I purchased this bass in 2012, and it has been a reliable and excellent companion in orchestral, jazz, and solo settings. It has won auditions for the Milwaukee symphony’s sun list, the Evansville Philharmonic, and has performed on stage with the Milwaukee Symphony on multiple occasions. The sound output is great for all genres - it’s as you’d expect for orchestral repertoire, but really growls pizzicato with evahs or perpetuals, and really projects in the upper register for solos in a way that not all “orchestra” basses do. The tone has a very strong and clear fundamental pitch; I’ve noticed compared to other basses that electronic tuners pick up the pitch very easily; this makes hearing pitch/intonation crystal clear, even in a section.
Bryant basses seem to carry a reputation of being very solid constructions, but lacking in setup. I’ve kept up with all maintenance; it’s had one major repair which involved a top removal; ever since it has been very stable and solid. Having owned it for 10 years, I’ve had the setup worked to the point that it plays beautifully. Upgrades include a Threlkeld C extension and a hole for a Rabbath-style endpin.
Hear it on an original composition and some jazz playing at the links here:
Bryant Basses - Double Bass Archive
Bryant basses seem to carry a reputation of being very solid constructions, but lacking in setup. I’ve kept up with all maintenance; it’s had one major repair which involved a top removal; ever since it has been very stable and solid. Having owned it for 10 years, I’ve had the setup worked to the point that it plays beautifully. Upgrades include a Threlkeld C extension and a hole for a Rabbath-style endpin.
Hear it on an original composition and some jazz playing at the links here:
Bryant Basses - Double Bass Archive
