Talk Bass Double Bass Photo Album

[mbattelli]

Et voilà, le Octobasse in video:
http://tv.unimore.it/index.php?optio...ask=view&id=50

[drurb]

Originally Posted by mbattelli

Et voilà, le Octobasse in video:
http://tv.unimore.it/index.php?optio...ask=view&id=50

This is your bass?!

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by mbattelli

Et voilà, le Octobasse in video:
http://tv.unimore.it/index.php?optio...ask=view&id=50

wow, first time i heard an octobasse, and seen one in action.thanks mbattelli!

[KSB - Ken Smith]

So that's what that thing sounds like? Even regular French Basses tuned an octave higher might not sound as good as some other non-French Basses but this thing sounds terrible. Barbed wire with bad bow hair.

I have never owned a Bass that sounded that nasal or scratchy ever, not even a plywood Bass.

I am glad I got to heard it. No I know what I was NOT missing..lol

[jallenbass]

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

So that's what that thing sounds like? Even regular French Basses tuned an octave higher might not sound as good as some other non-French Basses but this thing sounds terrible. Barbed wire with bad bow hair.

I have never owned a Bass that sounded that nasal or scratchy ever, not even a plywood Bass.

I am glad I got to heard it. No I know what I was NOT missing..lol

Ken - I'm listening to the video with my PC connected to my stereo and I'm not hearing anything nasal or scratchy. A huge organ-like sound is coming out of my speakers.

[Jake deVilliers]

Thanks mbattelli, it's great to hear that. Is that the bass built by Antonio Dattis?

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by jallenbass

Ken - I'm listening to the video with my PC connected to my stereo and I'm not hearing anything nasal or scratchy. A huge organ-like sound is coming out of my speakers.

Same here. That was amazing! I wonder how the fingering mechanism works?

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by jallenbass

Ken - I'm listening to the video with my PC connected to my stereo and I'm not hearing anything nasal or scratchy. A huge organ-like sound is coming out of my speakers.

Hey, I'm just using my computer speakers that sound fine when I hear other regular Basses thru.

[Mudfuzz]

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Hey, I'm just using my computer speakers that sound fine when I hear other regular Basses thru.

But it isn't a regular bass...........

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Mudfuzz

But it isn't a regular bass...........

It is tuned an octave lower. The middle string is a D, below the low E on a 4-string.

[bribass]

This Octobass is a copy of the original J.B. Vuillaume octobass which is at the Paris Musee de la Musique. Which I have seen in the flesh.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/contrab...n/set-1462234/

You'll notice that the original Octobass has foot pedals along w/ hand levers. The Pierre Bohr c.1993 Octobass in the Italian video only has the hand levers. Another difference is the strings.

As I watched and listened to the video I thought about Ken's 'nasal tone' comments and I tend to agree. Although the notes are very low ofcourse, the overtones are nasaly. I was thinking that the srtings sound as if they are copper wound w/ overtones not unlike like a Guild acoustic bass guitar that I own w/ copper wound strings.

I did a Google search and came up w/ Nicola Moneta's website (the octobass player in the video) and saw the photos of this same instrument and sure enough the strings do look to be copper wound of some type.

http://www.prospekt.it/oggetti/repor...ge=21.txt#This may explain the nasal scratch Ken is hearing. It sure does not have the fat, warm buttery spread sound of a fine old bass w/ good arco strings.

I think Moneta needs to check out the String Threads here on TB and have a chat w/ Uncle Toad and Francois .

The Vuillaume octobass seems to be strung w/ some kind of gut or gut like strings. I'd like to hear that bass played.

When I was there at the museum in '03 I couldn't help myself and tried to pluck the highest string (C I think), but a buzzer went off before my hand could reach it and I slinked away as if it wasn't me .

BTW-Ken, this is what Wikipedia says about the tuning of the Vuillaume Octobass: Its lowest string is tuned to C1, one octave below the lowest C of the cello (32.7 Hz). This note is the same as the lowest note of a modern double bass with a low C extension. The middle string is tuned to G1, a fifth above the lowest string. The uppermost string is tuned to C2, an octave above the instrument's lowest string. Berlioz quotes G2, an octave above the top string, as the highest note playable on the instrument, giving it a compass of an octave and a fifth.

PS- More on topic; my bass can be seen on post #60 in this thread.

BG

[mbattelli]

And now, the strigs for the octobasse:

http://www.aquilacorde.com/octobass.htm


Marco Battelli
http://www.louisianajazzclub.com/marco_battelli.htm

[mattfong]

so if you could play a DB with a C extention, why the heck would anyone want to play that?

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by mattfong

so if you could play a DB with a C extention, why the heck would anyone want to play that?

The Bass in that Video was not a low C below the Extension. I can't see his Keys but the middle string was a D at the lowest I heard and that note is a 7th below the cello pitch and one step below a 4-string Bass/E. The lowest string I suspect was either a LOW A or G (if in fifths like the French used before the English taught them), below a grand Piano.

I don't know what the Vuillaume is in Paris but that Video Bass was NOT an octave below a Cello. It was an octave below a Double Bass with C-Extension and then a few notes lower as well.

The Harmonics of the Bass sound the upper octave like a DB but the 'weak' scratchy fundamental was an octave lower.

Hearing it with enhanced sub woofers is not the actual audible Bass in real. Just like in recordings, take a Jazz players student grade plain Jane Juzek (Ron Carter for instance) and record it or amp it and it might sound like a good Bass. Put the Bass in the middle of a Orchestra section of old Italian and English Basses and it will sound like a Toy acoustically in comparison.

[CamMcIntyre]

Not the best picture, but it's decent enough. There's a few more pictures of it at my website and facebook account.

2004 New Standard Cleveland Ply

[mapleleaf4evr]

Here's some pics of my 1952 Kay M1.

[Cfederle]

Here is one of my mystery French bass

[jfv]

Big band St. Patrick's Day party, can see more of the
gig at http://www.rosecityimages.com

[xyz bassist]

Originally Posted by demon666

Ok let the comments fly. I',m ready for 'em

Here is my Sparkle King





And my custom Sparkle King



And a shot of the custom scroll

HOLY *BLEEP*! That bass is pimped! Dude!

[Eli_Upright12]

Originally Posted by Cfederle

Here is one of my mystery French bass

is that a wire tailpiece (possibly made by marvin)?