/ Register

The Importance of a Luthier.

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous [DB]' started by Marty Forrer, Oct 4, 2001.

  1. Oct 4, 2001 #1
    Marty Forrer

    Marty Forrer

    Sep 27, 2000
    Napier, New Zealand.
    I have been playing double bass for about 12 years now (I'm mainly a BG player), and my early desire to do things myself has resulted in my bass being somewhat butchered. Lately I've been getting very unhappy with it, and where i live, the two luthiers in town are both violin players, not bass players, so I've not had much confidence in them. Just recently I ran into a guy who does bass luthiery as a hobby, and what's more, he's a good bass player. I took my bass to him, and he showed me how my homemade neck repairs and my homegrown setup were inhibiting my E and G strings, and reducing my volume. So, he's resetting the neck angle, reshaping the bridge, installing a new soundpost, and one or two other minor cosmetics.
    I have learnt a valuable lesson; DIY should not apply to double bass repair!
     
  2. Oct 22, 2001 #2
    Marty Forrer

    Marty Forrer

    Sep 27, 2000
    Napier, New Zealand.
    Just got my bass back, and it was well worth the wait. The E and G strings speak well now, and he replaced a broken bit on the scroll. He also reshaped the bridge feet so the bridge has the same bridge to string angle on both sides, and reshaped and refitted the soundpost, checked the bass bar and the fingerboard to neck joint. Happy, happy, happy.....
     
  3. Oct 22, 2001 #3
    Chris Fitzgerald

    Chris Fitzgerald Student of Life Staff Member Administrator Gold Supporting Member

    Oct 19, 2000
    Louisville, KY

    HEARTY SNORRER,

    Ain't life a beautiful thing when that happens? Whenever my bass goes in the shop, I get all nervous and distracted...kind of like the feeling you get when a close relative goes in for surgery. If you're like Don, and can take your beloved into a master craftsman like AHNOLD SCHNITZENEGGER every time you need some work done, you can probably rest a little easier. But if - like us, apparently - you don't have somebody like that living in your hometown, it's always a rollercoaster ride.

    Congratulations on a successful operation.