Folding bass/Japan

[hogues]

Before I assault you all with questions, a thank you to talkbass.com for helping me out upon my arrival here in Tokyo a few short months ago...

I've been here since August with my Czech-Ease, and I'm slowly starting to network, made a website, accumulate some gigs, etc. It's been interesting here with the reaction to the CE - many of the bassists here are complete gearheads and love the idea of the thing, but I've heard a few discouraging things as well.

Many people here are very focused on appearance, which is a mixed blessing. Upon getting my first "real" gig here last week at a five-star hotel lounge, the manager seemed very concerned about the "Alien" appearance of the CE - going so far as to say she'd need to suggest I try to bring something more conservative to their gigs in the future. It seems they want a bass to look like, well, a 3/4 upright traditional bass. I've heard this from a few other people too - really the only negative so far here about the scene.

This brings me to the Chadwick folding bass - I've searched the forums, and can't find a real full out review of it. I'm intrigued enough to want to really look in to it - the idea of having a square box on the subway is much more appealing than having to "box out" people on the last train to avoid my CE bridge getting knocked out of place or pushed through the body. I just wish there were some audio samples out there to see just how much the sound is impacted by having all the extra mods to the bass. Anyone here have any hands on experience with one? I also wonder about string lifespan - I play velvet garbos, and wonder if it's unhealthy for them to be brought up and down from tension all the time as they would on a folding bass. Thanks in advance!

[longfinger]

Congratulations on setting roots in Tokyo.

I'm wondering if you can get around the 'alien appearance' problem at the one hotel gig with some creative staging. The Czech Ease looks normal from the C bout on up. Could you hide the bottom of the bass by standing behind a music stand at knee-waist height that has a black cloth draped from top to the floor? If the music stand had a cloth, or board, with the hotel/lounge logo, that would look nice and would hide the bass' lack of bottom. Using the grand piano as a mask can help too, in conjunction with a solid looking music stand.

As far as folding basses, or removable neck basses, from what I understand they are more for special flight travel (few times per year) and not for the daily commute.

[Stanley Design]

What kind of cash is the gig getting you personally, and is it looking out to be a steady gig? If it's a well paying and steady gig, you might look into getting a student bass and keeping it there. If it's not well paying and not steady, I say you stick it out until you feel out some more venues. It might just be that particular manager.

With that said and constant change of tension back and forth can't be good for anything, including strings, and including your bass.

[hogues]

Here's the thing - it's an agency that books four big hotels here in Tokyo, and a ton of smaller venues. Decent pay - US $200 a night, dinner, and once you're in the rotation you can count on that several times a month. I don't want to push my luck with them too much, and I've heard from a few other bassists that I can expect a similar response from other agencies.

So my choices are - cheapo student upright under $2000, which I'm not thrilled about, making an investment in a nicer old upright, hard to afford right now but would be worth it in the long run, or something like the folding bass, which would make navigating the subways A LOT easier psychically and mentally. If you haven't been here I can't really convey just how crowded these trains get some nights, especially when you catch the last one on a Saturday night and have a few drunks thrown in... it's very scary knowing it takes one misplaced knee to do some serious damage. I even tried taking my CE to a few gigs in the flight case until I almost killed myself navigating some stairs...

[robobass]

How many bassists are in this rotation, have you met them, and how far are the hotels from each other? You see where I'm going with this. The other bassists all have the same transport problem you do, and might be interested in working together to get a bass that lives at the gig - perhaps shared by several hotels. You might see if a local music store would get involved and provide a rental at a low rate in exchange for advertising (put their logo on a rib, like they do with pianos?). Also, do the hotels also host concerts of touring acts? If so, they are already renting basses on occasion, and might be talked into simply buying one. Or maybe see if the other bassists would agree to pay you a small fee for each use if you agreed to buy a second bass and leave it there.

[Matthijs]

I don't think the Chadwick folding bass will really solve your subway problem. It's still quite a big flightcase to carry around, and probably only marginally smaller compared to the CE bass in a flightcase.

The only real solution to the subway problem would be going EUB, and that would conflict with the conservative looks. Maybe you can invest in a good EUB and make yourself a cartboard front to keep up the appearance of a UB ?

This makes me think: EUB with an inflatable body ?

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by robobass

How many bassists are in this rotation, have you met them, and how far are the hotels from each other? You see where I'm going with this. The other bassists all have the same transport problem you do, and might be interested in working together to get a bass that lives at the gig - perhaps shared by several hotels. You might see if a local music store would get involved and provide a rental at a low rate in exchange for advertising (put their logo on a rib, like they do with pianos?). Also, do the hotels also host concerts of touring acts? If so, they are already renting basses on occasion, and might be talked into simply buying one. Or maybe see if the other bassists would agree to pay you a small fee for each use if you agreed to buy a second bass and leave it there.

+1.
Bingo.
We've talked about the recording and move industries here in the States back in the 50's and 60's here at TB when the studio time element was so important. In NYC and Hollywood each studio owned a couple DB's and full sets of drums. There were so many recordings happening that they couldn't spare the time for the players to bring their instruments in to set up.
Red Mitchell told me he would take a suit and tie to his recording sessions during the day so he wouldn't have to go back home and get ready for a night dress-up gig.
The times I've played in Japan they had those jazz clubs that owned their own basses and drums (with our autographs in felt tips all over them named after American players, like Jazz Club Scott LaFaro. I'm serious.) is that still happening?

