It's been recommended to me that I purchase one of his tailpieces for my bass, but I'm hoping to get some feedback from users before I put the cash down.
Thanks!
-Keegan Bosch
Thanks!
-Keegan Bosch
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Double Bass How does everybidy feel about Kevin Marvins tailpieces?
- Thread starter Skabasskid
- Start date
- Jan 24, 2002
- 2,117
- 950
- Disclosures
- NS Design / AER Endorsing Artist
They make some basses sound a bit better and some a bit worse, like any other adjustment. They've been known to make wolf tones much worse on some instruments, while it could also theoretically help them depending on the source of the wolf.
It's always worth trying out. If there's a shop that stocks them, you could try it out there. Otherwise, it's safe to assume you can re-sell it if it doesn't work on your bass.
It's always worth trying out. If there's a shop that stocks them, you could try it out there. Otherwise, it's safe to assume you can re-sell it if it doesn't work on your bass.
:
Made my old Chrissy hybrid sound alot more open. Depends on the bass. If you bass naturally sounds a little choked up, I'd give it a whirl - otherwise prob not.
I've had one on each of my basses for 3 years now.
In each case it gave the basses a noticeably more open sound and it got rid of a wolf on one bass.
Both of my basses are more responsive with the Marvin.
Of course, like everything else, it depends on the Bass.
For the $80.00 they cost, it's well worth trying out.
After I installed mine, 4 other Bassists in my area bought one, as they all noticed a difference in the sound my bass.
In each case it gave the basses a noticeably more open sound and it got rid of a wolf on one bass.
Both of my basses are more responsive with the Marvin.
Of course, like everything else, it depends on the Bass.
For the $80.00 they cost, it's well worth trying out.
After I installed mine, 4 other Bassists in my area bought one, as they all noticed a difference in the sound my bass.
I have one on my second bass. It did help the sound on this bass, but man, they are so ugly. I'm getting a Pecanic tailpiece to replace it. The improvements in response and tone are similar to what synthetic tailguts achieve based on my experience.
Its a cool idea and a nice bit of simple engineering, IMHO. I have one. I have tried it on three basses, with mixed results.
Bass 1: heavily wooded, carved, Romanian - made it sound better than anything else. Eliminated wolfs, made response more even, improved note clarity. Left it on and used it, happily.
Bass 2: Shen SB 150 hybrid - made notes clearer, more even, lost some bottom-end (E string) power and darkness. I took off the Marvin and put back on the wood tailpiece.
Bass 3: Tricked-out Hungarian carved flatback - made notes sound "wiry", completely lost bottom end "punch" and volume, made sound much brighter, gave thumb position lovely, piercing tone. Losses offset gains; I took off the Marvin and put back on my ebony tailpiece.
All to say that it really does depend on the bass and the sound you want. It is a fairly inexpensive experiment, as such things go...
Bass 1: heavily wooded, carved, Romanian - made it sound better than anything else. Eliminated wolfs, made response more even, improved note clarity. Left it on and used it, happily.
Bass 2: Shen SB 150 hybrid - made notes clearer, more even, lost some bottom-end (E string) power and darkness. I took off the Marvin and put back on the wood tailpiece.
Bass 3: Tricked-out Hungarian carved flatback - made notes sound "wiry", completely lost bottom end "punch" and volume, made sound much brighter, gave thumb position lovely, piercing tone. Losses offset gains; I took off the Marvin and put back on my ebony tailpiece.
All to say that it really does depend on the bass and the sound you want. It is a fairly inexpensive experiment, as such things go...
Sometimes cutting mass (like your tailpiece) makes your bass lose bottom. I lopped off some extra length of my end-pin on my current bass and in a way, I do regret I did it. Time to order a replacement rod I guess.
My bass tends to be a little heavy and unresponsive on the low end, especially on the low c string, so from what I've heard, this should help. 
My bass tends to be a little heavy and unresponsive on the low end, especially on the low c string, so from what I've heard, this should help.
I guess that I would offer the humble thought, based on my experience, with only three instruments, that it "may" help. As far as I can tell, this may fall into the range of AO-BO matching, instrument vibration patters, etc., about which I know virtually nothing.
With my very limited experimentation, I liked the results I got one out of three times.
