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  1. 17th September 2007, 09:27 AM #1
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    contrebasse
    contrebasse is offline Senior Member
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    Default The green bass is complete

    I bought this old czech bass some time ago and have been restoring it for my teenage daughter who plays in a jazz ensemble.

    Before:



    Bottom block loose and cracked, linings unglued, over-length, bent and crooked neck, sunken top, bassbar unglued, bad varnish repairs.

    After:



    This bass sounds surprisingly good for a laminated bass. It's easy to play, loud and projects well. The finish has come up nice and transparent, bar a few little chips that I have to touch up. I left it out in the sun a bit over the weekend and the ubeaut hard shellac has hardened nicely. It's actually not as in-your-face as I thought it might be; the patina - if you can call it that - of the stripped wood shows through, scratches and dings and all, and tones the green down beautifully.

    The only thing that's a bit odd is that the neck is a "C#" neck now after I shortened it. (for you guitar-heads, this means that with the thumb at the heel of the neck, the forefinger plays a C# on the g string. It's usually a D or Eb)

    But that doesn't take too long to get used to. Client is very happy.
    Bresque Basses, Sydney


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  2. 17th September 2007 09:27 AM # ADS
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  3. 17th September 2007, 06:37 PM #2
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    bricks
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    I don't really get it mate, can't you just tune the string different???
    If you dont play it, it's not an instrument!
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  4. 17th September 2007, 06:53 PM #3
    masher
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    maybe you can't change the tension in the strings that much?
    Matthew


    Be alert; Australia needs lerts.
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  5. 17th September 2007, 07:35 PM #4
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    kiwigeo
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    Matthew,

    Nice work but the colour just aint my cup of (green) tea

    Whats the pickup youve got installed?

    Cheers Martin
    Whatever note you blow youre never more than a semitone away from the correct one....(Miles Davis)
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  6. 17th September 2007, 09:43 PM #5
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    contrebasse
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    OK Bricks - its like this: The bass is tuned EADG like a slab bass. But there are no frets. So - how do we know where the notes are? We use reference points like:
    - open strings E-A-D-G
    - Full stretch in lowest position, pinky plays G-C-F-Bb across the strings
    - The end of the neck is usually an F on the G string.
    - There's usually a "D" stop where your thumb hits the heel, right opposite that should be a D on the G-string (sometimes Eb depending on the bass).
    - Pinky on the D, first finger plays an octave lower - that's like fifth fret on a guitar.
    - there are harmonics and things, just like a guitar
    - etc

    So we find our way around the neck like that, and after a while it just becomes automatic. The higher you go, the closer your fingers are together.

    But, that's where a "D" neck comes from. So a C# neck takes a bit of getting used to! Of course, I could hack away at the neck heel and take off about 1cm of wood to make a D neck, but at the moment I don't feel like going that far ...

    Martin, the pickup is a K&K Bassmax. US$99. Nice robust, loud piezo that sits in the wings of the bridge.
    Bresque Basses, Sydney


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  7. 17th September 2007, 10:02 PM #6
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    Well I reckon the colour's SUPER!

    Cheers,

    P
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  8. 17th September 2007, 10:14 PM #7
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    Cliff Rogers
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    Yeap, pearler.
    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.
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  9. 19th September 2007, 03:16 PM #8
    myguitar
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    Fantastic Colour! I can imagine "The Cat in The Hat" playing it - Green Eggs and Ham...
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  10. 19th September 2007, 05:14 PM #9
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    Scally
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    That is one pretty wild bass, Matthew.

    You are making sure your daughter gets noticed. I bet her group love it.

    It sounds like you did a lot of work getting is in working order. Would you have been better starting from scratch.
    Scally
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    the titanic was built by professionals
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  11. 19th September 2007, 11:14 PM #10
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    contrebasse
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    Well, I've built one from scratch, with another on the way. This one was a project to practice some tricky repairs. Its a beauty, too. Well worth repairing, and to see my daughter holding down the bottom line in "all blues" at the Seymour centre ...

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  12. 20th September 2007, 09:22 AM #11
    Jackspira
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    Looks great Matthew!!
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  13. 20th September 2007, 09:43 AM #12
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    10 feet tall after all of that I bet, well done! I love it when the kids play on my feeble efforts, you must be wrapt
    "We must never become callous. When we experience the conflicts ever more deeply we are living in truth. The quiet conscience is an invention of the devil." - Albert Schweizer

    My blog. http://theupanddownblog.blogspot.com
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  14. 20th September 2007, 03:21 PM #13
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    Funny how under red stage lights, the green is completely invisible!!!
    Bresque Basses, Sydney


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  15. 21st September 2007, 07:57 PM #14
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    kiwigeo
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    Nice photo but one thing is very wrong......your daughter should be out the front of the band not the singer. Some green lighting would be nice too.
    Whatever note you blow youre never more than a semitone away from the correct one....(Miles Davis)
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