Violin vs Gamba corners

The thing that the guy building my bass, Jed Kriegel, told me is this - the vibrating plate on the top and back of the bass stops very close to the edges of each and in order to stabilize the C bouts in the ribs, there needs to be a small, solid block of wood in each "corner" (if you will) and on a gamba corner those little blocks impinge slightly on the vibrating plate. But with a violin corner (and I guess for busetto corners as well) there's room in that little extension to put the block in outside of the vibrating area.Sounded good to me, so I went with violin corners.
It makes more sense when you have the bass in front of you....

 

On a big bass, gamba is better for german bow. Also corners are more fragile.

 

Violin corners make good handles

 

This issue is discussed up to 10 times a year. Pear shaped double bass bass will save from doubt!

 

I think the pear shaped bass would be very difficult to pick up when laying it down on its side.

 

If you're not big enough to palm it like a basketball, you should play cello.

Just kidding. Actually, that's a real problem- Seth Kimmel makes his with soundports on the sides that are reinforced so you can pick the bass up with them too. I don't know what others do.

 

With intention, grace, and an unhurried attitude, The neck and tailpiece are two good handles.

 

Unfortunately I am usually in a hurry and always clumsy.

 

My view is that buying a bass is hard enough without adding more restrictions that limit the candidate pool. For this reason, I wouldn't rule out either corner style, even though I have a slight preference for violin corners just for aesthetics.

 

My ideal is violin corners on top, busseto on the bottom. Just an aesthetic preference...

 

I use the bass side lower backplate violin corner for balancing my bass while playing. I haven`t tried that with a similar sized ( big ) gamba bass, so I can`t tell if it makes any difference.

 

I prefer gamba because i’m always bumping things.

Off topic: Does anyone make a gamba style cello or violin?

 

+1 for gamba. I just prefer the cleaner look.

 

+1 gamba . My inner klutz got the rest of me gored one day. Not again. Also, it's just me but the only violin cornered basses I've ever played have been heavier and harder to get to speak , though admittedly with the good stuff (volume, bottom end) that accompanies. But again, most likely just not random samples. And as noted, lack of motor skills.

 

I prefer violin corners, but its one of the last things I would buy a bass for.