All to say that, based on my micro-trial, it really depends on your bass, its' construction, its vibrational characteristics, etc.
The good news is that it is a pretty inexpensive experiment, in my experience. Certainly less than monkeying around with strings...
As a side note, I would offer that endpin experimentation is another inexpensive way to affect sound. I have tried various shaft materials and have been struck by the tonal differences. Recently switched to a stainless steel rod, weighing the same as my carbon steel rod (within .1 gram) that sounds noticeably clearer and brighter. All to say that there is much going on, here, that I don't understand...
I have a fairly lightweight carved german bass, and the Marvin improved it noticeably IMO. More even response from E to A, wolf notes pretty much gone, with a little increased brightness (but not harsh) on G and maybe the D string. Worth a try for sure.
Doesn't Marvin have some policy where if you don't like it you send it back for a refund? I could be wrong....
Doesn't Marvin have some policy where if you don't like it you send it back for a refund? I could be wrong....
I think it was an improvement on my bass (carved Romanian). I got it mostly because of what Kevin claimed it did as far as the tension of the strings. My bass was already bright but it did decrease the tension and increase playability. Its been long enough that I can't really remember before/after as far as volume.
On my bass a hybrid La Scala it did make it more resonant but not in a beneficial way. There's was too much going on vibration wise in the bass. The solid tailpiece has a dampening effect that is essential imo especially when it comes to the bow. I'd imagine it would increase the likelyhood of feedback problems in loud gigs though I didn't keep it on long enough to find out. In short it just didn't seem right .
While my wire tailpiece is home made with parts from a hardware store, it has all the benefits of the Marvin Tailpiece as listed on his website.
On my bass, installing a wire tailpiece made my bass sound at least $10 000 better. The wolf tones disappeared, the response is much faster, the strings are easier to push down, the tone of the notes have more fundamental and the pitch seems to be much more centered.
I have some flat shoe string woven around the bottom 3 inches of the wires to keep them from ringing on past the end of a note. This way, more of the belly wood can be seen. The Marvin TP has a felt(?) applique to simulate the look of a traditional TP and to damp the sympathetic vibrations.
I have found that 80% of people don't even notice the visual difference (most people don't notice the bass players unless you are wearing a yellow leotard with purple polka-dots anyway), 10% think it is interesting but glaze over when I explain it, and 5% are intrigued but never do anything about it, 2% are ***-is-that! negative , 2% raise their eyebrow but don't say anything and the final 1% think it is the best thing since sliced bread and get one or make one themselves.
Another good option is the Wittner composite TP, but don't use the nylon tail wire that comes with it. The friction as if goes over the saddle can pop the saddle out of the top. It looks just like a traditional ebony TP but is hollow underneath. It is very light and strong and also improved the sound of my bass. There was still the problem of south-of-the- bridge strings' vibrations causing wolf tones though. (you'll read about those if you go to the Marvin TP website.)
On my bass, installing a wire tailpiece made my bass sound at least $10 000 better. The wolf tones disappeared, the response is much faster, the strings are easier to push down, the tone of the notes have more fundamental and the pitch seems to be much more centered.
I have some flat shoe string woven around the bottom 3 inches of the wires to keep them from ringing on past the end of a note. This way, more of the belly wood can be seen. The Marvin TP has a felt(?) applique to simulate the look of a traditional TP and to damp the sympathetic vibrations.
I have found that 80% of people don't even notice the visual difference (most people don't notice the bass players unless you are wearing a yellow leotard with purple polka-dots anyway), 10% think it is interesting but glaze over when I explain it, and 5% are intrigued but never do anything about it, 2% are ***-is-that! negative , 2% raise their eyebrow but don't say anything and the final 1% think it is the best thing since sliced bread and get one or make one themselves.
Another good option is the Wittner composite TP, but don't use the nylon tail wire that comes with it. The friction as if goes over the saddle can pop the saddle out of the top. It looks just like a traditional ebony TP but is hollow underneath. It is very light and strong and also improved the sound of my bass. There was still the problem of south-of-the- bridge strings' vibrations causing wolf tones though. (you'll read about those if you go to the Marvin TP website.)
While my wire tailpiece is home made with parts from a hardware store, it has all the benefits of the Marvin Tailpiece as listed on his website.
Could you send a few photos?
Could you send a few photos?
