C-Extension Tension Issues?

[robobass]

I am an American living in Germany, where 5-stringers rule, and C-Extensions are viewed as some sort of evolutionary dead end. Because I make and market an add-on Capo device, I am of course motivated to increase interest in C-Extensions. I recently met a Bass luthier here and we talked about them extensively

He said that it was dangerous to install them because of the increased tension. I asked what tension he meant. He said that a long fourth string had higher tension than a regular “E”. I said that I was pretty sure that if the string was the same gauge, the tension should be the same (I have a mechanics background, so “pretty sure” was toning it down). He said that he had been taught that depending on the vaulting, graduation, etc., some basses could be and have been damaged by the addition of a C-Extension. I did concede that there could be vector issues, and if the installation results in the open C being very high off the board, then that could create undesirable tension on the neck and neckblock, but in modern installations that should not be a problem. I didn’t persuade.

Has anyone here any stories of a bass top being damaged be the installation of an Extension?

Robobass

[Adrian Cho]

If anything my E string felt like it had less tension once the extension was on. And certainly everything was well designed and crafted so that the height of the string above the fingerboard was entirely comfortable. The sound definitely improved too.

[Co.]

I am planing to get an Extension, so I mailed several luthiers in Germany, wether they do such work. Only ONE replied. He told me, an Extension puts too much pressure on the bass bar, so that it possibly has to be reinforced. Also the sound of the instrument would suffer. I can't believe this. The diameter and tuning stays the same, just the lenght changes, right?

Are threre any German bass players out there, where to get an Extension in this country???

[robobass]

"When you add the 5th String it can be damaged..."

Yes absolutely, but almost all the 5-stringers here were built a as such. Conversions are rare. My view is that no matter how well made, a 5-stringer can never sound as good as a four because it must be built sturdier, and there is of course way more top tension. The Poellmans in my orchestra are incredibly durable. One was dropped once from playing position onto the stage and suffered no damage at all. They are wonderful instruments, but they just don't have the tone of a four-stringer of similar quality.

"'An Extension puts too much pressure on the bass bar, so that it possibly has to be reinforced. Also the sound of the instrument would suffer.' I can't believe this."

I don't believe it either. I think there is a prejudice here that has no basis in fact. Everyone I have ever talked to who got an extension reported an improvement in sound, and I have never heard of someone having structural problems resulting from the addition of an extension.
I am told that Tobias Festl in Reutlingen makes extensions.

Robobass

[bejoyous]

It sounds like these luthiers have been fed rumours instead of facts in order to substantiate the "need" to have 5 strings. Maybe folks there just don't like the look of extensions on the scrolls.

I've had an extension put on the 3 basses I've owned and the overall sound improved on each one when they were installed.

As for tension on the bass bar, just try to lift the E-string off the bridge by putting your index and middle finger on either side of the bridge and pull up!! And a B-string would have even more pressure. I would guess the downward pressure is about 40 lbs.

How would adding an extension ever put that much downward pressure on the top? If anything the pressure would be less because the connecting points are farther apart.

Originally Posted by bejoyous

It sounds like these luthiers have been fed rumours instead of facts in order to substantiate the "need" to have 5 strings. Maybe folks there just don't like the look of extensions on the scrolls.

I think it has more to do with the sound that German orchestras like. They tend to lead towards the big dark boomy sound in regard to their bass playing which is most apparent in an ensemble like the Berlin Philharmonic which has the most dark sounding bass section in all of Europe. Five stringed basses tend to have that sound and a lot of the German repertoire requires playing those low notes so they're regularly employed. I think another aspect is that they have a long tradition of bass playing dating back to the 19th century and they've kept a lot of traditions to the present day which include the traditional Viennese bow hold and a huge amount of bow used for passages in the style needed for gut playing.

I think that it's funny that the extension was actually invented by a bass player in Leipzig but there are basically no extensions to be found in any of the country's orchestras.