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Double Bass Francois Rabbath in Minneapolis/St. Paul
- Thread starter quenoil
- Start date
I attended the master classes on Thursday and Friday. Really informative and makes you think differently about how you approach the instrument. Plus, I loved how he ended the 20-30 basses on stage session on Friday with everyone doing two rounds of improvisation.
Did I meet you on Thursday? I was the 17 year old who played the exposition of the Vanhal Concerto.
Sorry, I'm just trying to match the names of the people on this forum to faces.
Russell, next time you come down to the cities (and want to bring your bass) shoot me a PM, I'd like to take a look at your Kimmel and compare to mine.
It was quite a weekend! A very big thanks to Brian for making the visit happen!
My favorite nugget of wisdom from Rabbath was this: everyday he "cleans his ears" so that he can listen fresh to whatever he is working on. Seems obvious, but I realized I hardly ever *really* do this.
Did I meet you on Thursday? I was the 17 year old who played the exposition of the Vanhal Concerto.
Sorry, I'm just trying to match the names of the people on this forum to faces.
Not sure. I had to leave at the break on Thursday. You better get a bent endpin ASAP
I think I took a lot from some of his passing remarks:
"get off the page" Rarely heard in the classical context, but true for all music
"put your tuner away" obvious, but so true
"Human voice" I forget this every time I pick up the bow cause I play bass
What a relaxed and beautiful right hand. WOW!
You better get a bent endpin ASAP
Haha, I'm actually seriously considering it now. I'm going to try out a few basses that have them and see if I like the way it feels. If I do I might have the operation done on my own bass.
You can get a Rabbath style endpin block at KC Strings, and have it installed without drilling holes in your bass.
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Ah, very cool. I haven't seen those before. I'll show it to my teacher and see what he thinks. Thanks for letting me know about that!
You can also find a metal smith and have them bend a metal rod for you and put in an indention for the screw. Much cheaper and easier than the other options. And if you don't like it, you've got a new poker for your fireplace.
A word on the whole bent endpin bit- it ain't for everyone, and it takes a while to get used to. Made SURE you like it before undergoing the sexchange. It breaks my heart to see beautiful old instruments with an extra hole in the end block, and it most certainly devalues the bass. Upton and KC both have options that don't involve drilling.
A word on the whole bent endpin bit- it ain't for everyone, and it takes a while to get used to. Made SURE you like it before undergoing the sexchange. It breaks my heart to see beautiful old instruments with an extra hole in the end block, and it most certainly devalues the bass. Upton and KC both have options that don't involve drilling.
- Jan 24, 2002
- 2,117
- 950
- Disclosures
- NS Design / AER Endorsing Artist
This is not true. Plugging the hole is a simple procedure. If your luthier is good with touchup, it can be seamless. Someone would be a fool to refuse an instrument simply for having a Laborie installation.
I'm curious regarding the perceived benefits of the laborie endpin over the bent endpin. I've been using the bent endpin now for several months. It was certainly odd at first, the bass does not balance the same way for one, but I've found it to be a huge benefit overall.
The idea is that the weight of the bass is shifted forward, reducing the strain on the left hand. Regarding value and the "sexchange," it reminds me of the progress we've made with the extension. At one time, hacking off a portion of the scroll was acceptable. Now there are solutions that don't involve even drilling a hole in the scroll. The KC and Upton options seem (for me) a far more elegant (and modern) solution as opposed to boring a new hole in the end block. Ymmv. Also, not all Rabbath adherents use the bent endpin, and not all bent endpin users study Rabbath. It's just another thing to try, and take with a grain of salt.
