My new KC Strings Bass - Page 2

Greg Clinkingbeard · #21 02-11-2009, 05:48 AM

My bass is now a year old so I thought I'd give you my thoughts (few) of our journey.

We've been out in 90 degree heat and direct sunlight, so hot it was painful to play

and extreme cold without any problems. No popped seams or cracks. I keep the humidity at home just above 30%, don't use dampits or anything else.

Going into the fall last year the bass sounded choked and unresponsive. Not much low end and the volume wasn't what it had been.

I experimented with strings and just basically dealt with it. Finally, a trip back to KC Strings confirmed my suspicion. Aiden forced (understatement) the soundpost loose and relieved a lot of tension. New basses can shrink and mine apparently sure did. I discovered that my bass has a very well fitted soundpost patch, as a preventive measure against a possible crack at some point in its life. With the grain slightly crossed, it may just do the trick.

I tried a Realist before going with a Full Circle mostly and am now back to the Realist. The Realist really captures the woody, resonant quality and lacks the slight piezo quack of the Full Circle on this bass. Close contest, but the Realist wins.

I'm using Obligatos at 5-8 mm right now and really liking the way it plays.

The bass is BIG with a 43" string length, 28 1/2" lower bout and tips the scales at almost 30lbs. It has been a tight fit on some gigs, hitting either a piano bench or drum kit. It's amazing how 2-3" can make a difference. It won't fit in the front seat of my wife's Volvo and barely fit in my old Cherokee, necessitating a new car. Something to think about.

There are times I worry about its effect on my knees and back after many years of carrying it around. This really helps:http://www.kcstrings.com/bass-buggie.html and I wouldn't be without it.

After the first year, I believe even more strongly that I made the right choice. This a very nice instrument that will only continue to improve with time. A piano player on break looking at the bass recently made a nice comment. "Your bass will be a magnificent instrument and one of the really great ones in time". The way it is going I don't expect to wait long.

drurb · #22 02-11-2009, 07:27 AM

Sounds like you've found a true love. Congrats.

Curious about this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by clink

I discovered that my bass has a very well fitted soundpost patch, as a preventive measure against a possible crack at some point in its life. With the grain slightly crossed, it may just do the trick.

I'm no luthier but I'm not used to seeing that on a carved bass. I'm curious why they chose to do that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clink

It's amazing how 2-3" can make a difference.

That holds for basses too!

tomshepp · #23 02-11-2009, 09:00 AM

"We've been out in 90 degree heat and direct sunlight, so hot it was painful to play and extreme cold without any problems. No popped seams or cracks. I keep the humidity at home just above 30%, don't use dampits or anything else."

I just did a week long theater gig. (The Music Man) It had been absolutely freezing and decided to use my Kay instead. I really missed my carved bass. Don't you worry about the extremes? Should I be less worried?

christ andronis · #24 02-11-2009, 09:31 AM

I think with carved instruments a sudden change in humidity and/or temperature is where you'll run into problems. I've got a carved Christopher that I schlep to gigs here in Chicago and have never had a problem going on 4 years now. I tend to let it sit for awhile in the bag when I'm at a gig and let it slowly acclimate to the room.The only open seam I've had was due to my clumsiness. Like clink, I've got my humidity in the house at about 35% in the cold weather. I really expected some wood craziness what with the extreme freezing temps we've had but none of it has materialized. (knock on wood....pun intended)

Greg Clinkingbeard · #25 02-11-2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomshepp

"We've been out in 90 degree heat and direct sunlight, so hot it was painful to play and extreme cold without any problems. No popped seams or cracks. I keep the humidity at home just above 30%, don't use dampits or anything else."

I just did a week long theater gig. (The Music Man) It had been absolutely freezing and decided to use my Kay instead. I really missed my carved bass. Don't you worry about the extremes? Should I be less worried?

Yes, I do. That hot outdoor gig was so bad that when I set it down on concrete on break, a small pebble melted into the varnish.

I got an old German ply last fall just for those type of gigs.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #26 02-11-2009, 03:55 PM

Drurbster,
Anton does the soundpost patch on all of his nicer basses, maybe all string instruments, but I don't know. As I understand it, there are at least two benefits:
1) The patch is grafted into the top (perfectly flush) and glued in with the grain ever so slightly off (like 12:00 and 12:30) will reinforce it and help to prevent a crack there.
2) They claim that it also improves the tone. I don't know about that one.

On the other note, a tool (bass or otherwise) should be just the right size for the job. No bigger, no smaller.