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Tools of the Trade
Pictured throughout the site is my fully carved Rumano Solano Panormo model doublebass built in 1993. It has a 7/8 body with a 3/4 neck, and has an amazingly even and articulate response in every register. If you're reading this, you must be interested, and as luck would have it, the bass is for sale! Please contact the good folks at Upton Bass if you'd like more information.
In June of 2012, after much procrastination, I bought a plywood bass so I could protect the "good" bass. My everyday working bass is now a Shen SB90 Blonde. Although I was not in the market for anything new, shiny, or blonde - this bass has a great sound and feel.
A
lot of that has to do with the absolutely supeb setup by my good friend and luthier, Mike Shank.
A lot of my work is done with the Yamaha Silent Bass, SLB-200. It is an electric upright bass which incorporates a semi-hollow body for a very realistic acoustic bass sound. Plus, its' graceful design is a thing of beauty. It's especially useful for traveling, small stages, and on really loud gigs where acoustic feedback would otherwise run rampant. I added a Fishman Full Circle pickup and use Kolstein Heritage strings on this bass to help create the sonic illusion of playing an acoustic bass.
For electric bass projects,
A 1988 Tobias Classic 5 string is my tool of choice.
For old school electric, a Travis Bean TB2000 comes out of retirement.
On the road, my 'beater bass' is a Yamaha TRB 1005.
Listed below are some other products and resources that help me get the job done. Oy, if only I got a referral fee from these companies.....
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I love these strings!
Stainless over synthetic gut core (perlon)
Lower tension than steel core, great feel, they don't roll.
Did I already say that I love these strings?
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Excellent, and very flexible preamp & direct box
And the fabulous Full Circle pickup
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The most comprehensive doublebass reference site on the web
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Shank's String Instrument Repair
Doublebass restoration, repair & sales.
Elizabethtown, PA 800-613-2277
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The EggPin
Inspired by bent shafts used by cellists, this was the groundbreaking design by Paul Ellison to support the weight of a doublebass. Shifts the center of gravity, which means less weight in the left hand. It kept me balanced for 16 years.....
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The Laborie-Rabbath Endpin
Graphite pin with round rubber ball tip. Requires a separate hole drilled into the endpin block. A lighter, very secure step up from the EggPin |
When I use two basses,
Controlling both upright & electric basses with their mismatched levels & different EQ requirements used to be a real pain. The Radial Tonebone BASSBONE is my solution to easily switch between them, and independently control each EQ!
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Bass News, Discussion Forums, Articles, Classifieds & More
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Kart-A-Bag
The BEST equipment cart on the market - can carry
300 lb., and weighs only 16 lb. folded
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Shuttle 6.0-12T |
Genz Benz
Fantastic Amplifiers & Speaker Cabinets |
GBE 600 Head & Neox 210T Cabinet |
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Strings, supplies, etc....Great prices
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Double bass repair & sales
Maker of "The Realist" pickup and the very cool
"Czech-Ease" travel bass
NYC
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Jim Cunningham - Guitarist & Luthier
Annapolis, MD
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Thanks to Yamaha Corporation for generously upgrading my original SLB 100 Silent Bass
to the new
SVB/SLB-200
YAMAHA Silent Bass
Great big fat warm acoustic sound, a blast to play. Makes traveling a breeze. Perfect for small stages, or cranking it up. Beautiful eye-catching design. A workhorse in my toolbox!
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RATstands
Complete line of innovative music stands
Including my choice, the Jazz Stand
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SWR Bass Amplification
My 25 year old SM-400, is still going strong....
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Due to nerve damage, I can no longer wear an electric bass on a strap.
The Mbrace keeps me from having to sit on the gig!
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Hercules Stands
I mount the Mbrace to a Hercules Transformer stand for stability & flexibility. A sweet stand!
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