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Double Bass Contrabassetto from the ground up

#201
Louis Yes I am so interested in hearing your 5/8ths. Any chance of posting a video?
I am so into the little bass and the way it has opened up, but I also love the deep bellowing of my large bass. But the truth is I feel (after 20 years with it) that it is too large for my body. Maybe not to play in an orchestra or bow band but as a pizz tool for playing modern jazz, the combination of my arm length and size and the bout size and overstand of the instrument suggest it should be in the hands of someone of larger size or played differently. When the Contrabassetto is in my arms, it feels right, but I think a 5/8 might be the size to replace it if I were to sell it.

There are some great USA Luthiers whose new basses I absolutely love (I was about to list a few but it immediately grew pretty long) but because of the Contrabassetto and the fact that I took a leap of faith in working with Andrea and it turned out so well, I love him as a person so much and I have made such a good friend , yet never met in person, speak different languages, and are half a world away, I want to play his instruments and support his artistry design. I have had my fair share of fingerboards and setups over the past 25 years on various basses, and always there is some problem somewhere, but Andrea's little bass, is perfect note to note, up and down all the strings and that setup really counts a lot.
 
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#202
I'm recovery from surgery but will send some sound clips in Feb. It's a wonderful bass - and yes, we have great luthiers here, who seem, I think because of the orchestra market, to be focused on big basses - look at all the makers who have clustered around Robertson's in New Mex. or the Lakeberg/Stetson basses out of Cincinnati: all great instruments and for musician looking for a reasonable alternative to a $100K orchestra bass, great value. But for the rest of us, I think the field is limited: that's why Upton has been so successful - they listen, have great price points and Gary & Eric are supremely talented. Rumano Solano seems to be another and maybe Luciano Golia - but then you are quickly looking at the usual suspects Shens, etc or a solid German/Czech work-horse.

Because I am fundamentally an amateur, my bass hunting has been as much about the experience of meeting people and seeing their work (the Koreans, the guys at Neolson in China, Roberto Giormenti in Argentina, etc, as well as such great "guys" here as Lisa Gass, Steve Swan, Jerry & Toni Bufa, Mike Prochownik etc etc) as the final product.

In Andrea (and of course Upton etc) , as you say, we have found someone who is a friend and a artist.
 
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#203
I know Lisa Gass very well and love her work and I have a Prochownik bow which I love (and have had for 20 years now) Hanna Maine's basses are really beautiful, and I wanted one of hers for a long time but I cant afford the instruments AND I really love the smaller instruments and well Viva Andrea.
I really think that as more of these smaller high quality carved basses are played by people playing modern music (non orchestra) , there will be a shift. already there is for traveling musicians.
Speedy Recovery Louis
 
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#204
I have had a new bridge carved and installed with the Yamahiko pickup (thanks Gael) He also installed the little ledge that a Stat B sits on in the hole of the bridge. This bass sounds so damn good now.
Last night I played nearby at a crowded restaurant with a pianist. He hates amps (despite it being really noisy) so I played the little bass without amplification. I was so surprised how loud and cutting the little bass was. I personally think that Andrea has made the ultimate travel bass. Because it is a real carved bass made with the best woods, it has that sound, even though it is a smaller body it does not sound like plywood or a travel bass that needs to be amplified. THis little bass held it's own acoustically in a loud restaurant, and I think even better then the big bass....THe thing is it HAS the bass frequencies but it favors the mids in a way that really cuts thru but does not sound crappy.
Although I think of it as a pizz machine it really bows like a solo instrument too.
I am playing this bass 90 percent of the time now and totally happy with it. I have a friend, a local cat bassist who when Andrea was making the instrument he was giving me a hard time, saying I was switching to cello, and making cracks and jokes about size, but when he came to a gig a few months ago and heard us playing from the parking lot and then came into the winery and I was playing the little bass, he took it all back. He thought for sure I was playing the big bass. I just smiled.
But I didnt think even from the start that I would be able to play it effectively as an acoustic instrument without amplification.
 
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#205
One other thing I have been found really choice: WIth an adjustable bridge AND an adjustable neck, one can place the bridge at the right height for the strings and bass (in this case with low tension Obligatos) sound way better if I crank up the bridge to just the right height which would be fairly stiff action but then bring the angle of the neck up under the well tensioned strings to where you like it. Putting the Obligatos under just the right amount of additional tension (for this bass) really opens up the sound, louder, rounder, and yet still really clean. Works brilliantly.
 
