• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass A good day?

#21
splitpoint said:
Yeah, the owners hands were shaky and he could barely play anymore.

Lets talk about musical Karma for a second: You guys know the story about the instrument, now I'll tell you about my quest for a teacher. My mother lives in downtown Denver and walks her dog every morning, she's a friendly type and talks to everyone she sees while out and about. One of her neighbors is a bass player and she talks to him regularly. This morning she's out and see's him in the yard and tells him about my bass. She hit's him up about my quest for a teacher, his reply is that "if he's half serious about playing I'll teach him." I ask her what his name is and the answer.....Charlie Burrell.

If you don't know who he is then you should look him up on google. Needless to say I'm am flying on a cloud today. Can you say devine intervention? I don't know what to say other than based on the events of the last couple of days that I must be destined to play the Double Bass.
Click to expand...
OK, now you have serious KARMA debt, my friend. You have got to make a mark in music. :bassist:
 
#23
splitpoint said:
I ask her what his name is and the answer.....Charlie Burrell.
If you don't know who he is then you should look him up on google. Needless to say I'm am flying on a cloud today.
Click to expand...

Your Double Bass Destiny... for sure :D . Have a great trip! Here's what I found about Charlie Burrell from a writer in Denver:

"Charlie Burrell: Unlike the other musicians on my list, Charlie Burrell does not have a regular band. He is also 82-years-old, and officially retired. However, if you are lucky enough to see him in his outings with his cousin’s jazz quartet, Purnell Steen and Le Jazz Machine, you will never forget. Not only will you have witnessed a prodigious stand-up jazz bassist, you will have seen an internationally renowned classical contrabassist. Charlie Burrell was one of the first African-Americans to play in a major American Symphony Orchestra (he was also the first African American to play with the San Francisco Ballet and the San Francisco Opera, and the first African American professor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music). In addition to his acclaim as a classical musician, Charlie Burrell has played behind some of the greatest jazz artists of all time, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Erroll Garner, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughn. Currently, Mr. Burrell lives in Denver, and plays with Le Jazz Machine whenever he can. If you enjoy jazz at all, make an effort to get out and see Purnell Steen and Le Jazz Machine. Although Charlie Burrell does not make every gig, you will still enjoy the band—they are everything jazz is about: fun, tight, free, and plain good. You might also enjoy the “psychology” connection—the trumpet player for the band, Mitch Handlesman, is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado at Denver (and my former Master’s mentor—if you see Le Jazz Machine, tell him I said “HI”)".
 
#24
I met with Charlie this morning, what a nice guy! He's decided that he's retired from teaching so no luck having him as a teacher but he did play me a couple of tunes and looked my bass over. He said that aside from the neck re-attachment there has been almost no work done to my instrument, the back and sides are completely intact/unmolested. There is the crack above the F-hole that you can see in the picture and he thinks there is a crack that we can't see forming towards the bottom, the finger board needs to be dressed, the E and A strings need to be replaced but that the others are fine. He said that the top shouldn't need to to come off for the crack repairs. He also said it's a good solid instrument and to call him if I decide to sell it.

So it looks like I'm still questing for a teacher, Charlie had a couple of thoughts on who might work based on my interests.

After meeting Charlie I took the base over to Bob Ross for evaluation/repair. Bob stated that if it is a Juzek it should be worth about $7500 based on it's condition. He said the bridge looks like it might be warped. He's going to take it into the shop and look it over and get back to me with his list of what should be done, he suggested a new endpin and possible removal of the pickup in addition to the crack repair and bridge.

So I should know more in a week or so but it looks like I got a great bass that needs minimal work.
 
#26
Bob Ross got back to me.

The list of things to be fixed immediately:
3 cracks in the top
Bridge is definite warped - replace with adjustable bridge
Fingerboard dressing

Down the road:
Replace endpin
Replace tailpiece wire
Replace strings
Dings and dent repair

The instrument was refinished at some point in it's history. Bob said it's definitely worth fixing and appears to be in decent shape. I should have it back by January.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back