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Double Bass New Bass Day!

AGCurry

AGCurry

Good enough for a town this size.
Supporting Member
Jun 29, 2005
4,826
11,587
St. Louis, Missouri
www.andycurry.info
#1
I brought home a new-to-me bass today, and I'm taking a break from playing it to share here. It's a German shop bass by Ernst Heinrich Roth, built in 1957. It was for sale on Talkbass for quite a while, with no takers, and it ended up on consignment at St. Louis Strings. The only change I asked for - and got for free - was bumpers on the correct side of the bass. It has a solid (non-adjustable) bridge, but I'm happy with it as is ... so far.

Something unusual - at least I've not seen it before - is that the tailgut is tied around a post separate from the endpin collar.

All of my practice pieces are easier to play - and sound better - with this bass! Color me happy. The photos are from the Talkbass for-sale posting.

full front.jpeg


back plate.jpeg
 
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#12
AGCurry said:
Something unusual - at least I've not seen it before - is that the tailgut is tied around a post separate from the endpin collar.
Click to expand...
Ed S said:
Looks nice. When you get a chance, maybe send us a shot of that tailgut post?
Click to expand...
Eli Brockway said:
I know a guy up in Independence who has at least one hybrid Roth of a similar time period, with the same sort of post coming out of the endpin block that the tailgut is tied on rather than just going around the endpin collar itself.
Click to expand...
I'm obviously not Andy and I don't own a Roth bass, but having the endpin and the tailgut separated isn't unheard of. The only contemporary maker I can think of offhand who does this is Christian Laborie. I don't know if any of this is true, but my thinking is that it probably takes stress off of the endpin housing (and by extension the end block) since the endpin no longer has to both hold the entire weight of the bass and support the 250-ish pounds of string tension.

Pic of my Laborie, which has the separate plug and endpin (ignore the hole for a bent endpin, that isn't original to this bass):
View attachment IMG_1787.jpeg
 
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#13
Ed S said:
Doesn't that first pic show an adjustable bridge?
Click to expand...

Yes. That adjustable bridge was wonky, according to Joseph at St. Louis Strings, and he convinced the owner to have it replaced before putting it up for consignment.

Ed S said:
What inspired this purchase? Did you cull the herd to make room?
Click to expand...

Thanks for asking.
This bass is replacing my Krutz 650, which will be consigned at St. Louis Strings. I stopped into the store a couple of weeks ago, and Joseph told me I had to look at his new Busetto-shaped bass, made by Anton Krutz personally. I played it, liked it, and was considering trading my 650 for it, so I took the 650 in for an A/B playing test. When I looked at the Busetto bass that second time, I immediately saw that it was just too danged big - maybe too big to fit in my car. That was a shame, since I could have traded the 650 and not spent so much. Anyway, I played the Roth. Hard to explain, but the sound was as though a blanket had been taken off; I had no sense that the bass was "fighting itself." I made an offer, took a mini-vacation, and returned to find my offer accepted. My only negative impression was that the E string seemed a bit shy... I replaced it yesterday with a Spiro weich.

Ed S said:
Looks nice. When you get a chance, maybe send us a shot of that tailgut post?
Click to expand...
Here you go:
bottom.jpg
 
Last edited:
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#14
All I can say is that with the rate at which you upgrade your axes, you must be getting REALLY GOOD! ;)

Just kidding. In my band, my cellist/mando picker currently plays axes worth over $15k each. And she says she simply doesn't believe the idea that one ought to eventually settle into one "forever" instrument. Enjoy the search, my friend!
 
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#15
AGCurry said:
I brought home a new-to-me bass today, and I'm taking a break from playing it to share here. It's a German shop bass by Ernst Heinrich Roth, built in 1957. It was for sale on Talkbass for quite a while, with no takers, and it ended up on consignment at St. Louis Strings. The only change I asked for - and got for free - was bumpers on the correct side of the bass. It has a solid (non-adjustable) bridge, but I'm happy with it as is ... so far.

Something unusual - at least I've not seen it before - is that the tailgut is tied around a post separate from the endpin collar.

All of my practice pieces are easier to play - and sound better - with this bass! Color me happy. The photos are from the Talkbass for-sale posting.

View attachment 6975385

View attachment 6975387
Click to expand...
There was a Roth bass at my school that I loved. Small but loud. Congrats!
 
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#16
Ed S said:
All I can say is that with the rate at which you upgrade your axes, you must be getting REALLY GOOD! ;)

Just kidding. In my band, my cellist/mando picker currently plays axes worth over $15k each. And she says she simply doesn't believe the idea that one ought to eventually settle into one "forever" instrument. Enjoy the search, my friend!
Click to expand...

Ha. All I can say is: I'm better than I was. Maybe I'll be REALLY GOOD by the time I die. Having an easy-to-play bass can only help.

Finding a teacher has become a challenge here. My teacher of 3-4 years has become too busy, and I struck out trying to find lessons from three others. BUT - when I was in St. Louis Strings, I ran into Sue Stubbs, whom I started out with four years ago, and she's going to give me some lessons over the Summer. She's the bass professor for all the University of Missouri schools, and I know she'll kick my *ss. But at least she uses the German grip!
 
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#17
AGCurry said:
Yes. That adjustable bridge was wonky, according to Joseph at St. Louis Strings, and he convinced the owner to have it replaced before putting it up for consignment.



Thanks for asking.
This bass is replacing my Krutz 650, which will be consigned at St. Louis Strings. I stopped into the store a couple of weeks ago, and Joseph told me I had to look at his new Busetto-shaped bass, made by Anton Krutz personally. I played it, liked it, and was considering trading my 650 for it, so I took the 650 in for an A/B playing test. When I looked at the Busetto bass that second time, I immediately saw that it was just too danged big - maybe too big to fit in my car. That was a shame, since I could have traded the 650 and not spent so much. Anyway, I played the Roth. Hard to explain, but the sound was as though a blanket had been taken off; I had no sense that the bass was "fighting itself." I made an offer, took a mini-vacation, and returned to find my offer accepted. My only negative impression was that the E string seemed a bit shy... I replaced it yesterday with a Spiro weich.


Here you go:
View attachment 6975917
Click to expand...
My bass also has this configuration.
 
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#18
Eli Brockway said:
I know a guy up in Independence who has at least one hybrid Roth of a similar time period, with the same sort of post coming out of the endpin block that the tailgut is tied on rather than just going around the endpin collar itself.
Click to expand...
Since you say "UP in Independence," I assume you mean Missouri, not Kansas? Is that Jamey?
 

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