neilp

Depending on your budget, really. If you have, say, £1000 to spend you can probably call someone like Thwaites and get a few bows sent on approval, although that might be a bit low for them to have much choice.

To be honest, I think below £1000 you might be best off looking at carbon fibre bows. My second bow is a CF from The Contrabass Shoppe, cost me about £400 and it's great. You need to try some, as already said. Ideally try bows that are actually for sale!

What is it with people insisting on noodling away during set up? It gives such an unprofessional impression. All the bands I play in do things the same. Set up, sound check, switch off until we're ready to start. No unnecessary noodling. Same in the classical world. No noodling, no noise apart from tuning.

I don't know when he's next in Wells, but David is doing a workshop in North London on 15 April, and a Bassfest in August which will be in the South East. Watch this space - I'll let you all know when we have more info

If you do go, I promise you you will be astonished and humbled by the skill and musicianship of young bassists these days. The standard of playing has increased hugely from when I was at the Junior RCM all those years ago, and I suspect the standard of playing that got me my Performing Diploma would be nowhere near good enough today. Go if you can, and prepare to have your eyes opened wide...

The Elgar book is one of 3 volumes he wrote about the double bass. I have that one and one of the other two. Can't recall the titles off the top of my head, but I'd like to complete the set sometime

For shame! Peddling outdated concepts such as "teaching" and "good technique".....

It's fine by me. Ever so slightly dissonant, but I suspect that;s deliberate to emphasise the key change. I your ears really can't tolerate that level of dissonance, I suggest you stick to Stock, Aitken and Waterman. It's the spice that makes music, IMHO

Good old Gary...

Well said jaywalker! I have to admit to being thoroughly tired of this "any way you want, it's all good" approach. If you want to be a double bass player, learn how to play a double bass. There is a right way, and in the long run it's the easiest way.

15 April is in my diary

I'm up for it, as long as there's plenty of notice. I missed the last one, sadly

Thats because they are entirely different. Just happen to both have four strings and tuned the same. If you want a double bass to sound good, it needs a minimum string length and a certain minimum volume of air in the box. Get a 3/4 and enjoy

A four string with an extension is a much more generally wieldy weapon than a five, and my Barnaby mechanical extension is a thing of beauty. I'd definitely recommend it, even though it is pricey. Horses for courses I guess.

I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to start from scratch with just online lessons. You really need to be guided to how it FEELS when everything is right, and you won't get that from a video. There's so much that can go wrong without you realising, and that could make life impossible further down the line. The basics are vital. As Gary Karr says "playing the bass is either really easy or it's impossible". The basics are what determines which it is!

I only play orchestral and chamber music on double bass, and I have a low C extension. This, for me, is a far better solution on the occasions when I need something below the E. I totally get that for other types of music you might want the extra string, and I suspect if you play almost all pizz, most of my objections vanish. It would be very dull if we all liked the same things, but I'd urge you to try a good 4 with an extension.

For what it's worth, I'm not a huge fan of 5 string bass guitars either....

Neil

I find it hard to believe that, in the modern world, anyone gives any kind of public performance for reward without PL insurance. As has already been said, MU gives it for free along with £3k worth of instrument cover (I think its £3k but I could be wrong). I have even been asked for details of my PL insurance....

Electric gear is all insured, and lets face it, even a Wal can be replaced pretty easily. Put it in its case during the break, its in your hands the rest of the time. I try not to be precious about these things. I'd be gutted if any of my basses got damaged, but that's life....

I've never met a five string DB that I liked, regardless of price, and I've played £30,000 five strings. Too fat, bulky and just plain hard work. Put an extension on a suitable four and enjoy.

Try one first, you might like it, but I hate them with a passion and I'd hate to think of anyone lumbered with that....

1 - Led Zeppelin 2
2 - Rush 2112
3 - Cream Wheels of Fire
4 - Motorhead Motorhead
5 - Iron Maiden The Number of The Beast

All oldish, I admit, but I'm oldish too....

I take the same two basses to almost every gig I play. The SB1000 and the Wal fretless cover just about every noise I want to make. Occasionally the Cort gets an outing just for fun. I don't take a spare as such. If I don't need the fretless I don't take it. Likewise with the fretted. It's not that unusual to play the whole gig on fretless...

Sometimes. It's an effect. I wouldn't use it permanently any more than I would a chorus or a delay. It's a good way of getting a fatter, smoother sound. I don't always want to sound smooth...

There is some fraud and naughtiness in the string instrument world, but it's mostly fueled by people wanting something for nothing and taking no account of provenance and not doing their research. My double bass is probably - almost certainly - around 1830, built in one of countless workshops in the Mittenwald of Germany. No label, no name so it's almost worthless to a collector. To a player? Sounds fabulous, focussed, rich, loud and even. Easy to play and generally great. If it had a label and a good makers name on the label I could probably ask £30k for it. Would the label make it intrinsically a better bass?

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1499886984' post='3334362']
Hmmm, did theyngetbthere by worrying about every single tiny mistake and perfecting it, or did they get there by having a passion for what they did and living the moment flat out and loving it which came across to the audience who were more interested in the eneergy than a perfect display of musicianship.

If I want perfect music I will watch an orchestra, I want a gig to be full of energy and hit me hard, if that means they make a mistake or two who cares? I won't notice as I am enjoying myself too much.
[/quote]
Why does everyone thing there's this divide in energy, spark, spotaneity between a "gig" and an orchestral performance? If you want to be "hit hard" try the Berlin Phil playing Prokofiev or Mahler. Great musicians put their heart and soul in, regardless whether they are sitting down reading the notes or giving it large with their foot on the wedge.

Blue is right. We should strive to be note-perfect AND passionate. It can be done, it is done day in, day out all over the world. Don't settle for less.

I'd probably sell any of them if the right offer was made. I won't ever sell my Andrew McGill bow, just because it suits me so perfectly I'm not sure I could ever replace it! Everything else I would sell if the price was right, but I don't think anyone would offer enough to make me part with the Aria SB1000. I could be wrong,but I think it would have to be enough for me to order a new Wal!!!

2000 grit paper, 0000 grade wire wool then 3 or 4 coats of Danish oil would be my choice, but any of the approaches above will work as long as you're thorough