Double Bass bass stool seat height (DB Forum thread)

[RCWilliams]

I am back at my drawing board and would like to get input form the playing community on the best seat height for bass stools. So, if you sit while you play, how far off the floor do you want your seat to be?

Your assistance will be appreciated.

 

[bassmastan]

This might sound strange but when I sit in orchestra the stool has to be almost exactly 28.5 inches from the ground. Although this is pretty exact I found that this is the best angle for me with my legs and back to be in proper alignment. 28 inches is sort of a standard figure as is 29 but they just feel too short/too tall. But now that the bass trolly is no longer being made im sure there is a gap to fill in the portable stool market for something easier to bring around, adjustable and most importantly sturdy!

 

[csrund]

Rick,

I prefer an adjustment range that will adjust low enough to permit sitting without the front edge of the seat applying pressure to the back of the thigh. Ideally, both feet flat on the floor seems to be the healthiest posture for back alignment and circulation. For players who need to elevate the left leg to support the back of the instrument, some type of adjustable mechanism would help.

The orchestra chairs my section uses now are built like battlements, but they don't quite lower enough for my liking, and there's only a ring around the bottom to rest an elevated foot, which is not in an ideal position: too close-in to the vertical post, requiring the leg to be bent too much at the knee, and not adjustable in height.

Hope that all makes sense. This is a subject that I'm highly interested in.

Chris

 

[MostlyBass]

I agree with having both feet on the floor. I ended up cutting a few inches off my wood stools. I find that a shorter stool allows for better posture, less pain, and more agility around the entire range of the instrument.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

We are all different proportionally to some degree and have differing preferences for sitting, so it seems a stool design should be adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of users. I am much more comfortable seated now that I am using adjustable stools. I sit with both feet on the floor, endpin in.

 

[robobass]

28" to 29" high, and being able to put up at least my left foot is a big plus.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I sit cello style, both feet on a low rung at the same height, on a 24" stool. Endpin all the way in.

 

[RCWilliams]

Thanks for the responses guys, they are helpful. I have been messing around with my stand/stool combination and seeing if I can figure out a way to make it adjustable, I'm not sure I can, I have made it in different seat heights but not in great volume, I'll keep at it and see what sort of lunacy I can contrive.

 

[robobass]

Not an easy task. I see the "double trolley" is discontinued. Making something adjustable almost always means more weight and less rigidity/durability. Good Luck!

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Thanks for the responses guys, they are helpful. I have been messing around with my stand/stool combination and seeing if I can figure out a way to make it adjustable, I'm not sure I can, I have made it in different seat heights but not in great volume, I'll keep at it and see what sort of lunacy I can contrive.

I suppose if a player already knows what height they want and you are able to take orders based on that, that would cover it.

 

[robobass]

I've been thinking about this a bit, and come to the question: Is it even sensible to try to make something which functions as both a trolley and a stool? The two jobs are so different. Perhaps it's better to keep them separate. I've seen lots of good options for rolling your bass. Everything from a simple aircraft wheel onwards (I used to cannibalize dual wheels from abandonded baby strollers and sell them to my fellow students at Mannes. Got quite a rep. Not especially positive), but have yet to see a really good portable stool design.

 

[bassmastan]

I've been thinking about this a bit, and come to the question: Is it even sensible to try to make something which functions as both a trolley and a stool? The two jobs are so different. Perhaps it's better to keep them separate. I've seen lots of good options for rolling your bass. Everything from a simple aircraft wheel onwards (I used to cannibalize dual wheels from abandonded baby strollers and sell them to my fellow students at Mannes. Got quite a rep. Not especially positive), but have yet to see a really good portable stool design.

They have one of those...Invalid Link Removed

 

[RCWilliams]

I met the gentleman who or at least one of the participants of the creation of the double trolley at ISB several years ago when it was at Oklahoma City university. I thought it was a nice design. We talked about the process and what he had had to do to get it done, including the volume he had to order initially. To me the numbers were pretty scary in a nitch market. from what I understand, he has 50 or so left, and no plans for continued production. I have a friend who was pushing me to do the same type of thing, combine the bass buggie and bass stand/stool, I wouldn't so he tried, He had some made, I don't think he got too far.

Bringing a new product onto the market is not an easy thing to do.

most of the stands I sell are sold to schools, or shops that sell to schools. They help the survival of the instruments by keeping them off the floor.

 

[MikeCanada]

I sit on a drum stool that was 23" off the ground the last time I measured it. I also have a block I put underneath the back foot that tilts it forward a few degrees. Not sure what angle exactly but the block is 2.5". This setup allows me to play in a posture much like a cellist with both feet flat on the floor. Occasionally I will adjust it a turn or two either up or down (an inch maybe?) largely to compensate for if I am practicing at home in socks or barefoot vs. some of the winter rehearsals where I keep my boots on.

 

[SVT4001]

I sit cello style, both feet on a low rung at the same height, on a 24" stool. Endpin all the way in.

This is the way I sit as well, but I keep my right foot on the floor, and my left on the low rung of the stool. My stool height is also 24".

I used to keep the endpin all the way in, but a strange rattle developed on my bass. I couldn't find anything causing it- it was driving me CRAZY!!! For some reason, which still escapes me, if I extend my endpin a teeny, tiny bit, the rattle goes away...

Joe

 

[Mark Gollihur]

I used to keep the endpin all the way in, but a strange rattle developed on my bass. I couldn't find anything causing it- it was driving me CRAZY!!! For some reason, which still escapes me, if I extend my endpin a teeny, tiny bit, the rattle goes away...

Not terribly uncommon. At that length, the endpin will oscillate at certain pitches; with the amount it oscillates fully inside the bass, it's enough to make noise -- kind of like a big kalimba. ;-)

 

[Les Fret]

I sit on a drum stool that was 23" off the ground the last time I measured it. I also have a block I put underneath the back foot that tilts it forward a few degrees. Not sure what angle exactly but the block is 2.5". This setup allows me to play in a posture much like a cellist with both feet flat on the floor.

which drum stool do you use exactly? I am using a K&M stool for some years but I am looking for a new portable light weight drum stool to carry to gigs and rehearsals. The K&M is too heavy for that.
I need a drum stool with some fixed adjustable positions. Not the fully adjustable height ones because they mostly tend to slip down because of the weight of the bass.

 

[MikeCanada]

It's a Gibraltar 9608. Just a pretty standard round seat, three leg, step up from the cheap one drum stool. I think the stool adjusts from about 20" to about 28", but it's not as rock solid in the 27-28" range.

I wouldn't say it is especially light at approximately 15 lbs, but I find it easier/less awkward to carry around than my previous stools, one of which was wood the other aluminum. The shaft is threaded so it adjusts by spinning the stool, but there is a locking mechanism to keep it from spinning when you find the height you like. I just make sure to keep a drum key in my bag in case I feel like adjusting it, and I've saved a few drummers who didn't bring one a couple times too.

 

[Les Fret]

ok, thanks! Anyone an idea about a light weight small drum stool with some fixed holes for height adjustments? I think these are more solid as far as slipping down is concerned. Also I think it is handy that you can set it at exact the same height each time (for example third hole).

Most of them have the stepless height adjustment. Had one of those and it slipped down after 5 minutes or so when set to the highest position. So it was useless for bass.

 

[robobass]

Like I said somewhere else, forget about a carrier/stool combo. It would be nice if someone could design just a nice stool. Drum stools are clunky, and at 15 lbs. I'd rather drag a wood stool or just stand. Look at modern camping gear and you see some super clever designs which are stable and very light. It oughtn't be that hard to adapt one of these for bass players.