Martin Sheridan basses?

Bass Barrister · #1 05-19-2008, 02:24 PM

I guess I have some time on my hands at the moment . . .

Does anyone have experience with basses made by Mr. Sheridan? a440 in Chicago currently has two of his basses, including this one:
http://www.a440violinshop.com/produc...atId=45&id=226

There's another one his basses, offered at $8k but with no pictures.

I'm aware that Mr. Sheridan is a regular poster here (although he's been somewhat quiet of late) and I value his knowledgeable contributions here. There are a couple of old threads about his basses but these both turned into off-topic back-and-forths that had nothing to do with the question originally asked. A PM response is fine if you would prefer.

Jake deVilliers · #2 05-19-2008, 03:42 PM

That's a very nice looking bass!

Has anybody played it and can describe the sound?

fingers · #3 05-19-2008, 04:02 PM

Maybe I'll swing by and try it out. Definitely a nice looking bass. I'd love to try out a Grand Panorma model too. I've heard great things about the HUGE sound you get out of that design. I'll report back if I do.

Jake deVilliers · #4 05-19-2008, 04:51 PM

Thanks Marc. You get a great sound out of your bass, so your report will be valuable.

fingers · #5 05-19-2008, 04:57 PM

Thanks Jake.

Martin Sheridan · #6 05-20-2008, 12:00 PM

Hola Barrister,
I've posted a private message to you.
all best,
marteen

Bass Barrister · #7 05-20-2008, 04:25 PM

Message received. Thank you very much.

fingers · #8 05-23-2008, 07:51 AM

So I had to go by A440 for a unrelated reason and kinda know the guys there so I asked if I could try a few basses out for fun.

I checked out the Grand Panormo model in question. Man, nice bass. Beautiful finish. Hat peg tuners. Purty.

Before I played it I was really impressed by the standover. When I have played Grand Panorma models in the past I have sometimes found thumb position to be a bit tricky. This bass seems to have the heel of the neck set a bit higher. The bass still has the huge shoulders the Grand Panormo is know for but, because of the raised heel, it is very playable all the way up.

Upon first playing the bass I was stuck by the VOLUME. The bass was set up for orchestral playing with high strings (bel cantos). I play with my strings pretty high so it felt good. The string height also helps with the sheer amount of air the bass can move. It is a bigger bass. I'm not sure if it is officially 7/8 but it is on the bigger side with a 42" string length.

Pizz it shook the room. The salesman was actually a little taken aback by the amount of volume I was able to get out of this bass. Definitely would hold its own in a piano duo setting. Also very even all the way up the neck too.

I only played briefly with a bow. Same thing though. The bass really sings under a bow and the volume is very even all the way up. The low notes shook the room.

My only caveat is it was not MY bass meaning that I have developed such a relationship with my current bass that I have yet to play another that does what I want when I want it. This is certainly a bass worth someone else falling in love with though.

Jake deVilliers · #9 05-23-2008, 10:14 AM

Sounds like a terrific bass Marc - thanks for filling us in!

Bass Barrister · #10 05-23-2008, 02:15 PM

It looks like I need to take that trip to Bobbie's "candy store" soon (seeing that the big bad cougar roving around there was "offed" by the local gendarmes).

I'm somewhat afraid that the MS might be too large for me. My current bass, a no-name Romanian (this one: http://www.sonksenstrings.com/instruments/0467.html) is a modified 7/8. It's a very nice entry level bass with a very even tone. Much as I like the tone and volume, holding it properly is hard for me. My teacher's bass, however, a 140 year old (approx.) Bohemian, feels much easier to handle - he tells me it's a regular 3/4 size bass. The same holds true for my other bass, a 1939 Kay S-8. The question for me, then, is sound v. playability ergonomics. I love the looks and sound of these larger basses, but am not sure I can handle one.

Uncletoad · #11 05-23-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fingers

Upon first playing the bass I was stuck by the VOLUME. The bass was set up for orchestral playing with high strings (bel cantos). I play with my strings pretty high so it felt good. The string height also helps with the sheer amount of air the bass can move. It is a bigger bass. I'm not sure if it is officially 7/8 but it is on the bigger side with a 42" string length.

