Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

997: Arnold Schnitzer on The Handy Double Bassist

Renowned double bass luthier Arnold Schnitzer recently released a book titled The Handy Double Bassist; Maintenance, Adjustments and Repairs for the Non-Luthier.  This book is available in print edition through the ISB Store as well as through the DBHQ digital store.

We dig into the inspiration for this book, what bassists can and can’t do on their own, strange tales from years of maintaining basses, and much more.  Enjoy, and check out our conversation from 2016 to learn more about Arnold’s cool path into the bass building world.

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Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city’s ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah’s website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.

218: Arnold Schnitzer on dirty jobs, ergonomic basses, and maker competitions

Double bass luthier Arnold Schnitzer

Double bass luthier Arnold Schnitzer

Today we feature double bass luthier Arnold Schnitzer.  Arnold has had an interesting career path, from gigging around the East Coast as a youth to entering the corporate world and finally finding his way to the word of instrument repair.  We talk about a wide range of topics, including information versus knowledge, wisdom, and street smarts, and the perils and pitfalls of the information age.

We also dig into Mike Rowe‘s Dirty Jobs (there’s a great interview with him on the Tim Ferriss podcast) – this all starts about 20 minutes into the actual interview – and training people for the jobs that actually exist, and the “in-between” jobs.  This is quite a conversation—be sure to check this out.  There’s a lot of food for thought here.

We also get deep into instrument construction, setup, maker competitions, wolf tones, and the Oberlin Bass Workshop, which Arnold serves on the faculty for and which sounds like a very cool event.  I know that you’re really going to enjoy this conversation with the always interesting Arnold Schnitzer!

Interview Highlights

Early Years

  • born in Miami Beach (South Beach), FL
  • moved up to Far Rockaway, NJ when he was young – dad was in construction
  • dad got them a boat but Arnold and siblings had to figure out money for gas and fix it up
  • his story of getting this Bohemian bass in his late 30s while working corporate recruiting gig and making good money but hating the job and basically just figuring out on his own (consulting people along the way) how to take this old beater bass apart and totally reconstruct it

Information versus Knowledge

  • we talk about information vs. knowledge/wisdom/street smarts – this is an illuminating discussion
  • Arnold is a jazz musician from way back, and he sees instrument repair as a constant improvisation
  • we talk about Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs (there’s a great interview with him on the Tim Ferriss podcast) – this all starts about 20 minutes into the actual interview
    • alternate paths to going to college for x, y, z – people getting trained for the jobs that actually exist
    • traditional jobs are disappearing
    • the in-between jobs are the ones that aren’t going away – electrician, plumber, instrument repair, air conditioning service – and these can pay really well!
    • training people for jobs that have gone out of vogue
  • being a luthier does involve working with your hands, but it really involves working with your brain – problem solving with your command center

The Future of Employment 

  • looking at predictions of jobs in the future and the rise of the worker less economy, think twice about going to college and racking up $100,000 in student loans
  • musicians are the most conservative people on the planet… especially rock & rollers

Double Bass Setup and Construction

  • ergonomic contrabass – thought it up while on painkillers
  • wolf tones on the bass
    • all basses will have some wolfiness
  • clarity mainly comes from setup rather than construction
    • what brands of strings can help with clarity
    • other adjustments that can be made to help with clarity
  • thoughts on maker competitions – judges are looking at basses through the eyes of the violin world
  • motto of Oberlin Bass Society: “everyone teaches, everyone learns”