jacko]

maybe not quite within the brief but here's mine.. NS CR5M . looks and plays beautifully and has prompted me to start a search for a suitable 5 string double bass..





Graeme

[edwardofhuncote]

I like it Jacko... totally counts as an upright! 

I'm planning to convert an old Bohemian 'flat-back' to a 5-string one of these days... probably/possibly as a retirement project. I've had it for years, and it's in really bad shape, so a total overhaul restoration is in order. What made me hatch such a plan? That bass has a tremendous neck... should be plenty strong enough for the extra tension, and wide enough that the spacing won't be awkward. 

[edwardofhuncote]

@pauldo- by all means, I'd love to see that. After the weather breaks of course.

I was reminded by your post, I hadn't included the size... mine is 3/4 as well, but it has really odd proportions for a 3/4. Somebody told me once it could be referred to as a 7/8ths. My old(est) bass is a full 4/4 doublebass, and it dwarfs my regular gig bass.

[CaseyVancouver]

This is not my main instrument. That upright gets gigged and amplified and carried in and out of cars and venues.

THIS is my stay at home bass!!

2001 7/8 size Chandler 42" scale made with Reid Hudson wood. Hand made and beautiful. The top is carved spruce with the sides, neck and back big leaf  flamed maple from Vancouver Island. Reid Hudson is a premium bow maker on Vancouver Island. (His bows go for $5000 to $7000.)

The bass is modelled after an Italian Busan from about 1750. Luthier Peter Chandler had access to one for dimensions, owned by a Toronto Symphony player. I have a copy of Peter's Busan construction plans.

To explain why I bought this bass I have to turn the clock back a bit...
Mid '80s my soon to be wife Marcia and I were holidaying on Vancouver Island and dropped in to see Reid Hudson. We were driving our '56 Continental Mark II. Thought it was a great idea to buy all the wood for a bass! It fit in the trunk too.

Actually this car was our special 'going out for dinner car' but my daily driver at the time was a '66 Corvette coupe. The double bass fit in the Corvette and I could actually fit a bass in the trunk of the Continental!  We got married later and had a son who's middle name is Reid ...cause we liked it.

Fast forward to a few years ago and I still had not started making a bass with that wood. Luthier and friend of Gary Karr, Brock Radelet from Victoria phones me one day and wants to buy the wood, to build a bass for an American client. It went with him, to some very fortunate person. Reid Hudson wood went out the door.

I found this Chandler for sale January of this year. I knew the owner.  I had passed on so many great  basses over the years, and regretted it.  I just had to check this one out. I decided to only buy if the sound was there. Yep. Reid Hudson wood comes in the door.

The bass sound is big and serious, perfect for the symphony playing I would like to do.  The bottom end is growly, and has a bit of a boom tinkle sound. Perfect!

The scratched wood on the first photo has been repaired perfectly, by me!
To complement this bass I have a fine  Horst Schicker bow, purchased about 1977.

[edwardofhuncote]

My hat is off to you, sir. 

Cool story, and a sweet bass too.

[pauldo]

My hat is off to you, sir. 

Cool story, and a sweet bass too.

Agreed, that is a beaut (both bass and story).
And the "boom tinkle sound" is worth the price of admission! :-D


Do you still own the Continental?

[CaseyVancouver]

Very nice bass Edwardofhuncote!

That script on the back, I have seen that on .... Wilfer's?

Anycase, very very nice!

[CaseyVancouver]

Do you still own the Continental?
[/quote]

Nope!
One day while hanging out with my three little kids, in the sun in the back yard, I realized having cars like that just doesn't make sense for this dad. I remember that moment! Ha ha!

The Corvette I bought when I was a 20 year old. Drove it daily for 13 years. Awesome gig car!

[edwardofhuncote]

That purfling design is a very 'German' feature... I don't know anything for absolutely certain on that bass, as the only marking is that very faint country of origin tag in English. (which I believe dates it to post 1914 and 1921 amendments of the 1891 McKinley Tarriff Act)  Reportedly, there was a huge number of musical instruments (particularly members of the violin/viol family) imported to the U.S. from Germany in that timeframe. I believe this bass is one of them.

I met a New Orleans Jazz bassist once with one almost identical to mine; his had a paper label that said "Laurel Stringed Instrument Co." but the city was illegible. 

[hankster]

The Roth. Got it in Seattle in 1977.

[edwardofhuncote]

Nice!

[pauldo]

Still need to do a proper outdoor photo shoot of my dog house.  Here is a pic I found of 'the family'.
Knilling Bucharest 3/4
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/124060.jpg