Special forum dedicated to RN double basses

hepcat1950 · #1 05-21-2011, 01:38 PM

I'm just checking out the forums for info about full bodied double basses with removable necks (RN). As this is an important topic for every bassist travelling abroad on planes I'd like to suggest a special forum for this topic.

Joe Fonda bought a RN bass just recently in the US. With this solution the neck is stored inside the body. This looks smart on first sight but - as a matter of course - it has a ruinous impact on the sound of the bass.

There's a much smarter solution offered by Christopher. You can watch a video about assembly and disassembly here.
I haven't been able to check it out live but I'll have the opportunity to do so next week.

Travelling with their own instruments obviously is a serious problem for musicians who prefer to play an authentic double bass instead of any "caponized" substitute (apart from the fact that every musician prefers to play her/his instrument which (s)he has grown accustomed to.

I think that's reason enough for offering a special forum to discuss and share info about RN basses.

drurb · #2 05-21-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hepcat1950

I'm just checking out the forums for info about full bodied double basses with removable necks (RN). As this is an important topic for every bassist travelling abroad on planes I'd like to suggest a special forum for this topic.

Joe Fonda bought a RN bass just recently in the US. With this solution the neck is stored inside the body. This looks smart on first sight but - as a matter of course - it has a ruinous impact on the sound of the bass.

There's a much smarter solution offered by Christopher. You can watch a video about assembly and disassembly here.
I haven't been able to check it out live but I'll have the opportunity to do so next week.

Travelling with their own instruments obviously is a serious problem for musicians who prefer to play an authentic double bass instead of any "caponized" substitute (apart from the fact that every musician prefers to play her/his instrument which (s)he has grown accustomed to.

I think that's reason enough for offering a special forum to discuss and share info about RN basses.

An important and interesting topic but I sure don't think a special forum is warranted or desirable. That's my $0.02 anyway.

hepcat1950 · #3 05-21-2011, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drurb

An important and interesting topic but I sure don't think a special forum is warranted or desirable. That's my $0.02 anyway.

Well, in the light of fees, bass players have to pay to air carriers for the transportation of double basses, I think a special forum is at least desirable. I didn't meet a single bass player who wasn't able to tell a story about this topic. A lot of bass players travel with "caponized" substitutes or they play rented basses, and I'm sure they all are far from being happy with this solution.

Herbie 80's · #4 05-21-2011, 02:18 PM

Honestly, removable neck basses aren't that scary. My teacher has a great Hawkes that had the neck knocked off at one point, and then made into a removable neck. Mario LaMarre did the work, and it has a great system.

Basically, you can screw the neck off, and when put inside the specially made for your bass case, you can put a belt with two magnets on the bass, keeping the soundpost in place. Reassembly takes roughly 10 minutes if you're good at setting the bridge.

I wouldn't hesitate for a second to get a removable neck if I knew the luthiers work.

Rebop · #5 05-21-2011, 02:55 PM

This side of the forum is so slow paced in general that I fail to see why we need a new section for those basses. Not like any post is getting buried around here. We could summarize everything about them in a few paragraphs, make it a sticky and call it a day. Just sayin'.

drurb · #6 05-21-2011, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hepcat1950

Well, in the light of fees, bass players have to pay to air carriers for the transportation of double basses, I think a special forum is at least desirable. I didn't meet a single bass player who wasn't able to tell a story about this topic. A lot of bass players travel with "caponized" substitutes or they play rented basses, and I'm sure they all are far from being happy with this solution.

As I said, an interesting topic-- so let the stories be aired right here in the Basses forum.

**Freddels** · #7 05-21-2011, 03:27 PM

Not sure a separate thread is needed. But, if you refer to them as RN basses, then it's going to be difficult doing a search on here.

John Crosley · #8 12-20-2011, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herbie 80's

Basically, you can screw the neck off, and when put inside the specially made for your bass case, you can put a belt with two magnets on the bass, keeping the soundpost in place. Reassembly takes roughly 10 minutes if you're good at setting the bridge.

I have watched the Lemur video as well as the Christopher video. My question on both of these is about the soundpost, because I did not see (on either video) anything that would hold the soundpost in place, and no one setting the post. These basses were being flipped around enough that the post should need reset. What's the deal? Is it glued in place? How is this possible?

HunterBrodt · #9 12-20-2011, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Crosley

I have watched the Lemur video as well as the Christopher video. My question on both of these is about the soundpost, because I did not see (on either video) anything that would hold the soundpost in place, and no one setting the post. These basses were being flipped around enough that the post should need reset. What's the deal? Is it glued in place? How is this possible?

I have a Christopher rn and it's not usually a problem. You just might have to have it set every once and a while.

longfinger · #10 12-21-2011, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Crosley

I have watched the Lemur video as well as the Christopher video. My question on both of these is about the soundpost, because I did not see (on either video) anything that would hold the soundpost in place, and no one setting the post. These basses were being flipped around enough that the post should need reset. What's the deal? Is it glued in place? How is this possible?

According to this site, the sound post is held in place by foam blocks.

Christopher string instruments

Ed Fuqua · #11 12-21-2011, 11:17 AM

For Arnold's bass and (I think?) the Upton, you have a strap that wraps the belly and tightens to keep pressure on the top. I think I remember reading that Auray's bass has small "divots" in the soundpost that fit with corresponding "bumps" inlaid into the top and back. That may have been a dream after too much Thai food though...

bribass · #12 12-22-2011, 07:55 AM

I toured w Arnold's bass last year w the belt system, had a seem open from the excess humidity of SE Asia and the post fell down. This year I toured with it again this time w the foam block on one side of the post and a singles drop of hide glue holding the other end. We also used the belt just for added insurance, but it was not needed as this system worked beautifully.

longfinger · #13 12-22-2011, 09:36 AM

Is there some stiff structure to the belt device? Without that, the natural thing for it to do when tightened, would be to force the bass to become a cylinder. The pressure of a flexible belt would bring the sides in and the top up, not the other way around, and make it easier for the sound post to fall.