Canadian luthier Mario Lamarre

Eric Rene Roy · #1 04-22-2005, 01:07 PM

http://www.lamario.ca/index.php?lang=english

How come I don't hear more about this guy? I am in love with the quality of his work!

Any TBer's own any of his instruments???

anonymous0726 · #2 04-22-2005, 01:44 PM

Neat looking stuff. How do they play and sound?

Tom Hutton · #3 04-22-2005, 03:45 PM

Them's some good lookin' basses!
I particularly like the Ganesh scroll. He's definitely my favourite

Ben Rose · #4 04-22-2005, 04:41 PM

I visited his shop last summer while I was in Montreal. He was very kind to speak with me for over an hour about his basses and the process he uses to model/create the scrolls and extensions. I believe he was also commissioned by the Montreal Symphony to create low B extensions for their basses. Unfortunately, he had no completed basses in stock at the time so I cannot attest to the sound of his instruments. The bass player for Quartango does use his instruments. He uses one with the detachable neck for travel purposes. Sound samples are available on the site.

Edit: Track 9 "Maria" has a good arco sample

I will say however, that he pays extreme attention to the details, and has come up with some clever ideas that I would like to see on more basses. For instance, the "hats" on his tuning pegs have a turning/locking mechanism that allows you to quickly wind the string by hand at a 1:1 ratio before locking it into the gear for fine tuning. He also created a "C" extension on the D string of a Hi-C 5 string (see Lamario 2001).

I am not partial to the "orangish" finish on some of the instruments on the site, but he said he could make more brown or golden finish.

Eric Rene Roy · #5 04-23-2005, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Rose

For instance, the "hats" on his tuning pegs have a turning/locking mechanism that allows you to quickly wind the string by hand at a 1:1 ratio before locking it into the gear for fine tuning.

Well, I know at least one bass builder/friend whose curiosity will be piqued by that!

**Adrian Cho** · #6 04-23-2005, 09:28 AM

I am quite familiar with Mario's work. I didn't know about these special tuners of his and whether he makes them himself or has someone make them for him. I just wanted to mention that I a set of the "Knobel" tuning machines from Gallery Strings and they allow you to do just that. If you remove the thumbscrew on the opposite side of the tuner, you can pull out the shaft just enough to disengage it from the gear and wind the string on or off by hand. Very handy indeed.

Nordz · #7 04-23-2005, 12:27 PM

I've heard that Mario Lamarre will be at the maker competition for double basses at Kalamazoo this summer (6 and 7 of june 2005).

He will get there with the ganesh double bass.

anonymous0726 · #8 04-23-2005, 12:31 PM

I hear that the Ganesh has a specially developed microtonal fingerboard.

Ben Rose · #9 04-25-2005, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

I hear that the Ganesh has a specially developed microtonal fingerboard.

And yet, if I played it, my intonation would still be off.

ajbass · #10 04-25-2005, 08:34 PM

Arn't all fingerboards microtonal?

JimmyM · #11 04-26-2005, 12:49 AM

Boy, I'd love to retrofit a set of those tuners to my bass! Even with a string winder, changing strings is a pain in the butt.

I'm also very intrigued by this idea of a detachable neck. It sounds like it would be great if it works, but how could you keep the bass consistent? Just unbolting a neck on one my Fender slabs causes me to have to reset the action. I would think that on a double bass it would be a nightmare.

anonymous0726 · #12 04-26-2005, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajbass

Arn't all fingerboards microtonal?

It was just a j-o-k-e!

:Þ

ajbass · #13 04-26-2005, 04:25 PM

"It was just a j-o-k-e!"

Good thing... that was really confusing me. This guys work really is something else.

Ken McKay · #14 04-27-2005, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Boy, I'd love to retrofit a set of those tuners to my bass! Even with a string winder, changing strings is a pain in the butt.

I'm also very intrigued by this idea of a detachable neck. It sounds like it would be great if it works, but how could you keep the bass consistent? Just unbolting a neck on one my Fender slabs causes me to have to reset the action. I would think that on a double bass it would be a nightmare.

No Jimmy, the removable neck also allows for micro adjustment in string height. It is really a pretty simple design, based on old Stauffer guitars. The mechanism is a bolt in the heal near the back and a pivot point higher near the fb.

JimmyM · #15 04-28-2005, 12:22 AM

Well Ken, since you are in the business and I'm a newb to double bass with no plans to visit Canada in the near future, I will take your word for it. Hats off to the guy if he's got it perfected. It just seems that so many things can go ka-flooey when you detach and re-attach a neck. But if you say it works, I'll take your word for until I am proved otherwise.

Kim Necroman of the Necromantix also plays a folding bass with a detachable neck that he built himself. I'm sure you all would dig it...it's in the shape of a coffin