'cello riser for double bass?

[Rosie C]

I play double bass in a Morris side, and I'd rather not play with an amp but it's not loud enough in many situations. I've been thinking about a 'cello riser, but I see differing opinions on whether they're just to increase the height of the 'cellist, or actually increase resonance/volume. Has anyone any experience of using one? I'm also wondering if anyone has made a DIY one?

 

 

 

 

[JPJ]

4 minutes ago, Rosie C said:

I play double bass in a Morris side, and I'd rather not play with an amp but it's not loud enough in many situations. I've been thinking about a 'cello riser, but I see differing opinions on whether they're just to increase the height of the 'cellist, or actually increase resonance/volume. Has anyone any experience of using one? I'm also wondering if anyone has made a DIY one?

 

 

 

 

Doesn’t look too difficult to build but wouldn’t be very portable. I’d also question whether there would be any significant volume increase given that the contact is limited to the tip of the end pin. 

[Rosie C]

Just now, JPJ said:

Doesn’t look too difficult to build but wouldn’t be very portable. I’d also question whether there would be any significant volume increase given that the contact is limited to the tip of the end pin. 

 

Me too. I also wonder how large it needs to be - in the photo it looks like it could be half the area which would make it more portable, but maybe less effective. Also does standing on the platform help, or would it work as well or better if I lowered the end pin a bit and stood to the side. I feel I might have to make a prototype to answer all these questions!   

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I've never seen or heard of a cello riser, but in theory I can see how the endpin could transmit vibrations to the surface of the riser which in turn *might* set up vibrations in the riser. Standing with all of your weight on the surface that you're looking to vibrate, however, is bound to damp/mute a lot of the resultant vibration, so maybe the design should be ammended to include an additional partial platform only connected at the edges to stand upon?

 

Something that might maximise the volume gain would be design with a lightweight circular plate suspended so it is free to vibrate, with a cup-like depression in the centre for the endpin. I could imagine this might have a similar effect to the resonator in a dobro.

[Beedster]

Back in the days before cheap amplification upright players use to spend some time finding the part of the stage that they felt best amplified their instrument, usually a resonant bit of flooring near a reflective corner. I've occasionally found this can make a difference to me as the player, even in my music room there's a part of the wooden floor that's more resonant and the whole instrument seems to benefit, but whether anyone else can hear any difference is debatable. As @Jean-Luc Pickguard says, if you're standing on the same platform that's going to kill most of any resonance anyway (you could always lower the endpin and not stand on the platform however, this might be the best bet but would look odd!).

 

Key question is do you want to hear the bass better yourself, do you want the audience/other players to hear it better, or both. I think a platform might help you, but will make little or not difference to other people's hearing it in anything other than a very small and/or quite room. 

[Bloopdad1]

A small anecdote... 

I was playing a rehearsal for a concert one afternoon and the viola player about 20ft away from me kept turning around, winked then giggling turned away ... 

(I took some ribbing from my desk partner who thought it hilarious thinking that the violist was gay.) 

Thinking it strange as the guy usually kept himself to himself and was always rather quiet.

Anyway, during the break he approached me....

He slapped me on the back and shook my hand saying it was the best rehearsal he's had for ages.... 

Turns out, I'd hooked into a particular stage board that run right under his chair leg. He said every time I played an open A string the vibrations ran up his chair leg and tickled his balls!!!! 😳 🤣 

 

The rest of the season I was known as "the ball tickler"! 😂 

 

[itu]

That riser would benefit from a specific place where you put the end pin every time (tuned resonance, like sound post of the bass).

 

@Jean-Luc Pickguard had a good point: if you could make an extra plate where you stand, that riser would be tuned every time the same way. Otherwise your feet would always tune the riser in a different way. 

 

Measurements, I think that a double bass itself will give you a hint of the size. Should it be just a plate or a tuned box? Thin, braced vibrating plate (the end pin will go through a very thin top without any bracing)? What should be the contact to the floor? Whole bottom surface, feet... 

 

Theory, see: Chladni patterns. 

Edited 18 minutes ago by itu