Redi Rest Stand - Structural Question

[Gambaholic]

Any of you guys ever use one of these Redi Rest stands? So far I really like it. It allows 360 degree movement and a fair amount of lean. I just picked it up on eBay and it seems very cool but I did have a question.

Do any of you luthiers out there have an opinion on whether or not this stand would create to much stress on the end pin block?

The stand works like this. There is an end pin that is part of the stand. The bass slides down onto the end pin and that is what holds it up.

Any advice or opinions appreciated.

Thx

[KSB - Ken Smith]

TIMBERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Mike Arnopol]

I saw one of those stands and they scare the you know what out of me. I guarantee that you will be replacing a cracked block in no time.

[mattfong]

Maybe a broken back/entire bass as well?

Entire weight of bass on block = bad news.

[Gambaholic]

See thats why I love this place.
Ask a question and get an answer right away!

I'm not worried about it tipping over, its suprisingly stable but I was worried about the stress on the block.

I still think it could be useful on a gig where your doubling and need to switch between EB and DB without holding up the show so I think it still has a use but I guess now I need to get another stand.

Thanks again!

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Gambaholic

See thats why I love this place.
Ask a question and get an answer right away!

I'm not worried about it tipping over, its suprisingly stable but I was worried about the stress on the block.

I still think it could be useful on a gig where your doubling and need to switch between EB and DB without holding up the show so I think it still has a use but I guess now I need to get another stand.

Thanks again!

Don't worry about the Block so much. You have to take a minute or so to remove your endpin and put it back to play, right?

Do what all the Pros do, Lean the Bass's C-Bout on a Chair. This is how it's done in a Professional Symphony with expensive Basses so your Bass is in no danger that way but rather in good company.

I doubled for years and the best way, even in a Broadway Pit (room permitting), lean it on a Chair next to you.

In this Pic of the Philly Orch., you can see the chairs between players used to rest the Basses on.

[Matthew Tucker]

Ken i think the whole point was, he walks up to the bass and plays it like that!

Make a portable mini rack.

a strong wooden box about 50 x 40 x 20 high
Line the top edges with rubber
throw a sandbag in the bottom

You can place the bass on the box even with endpin out a fair bit
You can tilt the bass towards you and play it just like that, it is close to the right height.
You can hoik it out and play it as usual
It is quite stable and even if the bass tilts towards you, the endpin stops it falling over!
You can coil a cable inside ... beer, lollies, whatever.

We use this arrangement in our music room at home. The bass sits on the box all the time. It has teenagers running through every day and they always plunk the strings quite flippantly on the way past ... it has never fallen over. If you really pushed the bass backwards i suppose it could fall over, but it has stood the test of time.

My solution wouldn't look good on an Orchestra stage, it would stand out against all those basses on chairs. But on a jazz stage, it would work.

[Mark Clout]

Ken, are the endpins left out or pushed back in when leaning on the chair like this?

[Gambaholic]

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Don't worry about the Block so much.

The block was my biggest concern. It doesn't seem that there is much stress on it while it is standing on its own because it is more or less standing straight up so I would think it wouldn't be a problem but then I'm a newbie so I thought I should ask the experts.

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

You have to take a minute or so to remove your endpin and put it back to play, right?

Nope, thats the beauty of this thing. When you're playing the bass in the stand it moves freely and feels exactly like the bass does when its on its own endpin. The "endpin" works like a "ball / socket" joint which enables the whole bass to move. It also has "positions". Its hard to explain but the bass can sit in the stand almost straight up or with a couple varying degrees of lean.

[relacey]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Make a portable mini rack.

a strong wooden box about 50 x 40 x 20 high
Line the top edges with rubber
throw a sandbag in the bottom

Matthew, do you have a photo of this contraption?

[gnergaard]

Respectfully, Ken, I don't think the "lean it on a chair" thing works for me. An orchestra is full of musicians who are conscious of how delicate and difficult to repair these instruments are. Not so in jazz clubs and the chair thing is just completely impractical for cramped spaces. This is a smart idea for people who double on other instruments.

I'd like to know where I can buy one of these! Ebay, really?
-Greg

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Don't worry about the Block so much. You have to take a minute or so to remove your endpin and put it back to play, right?

Do what all the Pros do, Lean the Bass's C-Bout on a Chair. This is how it's done in a Professional Symphony with expensive Basses so your Bass is in no danger that way but rather in good company.

I doubled for years and the best way, even in a Broadway Pit (room permitting), lean it on a Chair next to you.

In this Pic of the Philly Orch., you can see the chairs between players used to rest the Basses on.

