I got this compilation cd of Milt Hinton's work ("Milt hinton - The Judge at His Best" which are a bunch of chiaroscuro sessions from '73-'95. On the cover is The Judge bowing his bass. But if you look at his end-pin, it looks like a large caster wheel on a rod. What is that? I'll see if I can scan it it or dig up a photo online. There must be some kind of locking mechanism on it like one of those locking casters. Does anyone know anything about it? just curious. I can't imagine it being all that great if it's a solid rubber wheel - too much stress on the end block and no shock absorbtion by the wheel itself... or am I mistaken?!?
I had the good fortune to spend a couple of weeks with Milt at a workshop about ten years ago. He played with a wooden end pin (there was a slightly longer one for slapping) and I don't remember him using anything else. I haven't seen that particular CD, but I'll give it a good look the next time I'm out record shopping.
It sounds like it's just an old style bass wheel, if you look at that famous foto of PC in Rudy van Gelder's driveway he has one on his bass. I'm not sure why Milt would be playing with a wheel on, it may have just been some staged foto...
