Double Bass LaMay Double Basses - Gary Karr

[Pietsch]

According to Stanford Ekholm on Facebook: In mid 60s LaMay and Gary Karr collaborated intimately in building a double bass. Karr even moved to Madison during the building. You can read about it in the Karr biography “Life on the g-string “. The resulting bass can be heard on recordings as this: https://youtu.be/m0HpIqt-Hs0?si=d5w0aLc4OfsO8k1A

It was also used to record the Henze double bass concerto (Deutche Gramophone).

 

[djmay]

When I was a teenager, Gary played this bass as a guest soloist with a festival orchestra, with which I played.

 

[Pietsch]

Gary Karr played his LaMay bass while teaching at Indiana University in the summers of 1970 and 1971. He loved it because of the bow resistance, projection, and beautiful sound were consistent from the lowest notes to the end of the finger board.

Gary Karr would play his LaMay bass to demonstrate techniques during my lessons with him at Indiana University.

 

[bass player 53]

I have a nice LaMay octagonal bow
that I bought from my late teacher,
Assoc. Professor at FSU, Miss Pam
Andrews.

 

[Pietsch]

Robert Goodlett bought a LaMay double bass when he joined the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in the early 1970s. He wanted to buy Murray Grodner's personal double bass (August Heck built in 1885). But I came up with the money first to buy Grodner's instrument. I'm not sure where Robert Goodlett found his LaMay double bass.

 

[Ric Vice]

Gary came to Ball State University in 1972 and 1973 The first time he brought the Lamay Bass to perform on. Since Our basses were similar in shape he let me carry in from the rehearsal studio to the performance venue. It was a very solid and weighty instrument with Ivory tuning pegs. The bass was constructed from wood that had come from a 100 year old church door.

 

[dbflats]

I was blessed to see and hear Gary playing that bass as the lone bassist in a chamber orchestra. This was at a music camp in 1974. Warm, sonorous, wonderful sound.

I also had a Lemay bow around that time, which is now several lifetimes back.