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Double Bass Palentino

#81
atruedinguss said:
...But I made up my mind that I wanted a Gamba-style bass...
Click to expand...

Funny thing, so did I when I started considering a double bass purchase last summer. I thought that Violin corners are for sissies, and I'm certainly not playing at the church or the symphony. :spit:

But I decided that while appearance is important, sound and playability are probably more important. So I bought an Upton Hawkes, and that's probably the best decision I've ever made. Ever. And now I think violin corners are kind of classy. :)

Sheesh, people around here sure like to argue alot about trivial matters. :crying:
 
#82
Nic
That's in the ball park, and actually closer to what I'd usually recommend. I was leaving wiggle room for the lumpy fingerboard I expect you have. Maybe you don't, and that would be great. I usually express these measurements in mm instead of i". A pro setup up with strings I'd recommend (I prefer Spirocore Orchestra tension, but NOT on your bass) for Jazz (which I play) would be 6 mm/ 1/4" (G) by 8.5 mm/ 3/8-"(E) for acoustic playing, and perhaps 4.5 X 7.3 for pure plug-in. A lot of strings won't go that low and get adequately clear results. Tastes DO vary. Play Play Play.
 
#83
Wow, We're up to page 5 on this thread. I'm loving every bit of it. Lots of mixed opinions & jokes. Almost like We're on a call in radio sports show. Way to go Nic, You're getting You're 15 minutes of fame. It sounds like Your bass may be fine for a while. Having said that, please take what I am about to say in a light hearted spirit of the moment.........

If a Palatino explodes in the woods.........Does anyone really care? Sorry, I couldn't resist.
 
#84
I tell you guys what, I'll keep everyone posted on any problems I have with my Cremona SB-2. It was bought in December after being checked out by my cousin who has played DB since the late 1950's. He is a jazzer and he says that it sounds as good as his bass, an old kay. So far the fingerboard appears fine and I can't see any ripple or dipping. I've noticed some of the contruction details are a bit sloppy with glue squeeze out and some sanding dips etc. but I may have an slightly more critical eye than the average bear as I used to work for a very high end furniture manufacturer (thosmoser.com). The joints all appear very tight and unless there is something really wrong with the glue I can't see it falling apart but time will tell. My dad is a master wooden boat builder and growing up around a world of compound curves and gluing might have made the prospect of a future repair a little less scary. There will be no 12 hour luthier work overs, I can guarantee that. I am playing it every day a couple of times a day and dragging it out of the house at least once a week so its getting real use. I promise I'll let folks know if it implodes but I don't believe it will. For what its worth I checked out a brand new Palatino and despite what some folks have said about it being the exact same thing it was a very different animal and the joinery was a lot looser. I've asked a couple of times if some of the more critical folks had recent experience with the inexpensive Chinese instruments and so far I've heard nothing. I'm wondering if some of the manufacturers have increased their quality level as that certainly would explain the wide gulf between many of the negative assessments and my experience to date. I've read about a marked increase in the quality level of inexpensive violins and I'd be interested if the same is taking place with cheap basses. By the way, the shop that sold the Cremona to my wife said they have sold quite a few Cremona's with no issues. I know the shop well from reputation and as a customer and I took them at their word.
 
#85
rdwhit said:
Wow, We're up to page 5 on this thread. I'm loving every bit of it. Lots of mixed opinions & jokes. Almost like We're on a call in radio sports show. Way to go Nic, You're getting You're 15 minutes of fame.
.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if I'd call it fame...

Anyways, I'm hoping that if I stick with the nylon strings I can avoid getting my face ripped off by an exploding bass neck. Any thoughts on that?
 
#90
...well, my last comment was strictly in jest, but I do indeed have a firsthand experience of a Cremona neck coming off whilst it was in my possession. It happened while the thing was in the bag, laying down on its side. I heard nothing, had no clue at all until I next approached the bass and saw from the way the bagged bass sagged that something was horribly awry. Then I unzipped to find the ghastly sight of the neck having popped pretty cleanly out of its socket. There were a few drops of glue in there, but I guess they gave way. It's a complete joke to say that the neck and body were "fit" together in any significant way. It was shamefully bad joinery.

Short of doing something silly like opening it up and installing a real neck block, I approached the problem with epoxy and a metal fastener. It wasn't fun working to get the neck anything like straight...

And there are a couple of other instances I know of but didn't experience myself.

I'd still think about groin protection.
 
#91
This was my CCB:

_bs.jpg


I spent WAY too much $$ getting an ebony fb put on after this, and now, 7 years after I bought it the plates are seperating from the ribs, and it is only a matter of time until they get loose enough to force the neck to pop out.

I won't even mention the rib cracks, or the crappy tone.

My Shen was the best investment I ever made.
 
#93
Damon Rondeau said:
...well, my last comment was strictly in jest, but I do indeed have a firsthand experience of a Cremona neck coming off whilst it was in my possession. It happened while the thing was in the bag, laying down on its side. I heard nothing, had no clue at all until I next approached the bass and saw from the way the bagged bass sagged that something was horribly awry. Then I unzipped to find the ghastly sight of the neck having popped pretty cleanly out of its socket. There were a few drops of glue in there, but I guess they gave way. It's a complete joke to say that the neck and body were "fit" together in any significant way. It was shamefully bad joinery.

