Hi guys,
are there any Edgar Meyer fans that have a close up pic of his fingerboard in the higher register? I seem to remember that it's longer on the G (and maybe D as well) side and cut off to a normal length for the low strings. I'd like to explore a similar option for my newly installed extra-long fingerboard (can play up to an E past the high G harmonic, or what I would call 24th fret on an electric bass).

If you have this close up pic, please share!

-Marco

Oh crap...you're scary enough on a regular fingerboard in thumb position...:eek:

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/owlive/img/mar05/mso.four0306_big.jpg

There ya go.

Oh crap...you're scary enough on a regular fingerboard in thumb position...:eek:

:D

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/owlive/img/mar05/mso.four0306_big.jpg

There ya go.

Hey Aaron,
that's great, thank you so much... but Edgar has his bow right on that very spot I want to see! That makes it hard to see the whole deal across the 4 strings :bawl:
Anyone has a pic without a bow in the way?

-Marco

I am getting the same fingerboard put on my bass right now.

I do believe Edgar's fingerboard is tapered and not just a direct cut.

This is a really big picture, so I'll link to it:
http://www.jazzconnectionmag.com/edgar_meyer_03_nov_18_2005.jpg

I am getting the same fingerboard put on my bass right now.

mcnaire, can you tell us more about the FB--specs, cost, source, etc.? What are the "guide dots" made of, btw?

This is a really big picture, so I'll link to it:
http://www.jazzconnectionmag.com/edgar_meyer_03_nov_18_2005.jpg

There you go! You da man, Aaron!

-Marco

P.S. Is he pointing his middle finger to the sound guy? LOL

I do believe Edgar's fingerboard is tapered and not just a direct cut.
I was told by my luthier who is doing mine who is a friend of Edgars (well not in a whole lot of years since Edgar lives in west TN now) that his finger board (like mine)was from one long piece of ebony.

mcnaire, can you tell us more about the FB--specs, cost, source, etc.? What are the "guide dots" made of, btw?
As far as the FB length-it is supposed to 4 inches longer than the finger board I have on my 7/8ths Juzek (haven't seen it w/ FB on it yet). My old fingerboard that got taken off is a long one that went all the way to D just past the G harmonic 2 octaves above the G string. So I guess it will go about an octave higher. Sorry if I can't give you numbers (my bass is at my luthiers) And btw I don't know where he gets it. I think it is custom made?.
As far as the guiding dots- I wont have them on my FB so I don't have a clue what it's made out of. But, I honestly think you could youse a small round blank stickers. But, I think by looking at his bass from the pic I mite be able to tell you. It looks like where his thumb is at looks like G the dot obove the note he is fingering (C?) would then be D? The next dot is G? It looks like to me that his dots are harmonicaly based (smart idea). Hope I could be of help.

I asked really just out of curiosity--maybe it's just me, but I think most of us would lose a little credibility with a DB with little "cheater dots". Edgar, of course, need not worry about such things, and such a customization will only elicit a reaction like "cool" or (as you say) "smart". And it is cool and smart, but on my bass the reaction would more likely be "wimp" (especially if I just stickers!).

Thanks for the info. I have about 5 more years of TP playing before this kind of thing is worth it for me.

You can really see it in that second pic: he wins the prize for narrowest ribs and highest end pin. There can't be much pin left inside the bass.

I saw him play that thing four years ago and it didn't look that small....

You can really see it in that second pic: he wins the prize for narrowest ribs and highest end pin. There can't be much pin left inside the bass.

I saw him play that thing four years ago and it didn't look that small....

It's always looked like an average 3/4 size bass not small to me either, just lighter in color and a little more worn compared to the other basses hauled in by students seeking his advice in masterclasses .

Edgar Meyer isn't a small guy either.

Why he has it so high I don't really know, myself. I've seen him have to stand on his tiptoes to reach the end of that fingerboard and squeal with the best, and his lack of interest in endorsing some narrowly defined standing-while-playing vision tells me his own reasons for playing that way (if he thinks about it at all) don't point exclusively to, say, ergonomics as Rabbath and Karr intend. We got to see Edgar "shred" a little while playing a bass with an angled endpin, trying to chase the back of the bass with his knee still...and he was still amazing.

Anyway, I thought that extension at the bottom was added on later and not originally part of the fingerboard.

I asked really just out of curiosity--maybe it's just me, but I think most of us would lose a little credibility with a DB with little "cheater dots". Edgar, of course, need not worry about such things, and such a customization will only elicit a reaction like "cool" or (as you say) "smart". And it is cool and smart, but on my bass the reaction would more likely be "wimp" (especially if I just stickers!).

Thanks for the info. I have about 5 more years of TP playing before this kind of thing is worth it for me.
Yea I know I would be called the same thing if I had dots on my bass.

Another bassist in my section thought Edgars bass was a 1/2 size when he came a few months ago(LOL). I thought it was small to untill one day I laid my bass down (my 3/4 ply)and walked a little distance away and turned around and looked at it. I was like "WOW that realy looks small from here" (it was only like 30 60 feet).

