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DOUBLE BASS

Czech mid 20th century

Around about grade 11 or 12, I became truly possessed with all things that make music. Despite being humiliated by my grade 2 piano teacher (Mrs Sharp believe it or not) I started collecting instruments of all shapes and sizes with a vengeance. My best acquisition from that period is the double bass that I still use today. A classmate’s uncle had just passed away and had been a bass player. His widow said to her nephew “get rid of that bass, get a hundred dollars for it.” At the time I had no interest in playing the bass per say, but as mentioned was possessed. I also was working part time at my fathers lumber yard and had a good appreciation for all things wooden. One hundred dollars seemed to me to be a good price for all that nice wood. I am still playing that bass today, and still digging it. If it says double bass on any of my recordings, it’s that one.

HAMER EIGHT STRING

USA 1980’s

I used to have an electric violin. It was plenty loud but not so pretty sounding. One day i walked into my local music store and there she was “the Hammer” or to be more exact a Hamer eight string bass. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. After a quick sit down with it I knew that I had to have it. Enter the violin. “Wanna trade something weird for something weird?” It was an excellent trade.The Hammer is one of my favorite instruments. Tuned like a regular bass but with a double course of strings one octave higher. It is like a bass and the four lower strings of a guitar stuck together.

It has a very big sound that often annoys guitar players but curiously it sounds good with acoustic guitars. If you turn it up and hit the pedals it resembles a full on fire hose.

ASHBORY BASS

21st century

Here is a curious bass i just picked up. The Ashbory is a short scale, 18 inches, frettless bass strung with silicon rubber strings. It works on the principle that low notes can be had either through long string length, string thickness or low tension. The last two are what makes the ashbory work. It sounds like a cross between a electric fretless and a double bass. Put to fine use on DUST STORM lots of info

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