Double Bass I Fall To Pieces

[Ed Fuqua]

So that merrily I can roll along...

 

[Don Hergert]

Wow, beautiful!!! Perfect for convenience. How long is setup time? What strings do you find best for this? And who makes this wonderful case???

Even in my short DB life, I can vividly understand how nice this would be. I love my Alcoa, but this is something it can probably never do... I'd have to have a nice wooden bass to even consider the neck work necessary for this.

Congrats on such a wonderful bass, and a wonderful system!!!

 

[bigshiny]

That looks really nice Ed.
Which brand or is it a custom build?

 

[Sam Sherry]

A bold step! Do you hear any sonic difference?

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Wow, beautiful!!! Perfect for convenience. How long is setup time? What strings do you find best for this? And who makes this wonderful case???

Even in my short DB life, I can vividly understand how nice this would be. I love my Alcoa, but this is something it can probably never do... I'd have to have a nice wooden bass to even consider the neck work necessary for this.

Congrats on such a wonderful bass, and a wonderful system!!!

Set up is about 15 minutes, we'll see about strings. I don't travel that much (this will go in the case about 4 times a year, unless I get the call from Miles), so I'm hoping the current set up (Spiros on the bottom, Olivs on the top) will be able to accommodate that gentle use. The case is made by Dave Gage, pretty much identical to their regular featherweight case, except for the neck insert case.

I think Jed charges about $4K to convert an existing bass and I absolutely think it could be done on an aluminum bass. In the body part of the neck block is a block of aircraft grade aluminum that houses the locking mechanism and the neck adjustments mechanism (you can get some detail pictures at Jed's website). On the neck end of the neck block is the receiver mechanism and a sheet of carbon fiber, so there's low friction when moving the neck ( and thus the string height, back and forth. So I have a one piece bridge, no adjusters.)

 

[Ed Fuqua]

That looks really nice Ed.
Which brand or is it a custom build?

The bass is a new build by Jed Kriegel in Boston (well, Somerville). The case can be ordered through David Gage String Instruments.
jedkriegel.com

 

[Ed Fuqua]

A bold step! Do you hear any sonic difference?

I can't really answer that, since the bass was built this way and I've only heard the way it sounds as a removable neck instrument. Suffice it to say, everything I said in my thread when I got this bass has only gotten more so. This instrument gets such a warm, projecting, LOUD sound with such little effort, it just ain't funny.

 

[Fretless55]

What a wonderful system!

So happy to hear it meets your tone criteria as well.

 

[lrhbass]

Ed how does setting the sound post,work..?

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Ed how does setting the sound post,work..?

There are small cork 'collars' hide glued to top and bottom plates that hold the post in place when there's no tension on the top. They're acoustically transparent and can be popped off and reglued, should changing out the sound post become necessary.

 

[bigshiny]

Brilliant design!

 

[lrhbass]

Thats great, always wondered about that aspect of the removable neck bass.

 

[Jon Mush]

That’s absolutely gorgeous! Congrats!

 

[Wasnex]

Here's the only fly in the ointment I see. Suppose you live on the East Coast and plan to fly to the West Coast for a tour. You disassemble your bass and pack it up. Then, when you get to the first gig you put the bass back together. Presumably you would want to leave the bass assembled for the remainder of the tour. What's the plan?

Depending on how you will be traveling and transporting the bass on tour, perhaps a soft case could be used. With some bands my bass traveled in the buss where it was relatively safe in a soft case, and with some bands it traveled in a cargo truck, where a hard case was required.

 

[burtong]

Thank you for answering what was probably my only question ... about the sound post and how to manage that. Brilliant

 

[statsc]

Set up is about 15 minutes, we'll see about strings. I don't travel that much (this will go in the case about 4 times a year, unless I get the call from Miles), so I'm hoping the current set up (Spiros on the bottom, Olivs on the top) will be able to accommodate that gentle use. The case is made by Dave Gage, pretty much identical to their regular featherweight case, except for the neck insert case.

I think Jed charges about $4K to convert an existing bass and I absolutely think it could be done on an aluminum bass. In the body part of the neck block is a block of aircraft grade aluminum that houses the locking mechanism and the neck adjustments mechanism (you can get some detail pictures at Jed's website). On the neck end of the neck block is the receiver mechanism and a sheet of carbon fiber, so there's low friction when moving the neck ( and thus the string height, back and forth. So I have a one piece bridge, no adjusters.)

Nice! Seems to be a design similar to what Upton uses on their removable/adjustable neck basses; eliminates the need for bridge adjusters, unless you are using a pick-up housed in the adjusters, like a Full Circle.

 

[lurk]

Wish they had these neck off innovations when I was doing a lot of traveling. When I started out you'd carry on the plane and put it in a typically half priced seat. Then things changed to renting a flight case and hoping for the best. You needed a van or station wagon upon arrival. Then came rental basses where you were going. At my level of gigs they were usually awful and no fun to play.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Here's the only fly in the ointment I see. Suppose you live on the East Coast and plan to fly to the West Coast for a tour. You disassemble your bass and pack it up. Then, when you get to the first gig you put the bass back together. Presumably you would want to leave the bass assembled for the remainder of the tour. What's the plan?

Depending on how you will be traveling and transporting the bass on tour, perhaps a soft case could be used. With some bands my bass traveled in the buss where it was relatively safe in a soft case, and with some bands it traveled in a cargo truck, where a hard case was required.

Messina makes a soft case specifically for use with a RN bass and a flight case. It's a little more protective than a canvas case. But not as padded as a regular bag. If you're not going to be housed in one location (week at a club, festival appearance with a hotel or apartment, etc.) where you can stash the case, most airports have a storage option (as long as you fly in and out of the same one).
Although, when cats are touring Japan, it goes in and out of the case a lot. I would imagine if you flew into NYC for gig, next one in Philly, then DC, then Charlotte, then Atlanta, well it goes back in the case and on the van...

 

[Jon Mush]

Yep. Day in and day out. I’m
Constantly tearing down and rebuilding the Chadwick. I don’t own a trunk, and the thought of an heirloom bass in a trailer in a padded bag is frightening. It’s just a reality for my situation.

Ed’s bass is gorgeous. I can only hope...one day. I’d love to have something like that. Also, I’d love the skills to do it justice.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Reunited, and it feels so good...after 10 days in the Gage case (don't ask).