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Double Bass The Best Quiver?

M

MisterFred

Feb 21, 2002
182
38
#1
I was glad to see the Poll-Storage Thread, as my question is related.

I need to buy a quiver to put on my bass. Does anyone have information on the various kinds available? I am looking for the model with the least damping factor. This concerns me because the esteemed luthier Chuck Traeger advised me not to use one at all. One of his main tenets of set-up is to eliminate anything that reduces vibration, for maximum acoustic sound. However I find the lack of a quiver too impractical, as I usually play without a music stand. This leads me to draw on the knowledge of the Forum to find the quiver with the least effect on sound. All thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.
 
#5
Don - I'm sure the quiver from the Gage shop is beautiful and of the very best quality. However, since Fred W is more concerned with getting the maximum sound out of his instrument rather than appearance, a relatively heavy tooled leather quiver would not seem like the best choice for him. Weight kills sound - period. Is it enough for you to hear in a blindfold test? I don't know. It's just a part of the total package (and the whole is the sum of the the parts).

I had not heard of Charles Traeger until I heard his paper The Setup and Repair of the Bass Violin for Optimum Sound at violin maker's convention in 1995. That paper changed the way I think about a lot of things on a bass. Taken as a whole, his ideas do work.
 
#7
Originally posted by Don Higdon
I just can't get exercised over whatever damping it is claimed occurs. I would love to administer a blindfold test.

Meanwhile, the best designed, best made, most beautiful quivers I've owned were hand tooled by Joe, from David Gage's shop. The buyer of my DeLeone came back just to buy the quiver for another $85
Click to expand...

I bought one of these also and have played with it on and off without any noticable difference in the sound.
 
#8
Whilst I was posting the initial thread my wife suggested wearing it on the right leg, a la holster.
That would certainly take care of the damping issue, but raises a few others. Would the sound benefit outweigh the potential ridicule? Or would I start a new trend? At least it would dampen my foot tapping.Oops, gotta go- Im late for my fitting.;)
 
#13
Originally posted by Don Higdon
I just can't get exercised over whatever damping it is claimed occurs. I would love to administer a blindfold test.
Click to expand...

I was right there agreeing with you until yesterday. Put on a new set of Eudoxas Tuesday, and had my bridge reset Wednesday (it was off to the E side, musta bumped it going through a door at some point). I kept hearing a funky twang sound on the open A string, but only when pizzed. After driving myself nuts trying to find the source, I discovered it only happened with the bow in the quiver. It would add enough weight to rattle against the tailcord (I tie my quiver so it won't contact the top).

Anyway, I'll try retying it before the gig tonight and try to make it disappear.

Monte
 
#15
Monte, was outa town or would have responded sooner. Sorry, that snakeskin thing was a spoof:rolleyes:
I did consider it though, but was well advised by my teacher that if you're going to talk that talk, you best be able to walk that walk. Kinda like lion's heads instead of scrolls.
 
#17
I still have not decided exactly what to do, but the standalone model got me thinking. I may try mounting a quiver on yhe base of a lightweight foldup music stand.BTW I cant believe no one hears any damping effect with a mounted quiver; I hear a noticable difference taking my Bass Max pickup off (arco).
 
#18
FredWr wrote:
I hear a noticable difference taking my Bass Max pickup off (arco).
Click to expand...

I agree, I switched mine to the treble side of the bridge as it was a little better. Problem is you need some pressure on the piezo for proper operation, but the bridge wings should also vibrate freely, so you're faced a dilemma. ... anyway the public usually don't notice.

Now the damping effect has got to be more subtle with a quiver.
 
#20
I use a homemade leather quiver, but I've seen guys using what looks more like a holster, which holds just the end of the bow (5" or so) rather tightly, and mounts to the back of the tailpiece. Seems to work better with a French bow.
I personally believe what all these luthiers are saying, if you hang a piece of something on your bass, it will dampen the sound.

What I notice, however, and others may be in a similar situation, is that if my bow is sitting in front of me the whole time I'm playing, I pick it up and play with it more often. The more I play with the bow, the louder and more open my bass sounds. The quiver doesn't seem to make a noticeable difference in the volume of my bass. Playing with the bow does.

Therefore, because I'm more focused on jazz, and I'm not a serious full time classical student/player, (someone who would use the bow a majority of the time) the quiver actually makes my bass louder.

Sometimes logistics are more important than physics.
 

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