Just looking at the first pic has anyone else noticed a mic by the right F hole on Edgars bass?

I asked really just out of curiosity--maybe it's just me, but I think most of us would lose a little credibility with a DB with little "cheater dots". Edgar, of course, need not worry about such things, and such a customization will only elicit a reaction like "cool" or (as you say) "smart". And it is cool and smart, but on my bass the reaction would more likely be "wimp" (especially if I just stickers!).

Thanks for the info. I have about 5 more years of TP playing before this kind of thing is worth it for me.
Edgar says the dots eliminate bad nights. If thats your thing I wouldnt worry about "credibility" among the crowd of bass players.

I believe the dots on Edgar's bass are inlaid boxwood or a similar kind of wood. Would the dots cause a loss of credibility? WHO FRICKIN CARES! If you miss less shifts because of them, why not?
For me though coming close to my college audition time dots would realy make me look bad. (well, except for when I audition at Curtis since Edgar teaches there) (Don't expect to make it but i'll try. crazier things have happend right? lol)

As far as dots go, some players use a single-hole punch tool and black electrician's tape. It makes a nice black dot that only you can see. Placed between the D and G strings, it works quite nicely, and keeps the bad nights bearable. Also, if you want to re-sell the bass, they peel right off.

My Ergo EUB was a bit cheaper because he had it ready. It has dots. They do not do much for me and I just ignore them. Most of us have our little wood blemishes or what ever.
I would prefer they are not there but I do not really care.
I like the fingerboard extension - the fingerboard on my double bass goes to a high "d".

McNaire, about the dots, everybody in the bass world has seen Edgar's dots. MANY bass players have followed his lead and had dots installed. In fact, a really good bass player I went to school with has dots on his Jim Hamm bass. Has he lost credibility? Well, he is now the recently appointed professor of double bass at the University of South Carolina so the board who hires there obviously did not count it against him. The only people who would knock you for dots are macho, cheeseball, old school bass players and teachers who you do not want to study with or listen to anyway. By the way, good luck with your college auditions, McNaire. Let us know how they go. I actually auditioned a Curtis. I think Hal was a little suprised to see a chubby kid from north Florida with an orange plywood bass playing German bow. Hal was very nice and helpful. He sent me full notes of the audition and gave me a lot of support and encouragement. I ended up auditioning for Jeff Bradetich at UNT by tape late in the summer and getting the green light about 2 weeks before school started. Jeff is a great teacher/player and an equally great guy. I studied with him for 7 semesters and am planning on returning to UNT in order to finish my degree. Again, keep us posted, McNaire.
Wow! I will definatly be looking to you for advice in the neer future. Right now I'm just focust on Bottesini for the concerto competition here in TN. I honestly want to take a year off to get ready for the audition but my dad wants me to do it this spring (he just wants me out of the house lol).

I think my credibility concern was taken too seriously. But the electrician's tape is a great idea--easy way to find out whether they'll actually be any use to me!

-Macho, Cheeseball Jeff

Jeff is a great teacher/player and an equally great guy.

There was a guy who played one of Edgar Meyer's compositions at a UNT music symposium 3 or 4 years ago...I think he was one of Jeff Bradetich's students. He had dots on his fingerboard, and his performance was jawdropping. Nobody failed to clap enthusiastically as I could tell.

Anyway, the only argument I see in support of being able to play the bass without dots that makes any sense is where the player must focus on something else, like what's on the music stand or whatever.

Otherwise, why not? It's tantamount to arguing against using the French bow instead of the German bow to play arco.

The student was Craig Butterfield. I was not at that symposium, but I know he can play. He landed a sweet teaching gig in S. Carolina. He is the bass player I was talking about in the earlier post. He's also an inspiration to me because it took him like 9 years to get a Bachelor's Degree. I believe he was working on a DMA when he got the university job. Anyway, he's got an old website that hasn't been updated for a while but it still has some cool music clips and photos. It's called www.craigbutterfield.com.

Yeah, that guy sounds awesome. I think the dots matter less when you play on that level. I mean, playing in tune is just one of many things Edgar Meyer is great at.
I don't think it would fly for a Chuck Haden clone to have dots...

chuck?

Thanks Jake for the info and link.

anybody happen to be positive about where exactly the famous edgar inlay dots are placed on the fingerboard? i mean..on which notes/frets or what have you.

anybody happen to be positive about where exactly the famous edgar inlay dots are placed on the fingerboard? i mean..on which notes/frets or what have you.
well the ones starting in thumb position (as I can see from the pictures) are based on the main harmonics (G,D,G......)

well the ones starting in thumb position (as I can see from the pictures) are based on the main harmonics (G,D,G......)

anybody happen to be positive about where exactly the famous edgar inlay dots are placed on the fingerboard?

i'm wondering if anybody's asked edgar, "hey, which notes do you have inlays on?"

and he's said: "i have inlays on....."

anybody?

In a masterclass last year he said that up to the G harmonic the dots are in minor 3rds i.e. Bb Db Fb/E and G after the harmonic they are on G D and high G.