Double Bass the best orchestra strings

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Julie, right now we are doing Beeth. 5th. The last movement has some moving parts below E. A--F-- EFEDC(low)---A--F--EFEDC---A--F--EFEDC-up-C-CB--C--GG.. You know the part I mean.. It repeats again a few pages later.

I play the F on the e-string with my 4th finger, the E with my 2nd where the nut used to be and stretch for the D with my 1st before playing the open C. It moves pretty fast so to get a good sound I dont' use too much bow. Also, the only set I had at the time this Bass with it's new Ext. was completed were Obligatos. Since then, I got a set of Perms. I will use the Obligs. till I can't play them cleanly with the Bow anymore. Then I will put the Perms on and keep the Obligs. as spares in-case of an emergency.

Have you played the 5th with an Ext. yet.. Just curious because I know that the 5 string would be the best for this type of piece.

This is the Bass incase you are wondering; [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Julie, here's a Thread I started awhile ago b-4 getting the Ext. I have now.. Please read it and respond & Vote if you can.. Thx... Oh, and welcome to TB....

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156592

 

[Julie]

Beautiful bass, I assume you did the restoration.

Hav'nt played 5 but did 7 a few months ago. Some real challenges for a gated ext. I guess in an ideal world a 5 string would be best but I could'nt handle one. I forgot to write earlier that of course you can take the gates off of the KC so that you have a fingered ext.

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Julie, the restoration was done by Arnold Schnitzer. At my shop, we laminated a piece of Masassar Ebony to the underside of the original old thinning fingerboard and just polished up the plates b-4 he mounted the gears I supplied along with a KC endpin as well and then I re-cut the top of the Bridge to suit my style.. I also supplied the Adjusters that Paul S. (from Shen) mods with Walnut handles.

I haven't done a Restoration myself in over 20 years. I sold all my tools shortly after as well. There are a few things I have never done as well so I have given my work most recently to Arnold and a MAJOR project to Paul Biase in NY. He also did the FB and Br on my Martini.

 

[AMJBASS]

Speaking of that, how is the restoration coming on your Mystery bass?

Ken, do you have a Permanent E on the Morelli with Obligato A D G? Or are you using all Permanents?

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

The Morelli currently has a full set of Obligatos. I will change to the Perms when they need to...

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Well, the back (according to Biase) is almost done as I made the upper and lower Plates (that go outside the Blocks and sort of decorate it) just a few weeks ago. It will be a slow process as it's been 110 years of so since the Bass was used... BIG Job this one is...