Double Bass Another “is this worth looking at?” thread.

[CaseyVancouver]

With that raised saddle you may find it plays with low string tension, if that appeals to you. Some significant bassists, such as Thierry Barbe, really endorse the raised saddle.

Lawrence Lamay built the bass in the ‘60s that Karr preferred to play over his Koussevitzky gift. Karr also liked Lamay’s bows. Of course Lamay may not of had much to do with this particular bass.

I would be very tempted to check out this bass. You never know a bass until you play it.

 

[Aragorn35016]

With that raised saddle you may find it plays with low string tension, if that appeals to you. Some significant bassists, such as Thierry Barbe, really endorse the raised saddle.

Lawrence Lamay built the bass in the ‘60s that Karr preferred to play over his Koussevitzky gift. Karr also liked Lamay’s bows. Of course Lamay may not of had much to do with this particular bass.

I would be very tempted to check out this bass. You never know a bass until you play it.

I think I’m gonna go after all. I am cautious not to fall into the constant buy/trade trap I got into with my electric bass career, but I’m off on Friday and don’t have anything else better to do anyway so why not ? It will be a fun experience to play a really old instrument if nothing else and who knows it may come home with me.

 

[SAlcott]

I think the Bottesini Testore is in Japan.

 

[Bruce Calin]

I think the Bottesini Testore is in Japan.

I sincerely hope it is being played and not just "collected".

 

[BassFalcon]

I sincerely hope it is being played and not just "collected".

My apologies, it’s Dragonetti’s bass in the monestary.
Italy Bass sites?

 

[GeeDeeAitch]

As of 2000: "For the past 25 years this double bass has been kept in a private collection in Japan. Its owner, a retired doctor and amateur bassist who plays the Testore in various orchestras, bought it from a dealer in Tokyo; before that it was played in Holland. Although kept in Japan, the bass , has travelled to Europe recently and was seen in an exhibition in Cremona’s town hall last October (1999). It could also be heard during the fourth International Giovanni Bottesini Double Bass Competition in neighbouring Crema that same month, when artistic director Franco Petracchi gave a recital on the instrument. According to German bass professor Gunther Klaus, it sounded as free and as powerful as if Bottesini had played a concert on it the night before."

From the Summer, 2000 Double Bass Magazine article republished by the Strad Nov, 2021 I've seen at least one youtube video repeating this as though it still holds true but they might be going off the same article as me. *shrug*

 

[LouisF]

I think this is the video about Venice:

 

[Aragorn35016]

Do meeting the guy at his place at 10 tomorrow, his name is Wayne Stanton, from what I can find out online he appears to be a pretty legitimate luthier so I’m sure I’m in for a treat! Just picked up my bow from a fresh rehair today so I’m pretty stoked to head out in the morning!

 

[LouisF]

Pretty good references: references

There's a fellow who has retired from the Alabama symphony who has a Prescott for sale in the Ads ($50K I think). You might PM with any questions about the luthier.

 

[Eli Brockway]

For the record, Bottesini's Testore wasn't a three string when he got it. He just had a new bridge and tailpiece made and removed the extra tuner.

 

[Stuart.C]

Do meeting the guy at his place at 10 tomorrow

Good luck I am excited for you

 

[Aragorn35016]

Looked at the bass, and unfortunately walked away, as it is a block less bass after all and had had a neck break at one time, it’s also an e flat neck which threw me, but it did sound good! It looks like it was built in 1881. Here’s some pics of it.

 

[Bruce Calin]

You definitely made the right choice. I wondered if that was a BW when I saw the bumps by the neck joint. I owned one years ago(I even had the Thomastik fine tuning tailpiece!) that sounded great but had fragility problems that made it unreliable long term, especially with the flat back. The look of the top compared to the back is also a clue as to condition and quality of repairs. I'm glad you walked away.

 

[Stuart.C]

Thanks for the pics, your adventure made my morning.
Yeah I would have walked too ... unless the price was really right

I am not sure the etiquette here is but what was the asking price? if that's okay to ask?

 

[LouisF]

I have to say I would have walked, too. Good move. But still worth looking at.

 

[Aragorn35016]

Thanks for the pics, your adventure made my morning.
Yeah I would have walked too ... unless the price was really right

I am not sure the etiquette here is but what was the asking price? if that's okay to ask?

I’m not sure what etiquette is for that sort of thing as I’m not currently a supporting member, I’ll shoot you a PM.

 

[TroyK]

I like the chop on the inside. That tailpiece is interesting too.

I was tempted by a very old bass once, but it didn't feel right to me for maybe the same reasons.

You gotta look at a few. When you and your bass find each other, you'll know.

 

[Aragorn35016]

You definitely made the right choice. I wondered if that was a BW when I saw the bumps by the neck joint. I owned one years ago(I even had the Thomastik fine tuning tailpiece!) that sounded great but had fragility problems that made it unreliable long term, especially with the flat back. The look of the top compared to the back is also a clue as to condition and quality of repairs. I'm glad you walked away.

I have to say I would have walked, too. Good move. But still worth looking at.

It was a fun way to spend the day and a good learning experience. What I leaned today:

I now know without a doubt what a bass without a neck block looks like.

Arco/Pizz is indeed way better on a carved bass. Not sure how to explain it properly, but things seem to sound/react in a less rigid way.

I know I love smaller shoulders, makes thumb position way easier, as well as the bass seems hug closer into your body

I don’t like E flat necks.

I don’t like Romberg Bevels.

My NS Cleveland is still the best setup/built bass that I’ve ever played in my small sphere of basses. I kind of now want to follow in Chris Fitzgeralds footsteps and find a hybrid or fully carved lascala so I can have the same level of quality with small shoulders and a carved top. New Standards seem like they’re always a safe bet that’ll never let you down.

Old basses are neat, but not sure I’d ever want an old one, this one was kind of “wavy” or “blobby” looking in the ribs. The top and dark varnish was awesome though!

 

[LouisF]

The 5/8th 1880s Bohemian bass I'm restoring had the same Thomastik tailpiece and the "elbow" bend below the bridge. It turned out that during the repairs in the last century the neck had not been set properly. Since I knew this was a major top-off restoration it was ok, but that could have been a real headache. Just for comparison, I paid less than $3K for the bass, knowing that I'm looking at $5-6K in repairs. This kind of bass in good condition (Upton and BVS have a couple) is in the $10-12K asking price. My hunch is that this one would have been $5-6.

 

[Bruce Calin]

That's a Thomastik fine tuning tailpiece. I had one, which I still have somewhere, on the BW bass I mentioned. The fine tuners were pretty worthless IMO, and it was very heavy. I do have a bassist friend who has the five string version and uses it to tune the low E and B wrapped around the same peg in the pegbox and tuned with the fine tuners. It seems to work fine for him.