For Ken Smith...

Eric Rene Roy · #1 05-12-2005, 02:18 PM

Ok everyone...lets have some fun.

Complete this sentence:

Antonio Stradivari is to the violin as _____________ is to the double bass.

nicklloyd · #2 05-12-2005, 04:53 PM

How about "Gary Upton"?

ha ha ha ha... this is fun!

Brent Norton · #3 05-12-2005, 07:33 PM

Zing!

Eric Rene Roy · #4 05-12-2005, 08:22 PM

No Nick, I was actually doing a serious post, and I don't know why you choose not to.

Gaspar da Salo, John Lott, etc.

Tbeers · #5 05-12-2005, 08:30 PM

How about Panormo (sp?)? I played on that Dragonetti Panormo at Kolstein's, it's quite an instrument.

KSB - Ken Smith · #6 05-12-2005, 08:54 PM

Eroy?.. Do I know you?

Is this a test or a spoof?

Do YOU know what Strads greatest contribution was?

For Basses, evoultion is still happening as we don't have a fixed size or shape yet. We don't even agree on what it should sound like either.

I havent played every Bass yet but have played many. I prefer the Old English and Italians best. Not all old Basses sound or play well. Part due to condition and care and part due to how they were made..

Do you have an answer to your own question? Most old basses we have seen are cut down and those that are not are often difficult to play. I havent played many that are original and easy to play. Even Strads have been modified for todays playing of the Violin. How many ORIGINAL Strads exhist for us to judge as well?

Marcus Johnson · #7 05-12-2005, 08:59 PM

Wow. Serious fun. What a concept.

Eric Rene Roy · #8 05-12-2005, 09:57 PM

Hi Ken.

No spoof…no test. The naming of the thread after you was in response to your post earlier today, nothing malicious or aggressive intended (sorry if that is how it came off). Perhaps we can get a three page thread about the greatest basses ever made rather than talk about ply’s.

I went to violin making school, made a bunch of the little buggers too, and studied with some good names as well. I haven’t made a bass yet, but give me time. I was taught to study Strad to the point of exhaustion…so your turn around question to me “Do YOU know what Strad's greatest contribution was?”, is a tough one…too many to list perhaps to narrow it down to just one! And I agree…there are no original Strad’s (as they left the bench anyway) to study…so much has changed to them over time, I wonder if Strad would even recognize his work today (of course he would, just an expression). I guess in that regard, violins are not to unlike basses in that they have been changed to meet today’s needs, both musically and physically.

One of the first basses I really absorbed was a John Lott. Man..I just studied the pictures for days. I wish I could get a hold of the real deal. To me, I would put him up there. I have been trying to find some really good pictures of the Gaspar bass played by Dragonetti. Do you have any, or could you point me in the right direction? Panormo is fun too…you must like his later work...English and Italian all rolled into one! A friend of mine has a cello that may have been made by him…its fun to watch people try to figure out what it is as it has such strong characteristics of both schools.

We have a Klotz bass at the shop…it stares at me all day. It is a big bass.

So…I don’t really have an answer to my own question, but I thought it a good moment to get everyone talking about great basses and perhaps some of the ones we don’t hear about too often. I love to learn…

Cheers,

nicklloyd · #9 05-12-2005, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eroy

Ok everyone...lets have some fun.

C'mon Eric, you walked into this one. Smile and keep typing...

Jeff Bollbach · #10 05-12-2005, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eroy

No Nick, I was actually doing a serious post, and I don't know why you choose not to.

Gaspar da Salo, John Lott, etc.

Complete this sentence-
Because Nick is a ________!

nicklloyd · #11 05-12-2005, 11:14 PM

LOL... with a friend like you, who needs proctologists?

Eric Rene Roy · #12 05-12-2005, 11:17 PM

hey Nick,

I'm in much better spirits now, and I can see the humor in your post. And Jeff...that was funny.

Give it up to a bad ass day of trying to hot knife off a top that was put down with elemers.

What the hell are we all doing up so late???

nicklloyd · #13 05-12-2005, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eroy

What the hell are we all doing up so late???

Trying to win friends and influence enemies. lol.

JimmyM · #14 05-12-2005, 11:41 PM

I'm practicing on my killer Upton Jazz/Bluegrass with Rev Solo and Clef guts! And now I'm looking at Talkbass posts, and then I'm going to surf the net for porn!

nicklloyd · #15 05-12-2005, 11:43 PM

Posted like a true bass player! Go get 'em, Jergens!

JimmyM · #16 05-13-2005, 03:10 AM

Eh...porn search was disappointing, so I just played bass some more and oiled my strings hoping it would improve the tone of the E like it did a few days ago. It didn't. I dig these Clef guts, but doggone those plain gut E strings...I keep hearing you should wait 6 months before you judge a plain gut E, but it's getting harder every day! The other strings sound great, though.

Anyway, sorry...didn't mean to interrupt this thread with actual bass talk

KSB - Ken Smith · #17 05-13-2005, 05:15 AM

Eroy, this book has recent pictures of Dragonetti's Bass; http://www.veniceresearch.com/liuterisonadori.htm

You must get a copy of this book. I know the author a little and he's a cool guy..

Strad?.. according to Hill in the Book on Strad, he greatest contribution was to the Modern Cello according to them.

I also saw a Lott bass recently.. I think it's Lott but the owner bought it as a Panormo. It sounded Ok.. but not killer..Great Bass, don't get me wrong, but not a Fantastic bass as far as Great English Basses go.

There is a Forster? bass and a Betts Bass(shop) for sale in England now. I have the specs on the Betts now but am still getting questions answered about a few details. Panormo, Fendt, Carter and Tobin as well as others I presume all worked in his shop at one time. This bass may be by one of several of the Makers as far as the Body, scroll and varnish work. We may never know but it's a nice looking olde English Bass to study.

I can't say what the Best bass was I ever played. maybe it was one I didn't like because of the set-up or condition. I played a Joseph Gagliano recently and the Tone was fantastic. That was about the best I remember recently. My Gilkes is starting to open up a little now that I am playing it more and found the right string for it. It is about the sweetest, easiest playing Bass I have played in a long time. It needs a little TLC restoration but it can wait. I am almost afraid to do anything to it as the Top is still without a single Split in it. "Aint broke?, dont fix it".. So they say.. But, it needs a few little things and I think I can make it play a littel better over the shoulders and Sound better on the 'E' as it is a tad bit stiff down there..

Enough for now.. Off to work.. Get the kids off to school first..

Then.. The Dentist at 11.. Root Canal... Yummy.....

Marcus Johnson · #18 05-13-2005, 05:30 AM

Ugh. So much for fun. Think happy thoughts, Ken.

Pete G · #19 05-13-2005, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicklloyd

LOL... with a friend like you, who needs proctologists?

The one sentence I've seen this week that I'm GARE-ON-TEED to steal...

nicklloyd · #20 05-13-2005, 03:00 PM

go ahead... I stole it from someone else