Pizz it shook the room. The salesman was actually a little taken aback by the amount of volume I was able to get out of this bass. Definitely would hold its own in a piano duo setting. Also very even all the way up the neck too.

I only played briefly with a bow. Same thing though. The bass really sings under a bow and the volume is very even all the way up. The low notes shook the room.

So should I come to Chitown and play this bass? That sounds like me there....

fingers · #12 05-23-2008, 03:33 PM

It is a big instrument with a big sound. If I was in the market for a bass and I had 12K laying around it'd definitely be in the running.

Barrister. Go by and play it. It is big but very playable. I am a pretty big, lanky guy but it felt very comfortable. The raised heel made it easy to play. Go by and check it out. They are pretty cool there.

Jake deVilliers · #13 05-23-2008, 09:20 PM

Go on West Phil and give it a whirl - sounds like a masculine bass, that's for sure.

Eli_Upright12 · #14 05-17-2009, 11:16 AM

Ok I can help with these question. I played both basses yesterday at A440 and now have the 1996 one at home with me. They both are very nice basses. The 1999 one is incredibly loud and is fairly easy to play. To me the 1996 one had a more complex tone, and the shape worked better for me. That bass apparently was owned and studied on by a pro player, who is a member of a good symphony(Seattle possibly, I was told, but dont remember). Both basses are very nice.

sorry to revive and old thread

John Wentzien · #15 05-17-2009, 11:35 AM

I've been privilaged to know Martin for many years.
He does some of the finest work on basses anywhere.
There's a lot of love put into them!

alangoldstein · #16 05-17-2009, 11:36 AM

i know luke sheridan basses from yonkers ny . sorry dont know the other.

Bass Barrister · #17 05-17-2009, 12:44 PM

Martin has returned from Mexico and has taken up residence and luthiery in Sycamore, Illinois, a town about 60 miles or so west of Chicago and just north of DeKalb, home of Northern Illinois University.

His website lists the availability of some Carcassi model basses but does not offer any details as to whether these are his own hand made instruments or basses imported by him.

Maybe he will be kind enough to introduce us to those basses and tell us something about any other basses he has planned.

So Martin, when is the open house barbecue scheduled?

Jake deVilliers · #18 05-17-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eli_Upright12

sorry to revive and old thread

Don't be sorry! I missed this thread when it first was active so now I've been able to see some pix of Martin's work and hear a couple of reviews.

Nice work Martin.

Eli_Upright12 · #19 05-17-2009, 01:30 PM

Oh I also forgot to mention that both basses were amazingly even across all registers.

Martin Sheridan · #20 05-19-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass Barrister

Martin has returned from Mexico and has taken up residence and luthiery in Sycamore, Illinois, a town about 60 miles or so west of Chicago and just north of DeKalb, home of Northern Illinois University.

His website lists the availability of some Carcassi model basses but does not offer any details as to whether these are his own hand made instruments or basses imported by him.

Maybe he will be kind enough to introduce us to those basses and tell us something about any other basses he has planned.

So Martin, when is the open house barbecue scheduled?

I made one of those Carcassi model basses, maybe two, and the next thing I knew the Romanians were turning them out like hotcakes. Not because I made one, but probably because it's a good playable design. So, I've done maybe five or six more from the shells, or the white. I made the pie but not the crust? I remove the top and regraduate the thicknesses and redo the bar. Then I take down the sides a little. Backs on those are ok. Put top back on (this is starting to sound like a receipe). Then usually I change the f-hole shape. Glue up. Varnish. Take down the way too thick neck each way (thickness and width). The results have been basses almost as good as fully made by myself, but at half the price.

About the barbecue. I like that idea. A bass barbecue. That has a good ring to it, but we won't actually barbecue the bass. Maybe every one can bring a bass. That should bring the police. We'd all have a lot of fun. It's finally getting warm enough to even contemplate it. I've been back up from Mexico for a month and this morning I was ready to go back. It's too damned cold here. Hey, let's have the barbecue in Mazatlan!

Anyone interested? Maybe I should start another post?