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Double Bass Best Extension type?

Best type of 'C' Extension for reasons stated?

  • Mechanical Extension

    Votes: 7 19.4%

  • Chromatic Extension (4 seperate latches)

    Votes: 21 58.3%

  • Fingered Extension with a sliding Latch (and 'E' Latch)

    Votes: 3 8.3%

  • Fingered Extension ('E' Latch only)

    Votes: 6 16.7%

  • Low 'B' Ext. of some sort (please explain in your post)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    36
#22
KSB - Ken Smith said:
My question is this. Can you play moving Passages on a gated/chromatic Ext. as easy (not that it is easy at all) as you can if it was a plain E-stop fingered Ext?.. Can you leave all 4 gates open and finger the passages in the Beeth. 5th without the keys/gates getting in the way?
Click to expand...
Not a problem at all. In fact, it usually helps me with my intonation by looking at where the gates would be.

Because your fingers go on the opposite side of the latches, it is never a problem. I would strongly recommend to anyone with a choice to go with a chromatic gated extension.
 
#23
The Low B in Zarathustra is during the fugue section, right after the 4 part bass divisi section. Most editions have it written in, I believe. Strauss wrote it, at least. (he also wrote low Fs for the fiddles, I believe. He thought that the instrument's range would be extended in the future)
 
#24
To bring up an issue mentioned earlier,

I had a lesson with Mr. Levinson today and as I was packing up I remembered this thread. He told me that he has played on each of the three types and thinks the chromatic gated extension is the best. This is because with the chromatic gates, low notes can be treated like open strings so it is not difficult to play higher notes and jump all the way back down (i.e. heldenleben). The mechanical extension on his bass (belonging to the phil) came that way and would be too much trouble to remove.

Hope this helps.

Also, his new CD is awesome, you guys should get it.
 
#26
I have had a mechanical extension (Stenholm) for over 9 years , used it more times then I can keep track, on Beeth 5, 9, Carmina, Pines, Zarathustra, etc..and I can say I have had NO problems with failure, or noise. I believe if it's installed properly, (had Gage do it personally), as i've said, no problems. I believe if you can deal with the width of a 5 stringer, and the difference of spacing between strings on bow hand, it is the easiest solution of the three. As for the chromatic gated extension, you still have to finger up near the scroll to play the other notes, which is fine if you have a large hand, & long fingers. The mechanical extension is easier in that I don't have to move my hand above the nut to play, and back down on passages. I feel we have to move, & shift enough, without creating more of it. My teacher,David Cobb ( Tim's father) has had one on his Arvi for over twenty years, without problems. [/FONT]

Dennis
 
#30
OK, getting back to the subject in question, it looks as if the Gated Extension is the favorite here by 10:3 over the E-latch and only 2 votes for the Machine.

This is strange because in my last Thread/Poll about Ext. or 5er the votes were E-Latch 7:4 over the gates and only 1 vote for the machine.

I wonder why the Gates are 'opening up' this time!!?

I did get the Fingered Ext. put on my Morelli and did the 5th with it. Then I saw Hal Robinson play the 'Trout' as he set the Gates differently thru the piece to hit a single D or Eb octave as written in the moving line. When I did the Trout last year on my Gilkes 4 string I had to play the note up and play the written octave 2x on the same note. I could not have played this on the Fingered Extension and it would not be as easy on the Machine as hitting an open string frees up your left hand. I believe it was written for a 5-string Bass from the looks of the part.

So........ I will put one of these gated chromatic Extensions on the Martini over the Summer as long as the Scroll pitch doesnt require cutting into the Head. I don't mind the hole for the String but cutting up a beautiful Scroll bothers me. The Gilkes will NOT be touched. It stays as a 4-string. The Gilkes Head is a bit Sacred in my eyes.

Thanks for all the input and your personal views. Keep 'em comming.

If I like this, I will add it to at least one other Bass I have.
 
#32
is it worth it to get an extension of any kind installed on an inexpensive $3-4K bass? will it increase the value any? i've seen them on pretty inexpensive carved basses but also heard 'you're better off just putting the $$ into a better bass'. i've heard one "has" to have an extension for orchestra jobs and also that it is not mandatory. my bass has a really short mensure, how much more complicated is it going to be to get an extension? (maybe it can use a 'c' extension that would work as a 'b'!) also, where can it be done (pretty) quickly? being without it requires a lot of retraining to a larger loaner.
 
#33
An Ext of any kind will average from 1-2k or maybe more for the Machines. One has to have a Bass with a good PURE sounding Low end and 'E' to expect the Low 'C' to sound decent. I imagine a 41" length to be about the minimum but some older Basses that are shorter sound good as well but not normally.

I don't think it will increase the Value as much as it will increase it's re-saleability within it's class. I am doing my Martini now so when an Orchestra player tries the Bass, he sees the full potential. A Bass in your Value range is less desirable to a person looking for an Orchestra Job. My Morelli now has an Ext and is just above the entry level for a Professional Orchestral player but no where near the top of the game. My Big English Bass is more like the top compared to the Basses I mentioned as we have measured it to make sure it can take an Extension.
 
#34
I personally think that it makes no financial sense to install a $1 - 2K extension on a $3 - 4K bass. It's like putting a $2K solid oak door on a $5K house as opposed to a $75K house. If you really need those low notes then I suggest you go for low-cost extension such as the KC Strings or find a luthier who can do it at really low cost. I've seen and heard extensions done by luthiers who had only installed one or two extensions before and it was pretty obvious (as opposed to guys like Bill Merchant who have refined their extension over twenty years).

A properly installed and fitted extension on a suitable candidate bass is much more than just those four extra notes. It can add so much depth in terms of resonance but that's only going to happen if the bass is a good enough bass.
 
#35
I have a KC Strings ext on my bass for several reasons. I thought I would save a little money and put it on myself (which I did with success but I'll never do that again). The gates can be adjusted for tuning or they can be removed if you prefer. One disadvantage is the weight. These are really heavy extns.
On a less expensive bass would it improve sound? Perhaps.
Julie
 

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