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Double Bass My latest acquisition

Apr 16, 2012
203
148
My instructor, Rich, wanted my Eastman student bass. It's a very nice bass and I just had a new bridge made for it, the soundpost adjusted to fit perfectly and a new endpin. It's the best Eastman bass out there now. Rich wanted it because he's a teacher and most of his students use Eastmans and he can even use it himself for gigs instead of hauling his high-end bass around everywhere. In return, he offered me a custom bass he's had for years but rarely used. He didn't like it much but I love it. So we traded plus I have a dump a few thousand dollars on top of it but that's no problem.

It's a cornerless bass modeled on Bob Gladstone's pear bass but it has Polish motifs added and these wonderful little string-winders and I get the Yamahiko pickup with it. I couldn't turn that down. Man, I can't believe this bass is mine now! I never dreamed in a million years that I would own it. He said there was only a couple of people he would have sold this bass to and I was his top pick. Plus, Dan Seabolt, who made it (and who used to service Mr. Gladstone's basses), agreed with Rich that I was a best choice so that makes me feel good. I took these photos a couple of years ago and that's Rich in the photos holding it up.

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On the Polish flag, the eagle wears a crown so Dan carved one.

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This symbol means "Poland Rising" and was the logo of an underground resistance movement of a group I believe was abbreviated AK. They fought against foreign kingdoms in the past, they fought against the Nazis, they fought against the communists and they still exist. They renounce all wars and will fight only for the defense of Poland. The image resembles a ship and the body is formed by a "W" for Warszawa or Warsaw. The mast and sail form a "P" for Poland but the sail is also a crescent that symbolizes Christ. So it also symbolizes the flag of Christ flying over Warsaw. The AK are a Catholic group.
 
Cool!
Cornerless basses can be really nice.

I guess this is your bass in progress then:
Daniel Seabolt-Double Bass Maker: The building of the pear shaped double bass

Since that's the only pear bass Rich has and it was made by Dan then that must be it. Rich didn't like it because he couldn't take it anywhere because you can't lay it on its side. Dan admits it one thing he should have taken into account. But I don't care! I want that bass and now I have it! And the sound and the way it handles...!!
 
A slight design oversight giving in a bit of hassle in an otherwise nice instrument. If you want to lay it on its side, put a small strip of polystyreen or something below the shoulder. Or maybe a suitable book or some wood. Bumpers (on the shoulder only) might also solve it; looks like you don't need much.
 
I have no problem lugging mine around or laying it on its side (combo neck, fingerboard baseball bat grip; or arm over the fingerboard grabbing the bottom of the board.)

The sound, comfort and joy of the bass is worth the minor inconvenience.
 
I have no problem lugging mine around or laying it on its side (combo neck, fingerboard baseball bat grip; or arm over the fingerboard grabbing the bottom of the board.)

The sound, comfort and joy of the bass is worth the minor inconvenience.

I could lay it on its side if I took those string-winders off but I LOVE those string-winders so nothing doing!