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#206
I actually forget what strings we had on originally, but I have been very happy with Jargar dolces on my bass. I did try Corellis on it for a while and they were just too bright. I think his basses would generally respond well to lower tension strings. I don't fool with the adjustable neck too much but made a slight drop in tension over the summer and it seemed to open the bass up even more.
 
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#208
flatback said:
Hey Kristian, Here is a recording from the other night. I was thinking about your music....intro to Nardis playing the Contrabassetto into a looping pedal live and then over dubbing the bowing live. Sorry it's messy as hell but I really like taking solo intro's sometimes and I figure might as well let it rip. It is a little pickupy because I didnt have a mic on it (loud band) but this is the Stat B and Yamahiko mixed in the Felix and thru a MAS16.
I know you will dig playing yours when you get it.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
Really nice!
I guess it sounds really great if you mix it with a mic! This recording was really helpful to make me understand the sound of the yamahiko. :)
 
#209
This bass continues to amaze me. I am using it almost all the time now. With the Tone Dexter eq pedal (which allows you to train your pickup to sound lic a mic) and this bass, I continually have the experience that people who hear the music first (from another room) cannot believe it is coming from this small bodied bass. I love my big bass I really do, mature deep present robust, but the little one is the one I want to play all the time.
 
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#210
flatback said:
This bass continues to amaze me. I am using it almost all the time now. With the Tone Dexter eq pedal (which allows you to train your pickup to sound lic a mic) and this bass, I continually have the experience that people who hear the music first (from another room) cannot believe it is coming from this small bodied bass. I love my big bass I really do, mature deep present robust, but the little one is the one I want to play all the time.
Click to expand...
I am trying to keep up. Is the chain contrabasseto with statB, statB pre, Tonedexter, power amp, mas16?
 
#211
yes. But the Stat B box is a pain and Im going back to just using the Y. It does not matter much with the TD. But man this little bass with that set up sounds massive and is so fun to gig with it's crazy. Makes years of experimenting moot.
Also if you love that big wide mic'd bass sound, but have struggled for years to get it ...and suddenly you have it without feedback, way louder then you could use, plus the small bass, it's like winning the lottery.
 
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#212
Hey Guys,

I was "chatting" over email with Andrea Spada today after the Brazil soccer game, and, to cut to the chase: the economic situation in Brazil is not good and, to put it mildly, not improving. Anyone interested in commissioning a bass or bassetto would find the prices VERY attractive right now. Just passing on the info. If Andrea were in Italy (or the US) these would be $20K basses.

Louis
 
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#213
If people realized what kind of artist Andrea is (just look at the pictures at the beginning of this thread) and what kind of instruments he makes (all sizes from these little daggers to full size instruments) and how really affordable they are he would have his dance card filled. Personally (after a few years with my new Spada) the single greatest thing I think is the way the adjustable neck works to adjust action. I can dial in the perfect tension for the strings and bass and then dial in the action wherever I want it without changing that tension. For example several weeks ago I really injured my hands from over playing with higher action too many gigs in a row and so I lowered it down to way lower then I have ever played it before, but the bass does not sound like the heart just dropped out of the sound, it sounds really close to the high action because I raised the board up under the strings while keeping the tension the same. Made it possible to play while I heal.
THen the board he puts on it is a full three octaves, goes higher then I ever play but I play way up farther then I used too.
I so want to have another bass made by Andrea. Maybe a half size body with full size fingerboard. But my man Kristian is having a copy of the Dragonetti solo bass made by Andrea right now and it sure look like it is going to be a hell of a bass.
I am trying to sell a couple basses right now and it is difficult market so I know it is a hard sell to commission an instrument from so far away but truthfully, because of the economy down there, and his unique artistry (Andrea uses the finest European tone woods and his designs and skill set is so extraordinary, it is really an incredible moment to commission a bass from Andrea.
 
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#218
LouisF said:
Hey Guys,

I was "chatting" over email with Andrea Spada today after the Brazil soccer game, and, to cut to the chase: the economic situation in Brazil is not good and, to put it mildly, not improving. Anyone interested in commissioning a bass or bassetto would find the prices VERY attractive right now. Just passing on the info. If Andrea were in Italy (or the US) these would be $20K basses.

Louis
Click to expand...

Ugh. You are NOT helping my GAS situation, Louis.
 
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#220
I spent Sunday afternoon with a local LA artist and architect, James Kikuchi. He is building small double basses and Bob Spear-style "New Violin Family" instruments, including a fabulous bassetto in 5ths tuning (attached). No amateur IMO. If any one is interested in contacting him let me know.
Louis
 

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