Double Bass The Chadwick Folding Bass

[Pat Harris]

Hey Pat, do you know about taking out the internal cross bar that holds the neck? If you undo those little thumb screws on the left side, you can pop the top of the bracket off and remove the plastic rod. It opens up the response nicely, probably even more on a hybrid. Charlie has just come up with a cool quick release for that, in fact, I'm heading over to his place now to pick mine up - he just installed it on mine.

Nice! Thanks for the heads up, Ed. I was unaware it was that easy... mostly because I never even investigated it

 

[edfriedland]

Yeah, I didn't know about this until Charlie showed me. With the thumb screws, it only takes a minute or so to take out the bar, but with the new release system it just pops right out. Check it out.

 

[ericsmith]

Testing the Gut-A-Like Swingmasters... They're kinda...funky atleast! I like them.

 

[rolandm]

Those sound really nice.

 

[rolandm]

Yeah, I didn't know about this until Charlie showed me. With the thumb screws, it only takes a minute or so to take out the bar, but with the new release system it just pops right out. Check it out.

And as Ed posted to the TBW fan page, it can double as a mic holder.

 

[edfriedland]

This combined with a condenser facing the bridge sounds amazing.

 

[dkimbrobass]

FWIW I just got back from a UK tour using the Upton Revolution solo blended with the MSP pickup on my Chadwick. The MSP installation/adjustment is made much easier thanks to the big ass door in the back of the bass. The audio on this clip isn't amazing; the house tech mentioned they had a rental console since their nice one had gone down for repair, so they weren't able to do anything except a straight in 2-track from the board. There's not a lot of low end, but I like this pickup combo. Anyway, here 'tis. PS it was nice having the bass together for the whole month, with most of the bracing inside removed. It really makes a difference. Cheers.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Good stuff there, man.

 

[Joshua]

Sounds great!

 

[frodebass]

Hi,
I'm out on the road and yesterday I got a buzz at the neck/fingerboard joint.
Someone mentioned using wax, what kind of wax is this, and what kind of shop sells it?
I'm currently in Germany, anyone know what it is in German?

I tuned the strings all the way down, pulled the fingerboard towards the tuners and repulledit back to position making sure I gave it a firm fit. The buzz went away, but it was kind of bugging me.

Thanks,

Frode

 

[rolandm]

A small piece of masking tape might work as well. Also, check and make sure that all the metal fittings are screwed down tight. Sometimes they do, indeed, get loose. Just snug them back up if they are.

 

[Jeremy Darrow]

I put a little square of gaffer's on either side of the mounting bracket on the back of my fingerboard and that took care of it.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Hi,
I'm out on the road and yesterday I got a buzz at the neck/fingerboard joint.
Someone mentioned using wax, what kind of wax is this, and what kind of shop sells it?
I'm currently in Germany, anyone know what it is in German?

I tuned the strings all the way down, pulled the fingerboard towards the tuners and repulledit back to position making sure I gave it a firm fit. The buzz went away, but it was kind of bugging me.

Thanks,

Frode

Candles are made of wax.

 

[rolandm]

Candles are made of wax.

 

[damonsmith]

I think this is a great product. Since checking these out I discovered that Arnold Schnitzer is/has developed a travel bass as well. I would surely be inclined to check out what he has before I purchase anything else as I trust Arnold to create something that sounds great and functions perfectly.

There is no question that a master like Arnold would make something better. Part of the draw here is handing a Shen hybrid over to baggage monkeys and not something nicer. I am going to order a blonde hybrid very soon. I was always jealous of a blonde Juzek a friend of mine had!
I hope I can get an Eb neck!

 

[dkimbrobass]

There is no question that a master like Arnold would make something better. Part of the draw here is handing a Shen hybrid over to baggage monkeys and not something nicer. I am going to order a blonde hybrid very soon. I was always jealous of a blonde Juzek a friend of mine had!
I hope I can get an Eb neck!

I believe Paul Kowert uses a bass Arnold made, at least I think I remember him saying that last year, but that was during a crazy airport reroute and it's all a little foggy. Anyway, you're spot on about the handing over of a bass to the TSA folks. The very first trip I made w/ my hybrid Chadwick they popped a nice crack in the top above the G side F hole. Delta covered the cost, but I bet it was TSA lifting the bass out of it's case by those F hole "handles." Per someone else's recommendation (I think Charlie or Jeremy Darrow), from then on I taped the F holes over w/ blue painters tape and rigged a web guitar strap secured at the end w/ zip ties around the belly to use as a lifting handle..haven't had any issues since. Some guys have nicer basses and pay a bigger fee (usually $75, Southwest is the carrier most folks use out of Nashville), and they use a two piece case, one for the neck, one for the body. Since the body is the only one overweight and Southwest gives you two bags free, you only pay overage on one bag. It's a doable system, if you just budget $75 each trip, and I definitely see myself eventually upgrading to a bass that doesn't have a giant door in the back, but I gotta say that I'm really happy with it overall, and I just cannot overstate how great of a guy Charlie Chadwick is. If you need something, he's on the phone with you asap. Safe travels everyone. DK

 

[damonsmith]

Not gouging us on the case is another reason this goes to the front of the line.

 

[oliebrice]

I've only tried one of these briefly, but seemed to me that although it's a pretty ingenious piece of engineering, once you put it back together you've got a mediocre ply bass that rattles and has bits cut out of the body. Not that different to using whatever awful instrument the promoter comes up with! It wasn't happy with my preferred string height either...

The Guy/Dawson one (now made by Lawrence Dixon) is the only travel bass I've played that's really impressed me, but I can't afford one...

 

[damonsmith]

I tried Willam Parkers. It was nice, but I imagine the hybrid set up how I want will be better than depending on promoters. The Guy / Dawson is incredible. Too nice to give to those baggage animals.

 

[Michael Karn]

I imagine the hybrid set up how I want will be better than depending on promoters

I think this is the heart of the matter, having something set up a certain way at a certain level of quality, as opposed to the usual whatever you get from a promoter, usually middling if you're lucky. For me its the uncertainty that really sucks, so having something that you can bring with you, even if it isn't the greatest, that'd make it worth it