Short of doing something silly like opening it up and installing a real neck block, I approached the problem with epoxy and a metal fastener. It wasn't fun working to get the neck anything like straight...

And there are a couple of other instances I know of but didn't experience myself.

I'd still think about groin protection.
Click to expand...

Your were "Samurai Bass Repairman" I've done a little Samurai repair to my cheap backup bass in the past. It's the kind of thing Luthiers rightfully hate us for, but I understand a luthier avoiding doing such low end repairs.So that leaves low end work up to us.I only mean REALLY low end. Never be a Samurai on a bass that a qualified luthier finds to be stable enough to spend money on proper repairs. When low end basses fail us,save money and get out the epoxy, metal rods,duct tape, roofing nails, sand paper, hairspray, aftershave lotion,etc.........and ALWAYS wear a cup. I found a good wood worker who glued a Kay that I had in pieces together.I then had a real Luthier dress the finger board. Then I sold it for $2K.
 
#96
Ok, I said I'd keep everyone posted...drumroll.....belly is starting to separate from the side near the endpin. I've had it approximately 2 months. Not an actual implosion but I sent it back over to where my wife bought and and I'm going to talk to the luthier there tomorrow about next course of action i.e. repair or return. I did try the 49 kay they had on the floor and I liked mine better in terms of the loudness and tone but then again I'm too new to really have an opinion on tone.


Dubbin said:
I tell you guys what, I'll keep everyone posted on any problems I have with my Cremona SB-2. It was bought in December after being checked out by my cousin who has played DB since the late 1950's. He is a jazzer and he says that it sounds as good as his bass, an old kay. So far the fingerboard appears fine and I can't see any ripple or dipping. I've noticed some of the contruction details are a bit sloppy with glue squeeze out and some sanding dips etc. but I may have an slightly more critical eye than the average bear as I used to work for a very high end furniture manufacturer (thosmoser.com). The joints all appear very tight and unless there is something really wrong with the glue I can't see it falling apart but time will tell. My dad is a master wooden boat builder and growing up around a world of compound curves and gluing might have made the prospect of a future repair a little less scary. There will be no 12 hour luthier work overs, I can guarantee that. I am playing it every day a couple of times a day and dragging it out of the house at least once a week so its getting real use. I promise I'll let folks know if it implodes but I don't believe it will. For what its worth I checked out a brand new Palatino and despite what some folks have said about it being the exact same thing it was a very different animal and the joinery was a lot looser. I've asked a couple of times if some of the more critical folks had recent experience with the inexpensive Chinese instruments and so far I've heard nothing. I'm wondering if some of the manufacturers have increased their quality level as that certainly would explain the wide gulf between many of the negative assessments and my experience to date. I've read about a marked increase in the quality level of inexpensive violins and I'd be interested if the same is taking place with cheap basses. By the way, the shop that sold the Cremona to my wife said they have sold quite a few Cremona's with no issues. I know the shop well from reputation and as a customer and I took them at their word.
Click to expand...
 
#97
If you can get some good old-fashioned TiteBond in there and you've got the clamps, there's a good chance you can glue that one back together pretty easily. Also provided you get to it before the whole thing peels away. The hot melt type of glue they use, poorly applied, has failed, giving you the opportunity to put some real glue in there.
 
#98
Thanks Damon, With only 2 months since purchase, the store I bought it from will be doing the gluing! The fellow who owns the store is a luthier. I'm curious, do folks ever use West System epoxy on neck repairs etc? It's used on boats and its generally stronger than the wood itself. Good luck if you ever try to get it apart again (probably why its not used) but I would think it is ideal for a neck repair or something. With one of the thickening agents it will even bridge a small gap quite well. I guess I better hope the other seams don't keep popping. If they agree to send it back to Cremona I might take a credit and have them order an Englehardt. The loose part was very very slight but with all the bad publicity on the board I went over it with a fine tooth comb and decided to bring it to their attention before any more time passed in case it keeps having issues. I'm sure many folks wouldn't have even noticed. I wish I'd thought to take a picture. Ed
 
#100
Dubbin said:
Thanks Damon, With only 2 months since purchase, the store I bought it from will be doing the gluing! The fellow who owns the store is a luthier. I'm curious, do folks ever use West System epoxy on neck repairs etc? It's used on boats and its generally stronger than the wood itself. Good luck if you ever try to get it apart again (probably why its not used) but I would think it is ideal for a neck repair or something. With one of the thickening agents it will even bridge a small gap quite well. I guess I better hope the other seams don't keep popping. If they agree to send it back to Cremona I might take a credit and have them order an Englehardt. The loose part was very very slight but with all the bad publicity on the board I went over it with a fine tooth comb and decided to bring it to their attention before any more time passed in case it keeps having issues. I'm sure many folks wouldn't have even noticed. I wish I'd thought to take a picture. Ed
Click to expand...

Take the Englehardt. They are built like tanks. I don't know what they cost these days, but for probably a couple hundred more You can get an entry level Shen or Christopher-around $1,500 or so. If You can't swing it try an Englehardt. Thanks for the update. Good luck.
 

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