• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Why? Is it playable?

#25
DrayMiles said:
Yes...
Click to expand...

I've visited Brobst many times as part of my annual visits to my daughter, and they've always treated me well even though I'm sure they knew I was just a tire-kicker. And once I ALMOST bought a bass from them.

It was when I was looking for a fractional-sized bass and they had one -- old and handmade -- that really caught my eye: flat back, viol corners, Eb neck, and mojo for miles. Perfect! I didn't buy, but next year's visit the bass was still there. Once again I resisted the urge, but a couple of days before my return home I caved and gave Brobst a call, figuring the bass would be out of my price range.

Turned out the asking price was $400 under the maximum I figured I could manage. O frabjous day! My daughter and I scooted over to Brobst, where they treated me with their usual courtesy and let me take the bass into one of their enclosed practice rooms and test-play as much as I wanted. Great set-up with gut strings, easy action, easy to nail the octave G with my thumb in the crook of the heel. Everything I wanted.

Except, the bass was just dead. No tone whatsoever. The flat back was not original but was made from too-thick plywood, with absolute ??? cross-bracing that even on my hackiest days on the bench I could not hope to replicate. It was that bad. I had to leave the bass at Brobst.

Broke my heart.
 
  • Like
Reactions: unbrokenchain, DrayMiles and marcox
#26
Not meaning a derail, but rather than start a new thread:
Spotted on a Japanese Facebook page, photo from Copenhagen, 2015 —

Double double, Copenhagen, 2015.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: unbrokenchain
#28
Steven Ayres said:
Not meaning a derail, but rather than start a new thread:
Spotted on a Japanese Facebook page, photo from Copenhagen, 2015 —

View attachment 4003636
Click to expand...
Small gene pool I'm thinking. Of all the Siamese twins in the world, how many are bassists? On a more serious note, it's got to sound awful. Assuming that there is a common back, I can only imagine the phase cancellation even if the notes are perfectly in tune...:rollno:
 
#31
Steven Ayres said:
Not meaning a derail, but rather than start a new thread:
Spotted on a Japanese Facebook page, photo from Copenhagen, 2015 —

View attachment 4003636
Click to expand...

I saw that photo pretty recently - not sure where, if not here. And someone responded saying they suspected it was a bass they had had made for their novelty act. I think they were European.

Strike a bell w/ anyone else?

As long as I'm here - did you hear why Sweden put bar codes on all of their warships?

So they can Scandinavian! :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: bassobrutto and Povl Carstensen
#32
post #7 from this thread ;):

the daily dbl dbl

Povl Carstensen said:
No problem. This is probably "our" bass. I am part of a comic duo in Denmark, and for our tour in '93 (sigh), we got this bass built, to play a duet on one bass. A true double bass.
The instrument for years lived in my partners parents basement, and for reasons I still do not understand, but have forgiven, was disposed of when the house was sold. However, it surfaced, and was saved (bought) by danish luthier Rene Hoffman at a flea market. I would reckon it is his picture.
The bass was made by joining together two new east german basses. The cheapest we could find (about 1000$ each) were 4/4 (or is it 7/8?) size. Danish guitarbuilder/luthier Åke Nathorst Vestfeldt did an amazing job, and the whole finish was redone by a theater painter, to cover the assembling, and give it a classier look. Equipped with Spirocores and Underwood. The total price around 5000$ (30 years ago).
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nashrakh, kinnon64 and Povl Carstensen
#36
Martin Spure said:
Well, I think it's safe to say that both of these basses belong to the 'Extremely Extreme Department' of upright basses. I guess that maybe this was also Steven's sentiment for posting? I certainly saw the connection...

(Besides the fact that a recent thread already exists about the Double Double Bass:the daily dbl dbl)
Click to expand...

oh...

I see where I missed that... I’ve been playing six strings fretted/fretless since 1995. It doesn’t seem THAT Farfetched... but, I’m not sure...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Martin Spure

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back