I spotted this in a sale ad on Reverb and just thought it was cool. Carved by Thomas Kelischek of North Carolina in '92. I read that he died in '16.
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Double Bass Thomas Kelischek bridge
- Thread starter Steven Ayres
- Start date
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,737
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- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
Doubt that it's lacquered, he just sanded them down. Sorry to hear about his passing, Kate and I went to his dad's shop in Brasstown (she got a Susato penny whistle, we used to play duets) in August of 2016 and Tom was still alive then. Not doing well, but alive. Let's see if I still have the photos/article on his last bass, he did the same thing to that bridge...
Attachments
- Aug 1, 2005
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- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
- Jan 12, 2004
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- Owner, Stand Up Guy Basses (Repair/Sell/Buy upright basses)
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,737
- 8,953
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
Sure, it was a magazine published by the same folks who did THE STRAD and was called DOUBLE BASSIST. Great magazine, wish someone would revive it as an online entity. It was only around from the late 90s through the early aughts (maybe 03 or 04?), but it was a nice mix of detailed examinations of instruments (new and historical), interviews with players, makers, composers, had printed musical excerpts, reviews of bassists' recordings and books, instructional articles by bass academics. Covered pretty much all musical styles, but bluegrass and country did get less coverage and, being a Brit publication, did have a tendency to be a little Britcentric. But not enough to annoy...
Oh, here's Jason Heath's blog post about it. Guess memory didn't serve for the date it bagged...
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Oh, here's Jason Heath's blog post about it. Guess memory didn't serve for the date it bagged...
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If you Google - "A Turd in the Punchbowl" - "Images", that photo of the BP-100 appears.
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,737
- 8,953
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
You can always be counted on to change the level of sophisticated discourse...or as Rodney Dangerfield might have put it - "You have nothing but class. And very little of that."
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,737
- 8,953
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
But yes, as you seem to be implying, the design aesthetic of the bridge and the pickup do appear to be at odds...
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,737
- 8,953
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
- Aug 1, 2005
- 3,546
- 1,421
- Disclosures
- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
It was always a bad sign when you showed up for a freelance classical gig and your stand partner had one of those on his bridge, usually covered with dust
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,737
- 8,953
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
Just so I'm clear, it's the bridge for sale or the pickup? Anyone want to chime in on how easy it is to make a bridge fitted for one bass fit a different bass?
And I also have to wonder, how well does that pickup operate on that bridge? Don't you have to fit the elements to a flat surface? I don't think there's ANY flat surface on the Kelischek. Unless someone lacking any beauty in their soul took a piece of sandpaper to it...
And I also have to wonder, how well does that pickup operate on that bridge? Don't you have to fit the elements to a flat surface? I don't think there's ANY flat surface on the Kelischek. Unless someone lacking any beauty in their soul took a piece of sandpaper to it...
- Aug 1, 2005
- 3,546
- 1,421
- Disclosures
- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
I would just sell the pickup on. As far as re-fitting the bridge? Harder than with a normal bridge because the luthier can't glue on a crossbar to stabilize the feet for fitting. Still doable though. That thing is totally unique. It would be worth it to spend a few dollars extra to have it on your bass.
Steve, Where is it offered? I can't find it.
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,737
- 8,953
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
Thanks! poopie, I'd almost pay $1800, sell the bass AND the pickup, just to get the bridge
- Aug 1, 2005
- 3,546
- 1,421
- Disclosures
- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
Sounds like a low price for that area. You could maybe get the bass to James Condino. He could fit a new bridge and resell the bass with no loss to you!
I know this is all hypothetical, but it doesn't look like there's much wood left on the bottom of those bridge feet... Fitting it to another bass might not be possible... I do understand the attraction to Kelischek's work though. I spend a long time gawking at that issue of DB magazine and talking to our great local luthier about that bass.
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Tom used to have a shop here in Asheville before I moved to town. All of the old timers spoke well of him. Does anybody know where that nice bass he made lives these days? I was under the impression it was a regular in one of the regional sections.
Building a fancy bridge is easy; you guys getting in car accidents and crashing into ski lifts with your basses is making a lot of extra work for me lately......
Building a fancy bridge is easy; you guys getting in car accidents and crashing into ski lifts with your basses is making a lot of extra work for me lately......
Heifetzbass
Commercial User
- Feb 6, 2004
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- Owner, Gencarelli Bass Works and Fine String Instruments, LLC.
James- To my understanding John Chiego (University of Memphis) still owns the bass. I was lucky enough to play it before it made it's way out there. Tom was THE bass luthier in the area when I was coming up. I had a stand partner in HS with one of those bridges. It was amazing.
His reasoning for rounding it over, accurate or not, is that the round shape is the strongest shape in nature. Think of a tree that stands a hundred feet tall and can sway back and forth without snapping.
Best,
BG