[Matthijs]

I agree, Robobasses solution is very sensible, and I assume you prefer to play on a actual DB. Nevertheless, maybe you should check out the Volante EUB that's mentioned in this Which EUB sounds most like a double bass ? thread. And keep my cardboard suggestion in mind when you see this thing.

[hogues]

wow! tons of good advice... Paul - they still have some club basses here, although quality varies wildly from place to place. I've played a few decent basses with working pickups and good strings, and I've given myself blood blisters on a few long-dead student basses with no adjustable bridge, rusty strings, notes marked on the fingerboard with sharpie, etc. Some places still have you sign the wall or a big poster! There's one club, B-flat, where each performer signs a brick behind the bandstand, cool stuff.

I appreciate the advice on the EUB, but I think those look even more "alien" than my Czech-ease, and I never really feel at home on one. What appealed to me about the folding bass is that once you put it in the case, it's basically a big square that I could put on a cart and feel better about bringing on a crowded train, not having to worry about my bridge getting knocked around.

As far as offering to set up a house bass - I'm the new guy in town, I'm still trying to get on these gig lists, and while some other bassists might appreciate me trying to do something like that, I don't want these venues or agencies to just see me as the "guy who didn't like our system"... maybe after I've been here a while, but I don't want to be the guy who shows up and complains about the gig, you know?

I guess for now I'll keep on with the CE and start looking for a 3/4 here, hoping the CE doesn't become the problem sooner rather than later... anyone looking to sell a nice Kay 3/4 upright in Tokyo?

[AMJBASS]

This bass(Chadwick) intrigues me. I am looking for a solution for fly in dates/contracts, and the idea of a portable Shen is definitely something I am interested in. The price is reasonable as well. Hmmm.... This or the Czech Ease.

[MR PC]

http://www.merchantbass.com/acoustic/traveler.htm

The Merchant Traveler Bass looks good to me.

[Mike Carr]

I'm pretty shocked to hear that your agent/booker objects to the looks of your Czech-Ease. I use mine often here in Hong Kong on 5 Star Hotel Gigs, private functions and jazz club gigs and people hardly ever notice it's appearance, non-musicians almost never. You can manage on the subway, Tokyo's are no worse than Hong Kong's are, just be careful. I try to make my body wider when people start to crowd in on me, point your elbows out a bit, folks will take the hint once they connect with a sharp elbow!!! Just try not to make it look like you didn't mean it! "So sorry!" I've got one of those "Bass Buggys" from KC Strings, works better than a wheel for me. Mark the position of your bridge with a bit of clear tape or light pencil line. But mine has rarely been moved by contact in the subway, keep the top of the bass out of the line of fire, you will be fine. Even at $200 a pop, thats a lot of gigs to play to buy a Merchant, a Folding Bass or something similar and you will be lucky to get $3000 to $3500 USD for your C-E, not to mention shipping issues if you can't find a local buyer. I got pretty excited about the Folding Bass and The Merchant Traveler when I saw them on line too, so I know how you must feel. You are trying to make it in a country a long way from home if you are an ex-pat like me. You want your instrument to represent you at your best because you want to sound great and work a lot. Good luck in Tokyo!

[Kevin Hsieh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjJ3g_wv8H0

not even an eub can survive that

[Paul Warburton]

Holy ****, Kev. I never saw that, but I remember being downtown a few times when people would be charging at us with their hands out in a Judo-chop kind of motion, like "Here we come mother, THIS way!" Most respectful people in the world until you become a threat to their destination.

[Paul Dwyer]

Come on Brent, you know you want to.

[Steve Azola]

PM sent to OP hogues
(a request to request input on prototype in process)

- Jill Azola

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Most respectful people in the world until you become a threat to their destination.

It's true. The cabs will actually nudge you out of the way if you happen to be the last person in the crosswalk when the light's turned.

[Brent Nussey]

Originally Posted by Paul Dwyer

Come on Brent, you know you want to.

Paul, you crack me up. I wasn't going to comment, but if you're going to goad me....

The original question was about using a brand of folding instrument, and I don't know anything about that. Looking at a picture of it, it looks like it would take time and effort to pack and unpack that we might not always have.

About the rest, what's to say? You can answer that as well as me. He has to get a proper instrument, and get used to moving it around, like everyone else. Tokyo's not like China, there are lots of bassists traveling around in the trains, and people aren't going to make any extra allowances for you because of the novelty of your instrument. Most people in Japan travel around in a bit of a shut down daze-like mode, it's a survival technique. They'll walk right into you before they notice you. So it is a real problem, but that's our life, we are bassists. A bass player has to show up with a proper instrument. I don't think that it's being overly visual to object to a czech-ease. They sound terrible. The little girl who works for the agent might object for visual reasons, but the other musicians are deciding what they think of you too. They want a proper sound, like all the other guys bring. It makes you seem lazy.

Matt, I've seen girls do it, I'm sure you can too, you'll get used to it. Anyway, you won't be the first guy to move here with a Czech ease and then get a proper instrument after a couple of months.

As is happens, there's a guy in the Air Force band, Jon Packard, who has a Christopher bass for sale. I think it comes with a flight case and pickup too. He goes by Pacman here on talkbass, you might contact him.

Brent

[Paul Warburton]

Jon and hogues have already been hooked up through a notice I sent in.

[Brent Nussey]

Ah, then I'm late to the party once again. Glad to hear it's taken care of.

Brent