C Extension in New York

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by JayR

Yeah, I'm dealing with the same thing. I had a KC strings extension installed a couple of years ago pretty soon after purchasing my current bass, and while I really appreciate the low cost (I had a friend do the install for only like $100 on top of it), I've had no end of problems with the thing that I've had to constantly adjust and re-adjust. The flipper on the Eb gate kept bumping into the E gate if both were open and causing some train wrecks, all the leather pads have come off and I've had to either glue them back on repeatedly or replace them entirely. I ended up removing the C gate and having it replaced by a nut, so as to raise the height of the open C enough to make it speak at higher volumes.

Also, does anyone else have a fingered extension installed on a bass with ebony or rosewood tuners? I'm wondering how common this is, because I feel like extension passages that I think are difficult are only difficult because I have to play around projecting tuning knobs.

Two of the Basses in the Philly Orchestra (Hal Robinson/Gargoyle head Italian and Duane Rosengard/G.Ceruti) have wooden tuners on them and they don't seem to have a problem. These I think are both Robertson's chromatic Extensions. These are about the same as the ones that Arnold Schnitzer makes as well.

I have also played both of these Basses briefly and see no problems at all.

I am doing a Pops concert this week with another Orchestra as a Sub and I'm using one of my Basses with the Schnitzer Extension. It works like a charm either fingered or latched. I have the Krutz tuners on that Bass in reverse other like a French Bass and the E/C on the upper most Tuner.

On the Hatpeg wood tuners, I have bumped my own head with them on occasion so it's something you may just have to work around. Also, I don't find the Hatpegs easy to fine tune or tune at all some times so if it's a high end Bass, I would replace them for something better with about a 40:1 ratio or so.


This Bass had Hatpegs when I bought it. Don't you think it's better now than beforeTuner-wise?

[robobass]

Originally Posted by JayR

does anyone else have a fingered extension intalled on a bass with ebony or rosewood tuners? I'm wondering how common this is, because I feel like extension passages that I think are difficult are only difficult because I have to play around projecting tuning knobs.

When I got my first fingered C-Extension (from Gino Biondo in West Harlem, NY in 1990 on a big old Bohemian 43-1/4"), I had him cut the "hat" off the hatpeg on the G tuner so I could reach around to the extension notes while still keeping my thumb on the left side of the scroll. It still works fine. I never went in for the little thumb rest that Bill Merchant installs (although I do endorse his extensions). I want my thumb to be behind the pegbox as much as possible. If you have some fancy pegs that you don't want to cut up, you could get your luthier to make a hatless G peg in matching wood. Then you would have a spare if one ever broke. There may be a strength issue, but for the G tuner it should be minimal. Mine still works after almost 20 years, and it was quite old then. I'm thinking that the "hat" is mainly decorative anyway.
Robobass