Category Archives: Bass Making

Stradivarius – Myth and Music

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Stradivarius – Myth and Music is the name of an exhibition that will be shown at the Wallraf Richartz Museum at Cologne (Germany) in spring next year. From 5 March 2010, the celebrated picture gallery will be host to over 50 stringed instruments from the hand of the legendary Antonio Stradivarius (1648-1733).

The exhibits are largely from private collectors and only rarely put on public view. Additional loans will be made by international museums, high-ranking foundations and celebrated musicians. This, the largest selection of Stradivariuses ever assembled in the world, will be shown exclusively at the Wallraf for just 17 days – from 5 to 21 March 2010. Parallel to this, a concert series is planned in which renowned soloists will appear at the museum and play their very own Stradivariuses.

 Update: the exhibition has been cancelled!

New: The adjustable soundpost

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adjustable soundpost

In the catalogue of a tool supplier, I just found this great invention: an adjustable double bass soundpost. This soundpost offers exact adjustment of the soundpost length, even from the outside of the bass. No need for using two soundposts for summer and winter seasons anymore. And it’s easy to use for both players and luthiers.

Update: Somebody just clarified that this tool is rather a guitar repair tool than an adjustable double bass soundpost. Sorry for the above incorrect information. My fault 😉

Double Bass Workshop: website Relaunch

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The Double Bass Workshop (Madison, Wisconsin), formerly run by Henry Boehm and now handed over to Vince Jesse, has recently relaunched their website. The site not only shows their inventory, but also gives ”some thoughts on“ double bass related topics like bass construction, setup, strings, etc.
(hey, the Christopher Busseto doublebass header graphic resembles another website I know …)

Update: Vince has replaced my bass’ photo at the website recently. Thanks!

My Framus has been stolen

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Over the last years, I found parts of my website used on other websites quite often. Complete pages as well as excerpts and pictures have been taken from my site without asking me for permission. In some cases, I’ve been successful in convincing these webmasters better not to steal my content, in other cases, I wasn’t. That’s probably an issue that you have to get used to if you run a popular website; you simply can’t help it.

Today, I found a, well … somehow funny thing. A chinese company offers my 1954 Framus Cutaway double bass, on which I’ve just practised before writing this post, for 600 USD only. Wow, my Framus that cheap?
(My original photo can be found here.)

Cremona Mondomusica

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Last weekend, I was at the Mondomusica music show at Cremona, Italia. Of course, I didn’t miss to visit the Stradivari Museum at Cremona. Photographing the antique master instruments (Guaneri del Gesu, Stradivari, Bergonzi, etc.) isn’t allowed, but I was able to took some photos of Stradivari’s tools, moulds and plans.

Washtub Bass Page

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The Washtub Bass Page is a focal point and clearinghouse for information on all aspects of the washtub bass – who plays one, where to hear one, how to make one, and so on. The page offers links, building tips, sound clips, picture galleries amd many more. “We’re not narrow-minded (washtub bass people can’t afford to be), so our scope includes the tea-chest bass, the gas-tank bass and the like, and even the occasional cigarbox guitar or fiddle.“

Chinese Folk Bass

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chinese folk bass

In our western countries, most people use to know very little about the Chinese music and instrument making tradition.
At the website of chinese maker Shan Jiang, I’ve found this picture of a Gu Pin Hu, a Chinese folk bass. It was made by his father, Mr.Yun Kai Jiang, who taught violin making in the Conservatory of Music in Shen Yang.
This bass instrument has rather the size of a cello, but a very deep rib depth. It also has a flap on it’s right side – an adjustable soundhole?

Spring tailpiece

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federsaitenhalter

Within 25 years in business, double bass luthier Giorgio Pianzola (Bern/Switzerland) has come across many … mmmh, let’s call it ‘strange’ things. He just has sent me this photo of an interesting tailpiece. “This tailpice doesn’t make sense to me”, Giorgio told me. “This makes has installed hundreds of these tailpiece to local Folk music basists, in order the make the sound ‘softer’. New strings should do a better job for that. This thing is a sound killer, only making unwanted noise und turns the bass into being un-tunable.”

Latest (and last) issue of Double Bassist

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Today, I’ve found the new issue of the Double Bassist magazine in my post box. This “winter 2007” issue (don’t we already have 2008?) features articles about bassist Henry Grimes, a Gagliano bass, music by Gustav Mahler and Paquito de Rivera, video conferencing in teaching, a history of gut strings, the future of pernambuco bows, luthier Daniel Hachez and many other topics.

But there are also bad news: editor Chloe Cutts has announced that the Double Bassist magazine will no longer be published. It will be re-incorperated into The Strad magazine from the April 2008 issue onwards. Double Bassist was launched 11 years ago, and since then, 43 issues has been published.