RE: Upright Bass questions
Posted by: jeff.mondick <jeff.mondick@...>
I was in your shoes about a year ago, so let me see if I can help you
with some answers ...
First, the Knilling basses are fine. Many URB players may snob at your
bass, but it seems to me like you got a good deal on it and a Knilling
URB is better than no URB. The same with the bow - some people may tell
you that you need a $500 pernambuco bow, but you be the judge as to when
you want to move up.
As far as the repair goes, URBs are made to have seams that will split
from time to time - it is better for the seam to split than the top to
split - it happens, and the repairs aren't typically very expensive. I
don't know where you live, but depending on the luthier $30-$50 is not
unreasonable. I live in Central Pa, and a split seam costs about $40 to
repair, depending on how bad it is. Again, it is a typical URB repair.
You should definitely have it set up. A good setup can cost anywhere
from $50 to $300, depending on the luthier and what all needs done (does
the neck need planed, the bridge adjusted, etc.). An adjustable bridge
is probably a good investment - Bob Gollihur sells some good ones for
not too much money.
The rosin that you have is probably old ... your best bet is to
experiment with different rosins and see what works best for you. Rosin
is a very personal choice. Lemur Music has a rosin sampler pack - you
may want to try one of them to see what you like. The choice also
depends on your climate - one rosin may be too sticky in one climate,
but not sticky enough in another. I personally like Pop's and Carlsson.
As far as pickups go, the Fishman Full Circle requires an adjustable
bridge. I have never used the Double Big Twin, but I do use the K & K
bass Max, and I have been very pleased with it.
Hope this helps ...
Jeff
-----Original Message-----
From: Blaine Fallis [mailto:bfallis@houston.rr.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2003 1:22 PM
To: churchbass@welovegod.org
Subject: [CB] Upright Bass questions
OK - well a life long dream is being realized... well, not life-long,
maybe
5 years long, of playing upright bass. I fell in love with the
instrument as
a jazz reviewer but had so much $$ tied up in my electrics that I
couldn't
get one, but my wife's church has one and needed someone to play it for
their occasional orchestra performances, so, I brought it home and have
been
practicing until my fingers fall off! It's great.
However, the bass needs this and that... it's a Knilling (Bucharest)
1302T
they bought at the MARS going out of biz sale.
Problems:
A seam is split between the face (lower left) and the side, about 1 1/2
feet. I was told it's about a $30-$50 repair
Action is super high! While that's not too big a deal on the G and D
string,
the E string is really really tough to play. Obviously it won't be as
low as
my Ken Smith fretless, but it should be low enough to play efficiently.
However the bridge is not adjustable... any suggestions? Buy an
adjustable
bridge do you think? I plan to play jazz with it when possible and some
contemporary Christian, and the church orchestra bit is just a trade off
so
I can get a chance to learn the instrument better.
The bow is a german bow and is a good one I think but the dark rosin is
as
hard as a rock. Anyway recommendations?
Then I'm going to want a pickup. I was looking at the Fishaman full
circle
http://www.urbbob.com/fullcircle.html or the K&K double big twin
http://www.urbbob.com/dbt.html
however, I worry about spending too much... I think there's an entry
level
K&K as well. I saw one on ebay. I'm told that this bass I have (the
Knilling) is not a great one, expecially in classical circles, but that
jazz
players seem to like it. I personally think it has a nice tone.
Suggestions welcome 🙂 Monte are you out there? 🙂
Blaine Fallis
Managing Director - FriendlyWeb.net
friendlyweb.net
User Friendly Web Hosting Solutions
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