Kolstein Travel Bass/Czech Ease advice

gcordez · #1 04-24-2011, 06:11 PM

Need some advice..

I take trains, tubes and buses all the time for gigs and also to get to uni and back twice a week. I have to lug my big old English Bass about, its heavy and is always getting a bump etc. I usually have to play through amps as well so ive started considering getting another bass to travel about with.

Ive narrowed it down to the Kolstein and the Czech Ease.
The Kolstein is pricey, but looks to be a well built instrument and Mr Kolstien is an incredible luthier. Its smaller than the Czech Ease which makes it easier to travel with. Im am a bit concerned that it might be ood to play on with the thin ribs, short scale neck etc. The Czech Ease is a bit funny looking, but it probably would feel a lot closer to playing a 3/4 bass.
I wont be flying much at all with the bass so thats not an important consideration right now.

I havent come across either bass here in the UK so any/all advice, thoughts, comments, suggestions would be hugely appriciated...

Jason Sypher · #2 04-24-2011, 06:54 PM

The Czech-ease is odd but it feels pretty much the same. The newest versions can be quite nice, I don't care to much for the older versions.

MK1 · #3 04-24-2011, 07:55 PM

Lemur has some nice basses with removable necks. They claim that you can reassemble one in 5 minutes. With the neck off it fits in a nice little trunk with wheels. I'm considering one of those for my next bass, the beauty is that they feel and play like regular basses because they are.

chris1125 · #4 04-24-2011, 08:38 PM

I have had the chance to play both in showrooms and overall, it seems like checkeaze is more "bassy" feeling when you play it but doesn't sound quite as good as the kolsteins which has a fantastic sound. It is really shocking how amazing that bass sounds, I thought it sounded just as good if not better then my 7/8 shen willow which is a very large instrument. I thought the kolsteins was suprisingly heavy when I picked it up though. Although it is a small compact instrument, the Solid wood is pretty thick and it is not exactly a light package. I don't know the actual weight on the top of my head but it certainly wasn't light.
Since you are in a relatively high price range for a compact instrument, have you considered just having your bass neck made removeable? There are luthiers who can make that costomization to a bass and I would assume it would make it much more portable. Just something I might look into.

gcordez · #5 04-25-2011, 03:53 AM

Thanks Chris,

Im happy with my usual instrument, but im after something more compact and transportable on trains, subways etc as well. For recordings and higher profile gigs i would use my 3/4, but for everyday rehearsals and local jazz gigs something small might be good. Plus, i live up four flights of stairs...

Eric Hochberg · #6 04-25-2011, 06:31 AM

The Kolstein sounds fine but I couldn't figure out how to keep it from spinning around when I sat in on one. It doesn't seem to have an upper bout arm like most EUBs. If your willing to spend that kind of bread, you should look into the Volante bass. Sounds and feels like a DB and folds up.

Jake deVilliers · #7 04-25-2011, 11:03 AM

You might find the Chadwick Folding Bass meets your needs. It assembles and disassembles very quickly and goes into a giant suitcase for transport. There's a thread about them on here and there's Chadwick Folding Bass

Good luck!

Eric Hochberg · #8 04-25-2011, 11:10 AM

If you can fold up the Chadwick and put it in a soft gig bag, that might be good for public transport.

Jake deVilliers · #9 04-25-2011, 11:28 AM

I keep thinking that the Chadwick's 'suitcase' would fit on a skateboard very nicely if you were going some distance...

oliebrice · #10 04-25-2011, 12:47 PM

Hi Greg,
Have you seen the guy/dawson travel bass? (now made by Laurence Dixon). I think I prefer it to the czech ease, although I'd want to compare them side-by-side before buying either... But acoustically louder than the czech ease, and made in south london so a bit easier to try out and get hold of...

If you're checking out travel basses in london anytime and want company, let me know, I'm sort of looking for one for touring. see you, olie

tcl · #11 05-01-2011, 12:23 AM

I use an Eminence with a folding neck for my travel bass. Through an amp, it sounds like a decent plywood bass. Lows are missing, but it's a travel bass. A bit bigger than a bass guitar but is playable arco. Worth a look in your situation.

gcordez · #12 05-01-2011, 07:40 AM

Thanks, ill look into it.

BassLand · #13 05-01-2011, 08:36 AM

http://m.youtube.com/#/profile?user=...view=favorites

Here is a video showing the Lemur fly away bass in action. I have not seen any other demo that takes you from setup to playing in a continuous scene. Note the amount of tuning needed before he played the bass.

peterpalmieri · #14 05-04-2011, 09:55 AM

I went to Kolstein's yesterday and played 3 very different travel basses.

One was the older thinner shorter scale model, the second being the newer deeper longer scale version and the third was the removable neck version. I beleive the newer version have an additional 1" in string length. I am not sure the difference in body depth but the ribs on the newer versions are a bit deeper. If your particularly interested in these details please call the shop as I am not exactly certain.

I thought there was a noticable difference in tone from the original thinner, shorter model. Not as focused of a sound, didn't project as well. Of course all the basses were set up a little different and had varying age strings etc. The older model wasn't bad just in a direct AB it was noticeable.

I couldn't find anything noticably different from the removable neck version to the new standard model they are producing. I was able to take one of the basses home on trial yesterday, a used one I believe. Luckily I had a rehearsal that we did in a nice little studio, not only did I have the opportunity to play it live in a group setting, also had a mix in the cans and afterwards listened back to the rehearsal in the control room.

The bass sounded great and it is super easy to play. If I had to give up a full sized DB for all my amplified gigs I don't feel I'd be sacricing very much, with that my fully carved bass is not some great old instrument but is a nice bass. Also played a tune without amps and while it's not the loudest bass it did fair ok.

On two seperate occassions I did own an NS and there is absolutely no comparison, NONE, same for the merchant bass. I've also had the opportunity to play an Eminence and while it is much closer to a DB sound then an NS to say it is in the same ballpark as the Kolstein bass would be a bit of a stretch. I have not played the Gage bass so I cannot compare.

I have no plans on flying with the bass if I do buy one. Just looking to be able to have a bass I can use in really tight small restaurants and when carrying my fully carved bass is not a good option.

IMO it's a great bass for guys playing amplified gigs and if I do move forward I don't think I'd use my regular DB for amplified gigs anymore.

That all being said I am an intermediate level jazz player at best, more seasoned pros or guys with great old carved basses opinions may be very different from mine.

peterpalmieri · #15 05-04-2011, 12:06 PM

Just got back from Kolstein's and decided to purchase the bass. (maybe I should have started a new thread with my earlier post)

I wanted to clarify a few things:

While Barry increased the string length on the newer version he was able to do so in a way that did not increase the overall length of the bass. I think that is important info for the guys that plan on flying.

He also noted the the increase in rib depth did little to increase the weight of the bass.