[toman]

This *seems* like a bad idea, but like the endpin wheel, I'd like some first-hand reports before I make up my mind. Someone has obviously put a fair bit bit of thought and money into developing the stand; maybe its OK.

[toman]

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Don't worry about the Block so much. You have to take a minute or so to remove your endpin and put it back to play, right?

Do what all the Pros do, Lean the Bass's C-Bout on a Chair. This is how it's done in a Professional Symphony with expensive Basses so your Bass is in no danger that way but rather in good company.

I doubled for years and the best way, even in a Broadway Pit (room permitting), lean it on a Chair next to you.

In this Pic of the Philly Orch., you can see the chairs between players used to rest the Basses on.

In the first photo, is that middle bassist's bow simply sitting on the side of the neck? I'm sorry, but if so, that's just foolish. Under a string is bad enough, but at least there's something holding it in place.

[Bob Branstetter]

Originally Posted by Gambaholic

Do any of you luthiers out there have an opinion on whether or not this stand would create to much stress on the end pin block?

Contrary to some here, I don't see a problem with using the Redi-Rest with a Kay. I know a couple of old times who have been using this device on their Kays for over 50 years without incident. I owned one for a while, but I didn't like the playing angle limitations. I like to lean into the bass more than the Redi-Rest allows. I had one of the original brochures for Redi-Rest from the 1950's at one time and it said they were designed specifically for Kay basses and they had worked with the Kay on the design. I wouldn't recommend using it on a fine old Italian, but have no reservations on using it with a Kay.

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Mark Clout

Ken, are the endpins left out or pushed back in when leaning on the chair like this?

They are in ready to play position. In the Kimmel Center in Philly, the Orchestra leaves Basses there day and night sometimes. Under guard and climate controlled I might add.

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by gnergaard

Respectfully, Ken, I don't think the "lean it on a chair" thing works for me. An orchestra is full of musicians who are conscious of how delicate and difficult to repair these instruments are. Not so in jazz clubs and the chair thing is just completely impractical for cramped spaces. This is a smart idea for people who double on other instruments.

I'd like to know where I can buy one of these! Ebay, really?
-Greg

Actually, this is not true in most cases. I play in several Orchestras here (2 mainly and sub in others as well). The Bass section seems always to be the ISLE where you walk to and from ones chair with instrument and case.

In a Jazz club you don't have 40-60 musicians walking around on stage. You can't imagine the amount of times I had to stand my ground and lecture people on the spot as well as the few incidents I have had with my own Basses. I try and make them believe I will kill or injure anyone who hurts my Bass.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Keep your Bass low to the ground but in sight. The Chair works for me and my Basses are several times the cost of the Car I drive them in!

[jimmyduded]

plus i think ken knows about jazz clubs as well as orchestras, he didnt just fall out of the sky with a bass in his hand, he has been playing for a long time

[robobass]

Originally Posted by jimmyduded

plus i think ken knows about jazz clubs as well as orchestras, he didnt just fall out of the sky with a bass in his hand, he has been playing for a long time

Well, Ken is like the voice of God. He doesn't have opinions, he has pronouncements. Actually, I agree with him most of the time. As far as the stand goes, I would use it on my own basses, which are all fairly light, but I wouldn't use it on like a 4/4 Poellman. It would probably break the stand anyway! As far as how orchestras rest their basses, the NY Phil lays the scrolls on the stools (back towards the floor). I like that. Fewer (is that still a word?) chairs onstage, and if the bass does fall, it falls on it's back. In my orchestra we set our basses on chairs on their sides in the C bouts. I suppose that is fairly safe when we're talking about 4/4 Poellmans that are like fathoms across the rib, but when I bring my own bass to orchestra, I insist on the NY Phil style. My Leroy Geiger is only 14.5cm deep on the upper bout. Laying it on it's side on a chair would be only slightly safer than carefully balancing it upright on it's endpin! Anyway, either of these scenarios is probably better than just laying the bass on its side on the floor. Visibility.
Robobass

[Bob Branstetter]

Originally Posted by robobass

As far as the stand goes, I would use it on my own basses, which are all fairly light, but I wouldn't use it on like a 4/4 Poellman. It would probably break the stand anyway!

Actually those things are built like a tank - solid cast aluminum for most of it and steel for the rest. It would cost a small fortune to make one like that today. You could probably drive a truck over it and it wouldn't break.

[flip18436572]

I am new to the double bass thing, because I have been electric all my life. But I purchased a stand from the same person I bought my bass from in Kansas City.



The picture is from the KCSTRINGS web site, but I bought my bass from the KC BassMint (kcbassmint.com). And I bought the stand from Kurt also. I am thinking of getting the bass buggy at some point also, but I don't need it at this time.

bass buggy