Cut-away bass

[Cmoon1]

I'm interested in getting a cut-away bass, but never even played one. What are your experiences with such a beast? Pros and cons? Good brands, bad brands? Thanks.

Chris

[accutone]

Seen this?

1968 framus cut-away upright bass

[toman]

^^^ I once played a bass just like that. Not great quality or tone, but passable with a decent setup and and kind of cool. Not something I'd buy, but If you really want a cutaway...

[MingusAmongUs]

What makes you lean toward a cutaway?
I've never been a thumb-position master but it strikes me as kind of gimmicky, and I would think by taking away real estate from the resonator you lose some sound. There are plenty of "regular" basses out there that allow easy access to the upper register. Just look for a tyrolean shape or violin cornered bass with narrow or sharp sloping shoulders.

But as always, this is just one guy's opinion, if you like the look of it that's your prerogative.

[Randy Ward]

I once owned a fully carved cutaway that had rosewood fingerboard. It was my first 'good bass' after high school and I bought it in Chicago. It was not a 'Framus' per se but had a label that indicated German origin so it was probably the same factory.

It was harder for me to play in tune in thumb position without the shoulder and the bass never had a good sound. Arco was dreary, jazz pizz was plunky. I eventually sold the cutaway when I lived in California. I recently was in contact with the guy who bought it and he still has it. He said he felt that the missing shoulder affected the sound and that it made the bass lack low-end growl. He had them set it up at Lemur several times and even put a new fingerboard on it but never could get the sound he wanted for jazz. He now uses it as a back up, and in fact he offered to give it back to me for free! I wouldn't take it even if I lived closer to him.
YMMV

[Cmoon1]

Thanks for this excellent feedback. Just what I needed to know. I have relatively recently overcome my fear and started working up the neck (after playing the URB for 20 years), and am in the market for a new bass-- this is why I asked. While the easier access is tempting, it did make me wonder, volume-wise.

Chris

[Mike Arnopol]

Hey Randy--My first bass (in high school in Chicago) was a cutaway. This was probably in about '71. I unloaded it about a year later. Wondering if it was the same bass. These basses were pretty awful. As was previously stated, there are no advantages to the cutaway in terms of upper register playing. it takes time and effort, but thumb position playing has many advantages. Instead of a major second between your index and pinky (or a minor third if you use your fourth finger) you have a major third or a fourth between your thumb and pinky in thumb position. Also, it may sound stupid, but it's really easy to whack your hand in trying to transition to a high note on the cutaway. As earlier stated, a bass with sloping shoulders makes the thumb position transition easier, but I had a Hawkes Panormo bass with very high shoulders. I'm not tall (5'9") and solo in thumb position a lot and I had no problem getting used to a big bass with high shoulders. If you play standing, you just step back and reach over. My advice----bail on the cutaway and find a bass that plays ands sounds good.

[Randy Ward]

Hi Mike Arnopol;
I bought it at Kagen and Gaines on Wabash but it would have been a little later than '71. But still could have been your bass of course. Briefly I am from Iowa and I had an old ply that was given to me by my junior high band director. Looking back I think with a good set up that ply would have been a great bass. But my high school teacher wanted me to get a carved bass...for some reason he just hated that plywood. He sent me to Chicago. I had some money saved and took the train, just me and that plywood to Chicago and was given directions to that shop. I got off the elevator and told them; “I need a carved bass”. I think they saw me coming as they took all the money I had plus the plywood (and it's nice case) for the cutaway. I remember vividly walking down Wabash with that bass on a really crappy wheel they had thrown in, bursting with pride thinking that I had gotten a great bass. I’d never seen a cutaway bass and figured my teacher would be pleased. When I got back for the next lesson my teacher told me that I had somehow managed to get a bass that was even worse than the ply! Anyway if you want Mike, I'll have my friend email me a picture of it and I'll forward it to you to see if it really is yours.

Randy

[Mike Arnopol]

I traded it in at Kagan and Gaines. A really crummy bass it was. I bought it at another store on Wabash called the Guitar Gallery. Virtually any plywood bass I've played were better than that dog!