Double Bass Solo Set Up....

[Jason Sypher]

Watching some vid's of solo players you can't help but wonder how these basses are set up. The action often looks incredibly low. The "plays like Edgar" video I posted today in the bassists category is a perfect example. The person who sent me that video claimed that the action on that bass is 2mm. What about Edgar? Has anyone played his bass to shed some light on this subject?

 

[JayR]

I haven't personally played his bass (I mean, come on now), but as far as I understand he has his strings set VERY low. He usually performs live with sound reinforcement, so he doesn't have the need to pull big volumes of sound like orchestral players do (think Mahler 2. You HAVE to have your strings set at least somewhere in "high" territory to even execute the damn excerpt convincingly). Someday I'd love to do a recital on a bass set up like that. I can only imagine how much easier high-register intonation would become with the strings almost touching the fingerboard.

 

[Andrew McGregor]

Well, I played the Koussevitsky bass in a masterclass with Gary Karr once. He had it set at the low end of normal, about 6mm. But, solo strings, and they felt pretty soft, so it was easy to stop (not at all easy to play however... very strange bass).

The other truly amazing bass I've played is a new copy of the Guanerius bass presently owned by the Minneapolis orchestra, made by an ex-Boston Symphony player. He had that in a standard orchestra setup (again, low-ish end of normal) and that was the easiest to play bass I've ever touched.

 

[Kaden]

Im going to a master class with Edgar at UofL in 2 weeks. Im gonna ask about his set up when i go and ill post it when i get back.

 

[Andrew Grandahl]

Players like Edgar Meyer and Jeff Bradetich do often have basses with very low action, to facilitate cleaner and easier playing in thumb position.

 

[bejoyous]

Someone posted this video of Edgar playing a Bach prelude and there are many good views of his low action.




Enjoy!

 

[JayR]

Someone posted this video of Edgar playing a Bach prelude and there are many good views of his low action.




Enjoy!

Gosh, thanks for that. That's really a fantastic video. Is it weird that I feel all funny watching him not use any vibrato? I mean it sounds absolutely amazing, it's just visually jarring to see someone play up there totally senza vib. Like I want to reach over and set his arm going or something.

I hope this isn't some new musician neurosis I'm developing.

 

[Jeremy Allen]

Someone posted this video of Edgar playing a Bach prelude and there are many good views of his low action.




Enjoy!

He looks like he is barely touching the bass, moving the bow as little as possible, and just gliding around. Wow!

 

[bcarter]

some of edgar's students at curtis play the cello suites similar to the way edgar plays them... or at least are propelled to their own very similar interpretation by his... in any case very few of them play on very low action even playing different basses for solo works. (for example, kowert plays a dan hachez bass for solo stuff and another for orchestral works as every bassist should that can afford both.) neither is it very high, but what i'm getting at is to steer the conversation in the direction of thinking that playing ability or set up isn't always in cue with great playing... edgar himself plays chamber music with a 5 string bass with a string length of 41.5 in. and high action and he has some of the most beautiful interpretation of chosen pieces at lincoln.

alot of precise bow control is included in his arsenal and awareness.

if you aren't a curtis student that has the luxury of using one of the school's great inherited instruments or just can't afford a solo bass then have something that can do several genres well. if you are worrying about set-up too much, chances are you aren't practicing enough -- just a moto i practice by since i have fallen into this set-up question.

 

[ole Jason]

Gosh, thanks for that. That's really a fantastic video. Is it weird that I feel all funny watching him not use any vibrato? I mean it sounds absolutely amazing, it's just visually jarring to see someone play up there totally senza vib. Like I want to reach over and set his arm going or something.

I hope this isn't some new musician neurosis I'm developing.

He's probably either trying to play it authentically (which is strange playing it on the bass ) or that's just how he practices it. I've played with a lot of people that won't use vibrato for baroque pieces. At any rate it's easier to fudge the faster passages that high if you use a very wide vibrato.

I'm not a fan of basses with really high action for solo playing or otherwise. If I can't play a bass to my full potential then who cares how loud it is?

 

[nfblackburn13]

man his bass is one in a million
how he gets the string from buzzing is beyond my belief
i saw him live in louisville playing the bottesini concerto
he is remarkable
but aside from praising Edgar like everyone else rightly has you have to give some credit to that set up
but on the subject of vibrato
i can't stand the vibrato that sounds like a buzzing bee it is so fast
i like to use it sparingly and do it very slowly
what is the point of playing notes if you can't tell the difference because of vibrato?

 

[ole Jason]

i can't stand the vibrato that sounds like a buzzing bee it is so fast
i like to use it sparingly and do it very slowly
what is the point of playing notes if you can't tell the difference because of vibrato?

hehe even better are the guys who will vigorously vibrate a low F!

Man I can't believe I missed seeing Edgar

 

[Andrew McGregor]

There is point to vibrato on a low F: it stops your finger joints locking up. Basically a continuous massage for the finger. But it does very little to the sound.

 

[JayR]

hehe even better are the guys who will vigorously vibrate a low F!

Hey, I do that

Have you guys been secretly mocking me behind my back the whole time? Aw, man.