One of my all-time top interview requests has been to chat with Gary Upton and Eric Roy of Upton Bass. As I was booking my trip to New York City, I knew that spending a day at the Upton barn in Mystic, Connecticut was a must-do. Eric, Gary, and I had a great conversation about… Continue reading 529: Upton Bass
Category: Luthiers
519: Carbon Fiber Soundposts
Anima Nova carbon fiber sound posts have been getting a lot of attention recently in the double bass world. I had the chance to sit down with Pal Molnar of Anima Nova at the 2018 European Bass Congress to dig into the details bout this new type of sound post and the advantages that it… Continue reading 519: Carbon Fiber Soundposts
505: Matthew Tucker on innovations in bass luthiery
Matthew Tucker of Bresque Basses has been innovating in a number of fascinating ways in the world of bass luthiery. A regular attendee of the Violin Society of America / Oberlin Bass Workshop, Matthew has designed an innovative system of flatback double bass bracing that he calls Responsive Flatback Bracing. We dig into this bracing… Continue reading 505: Matthew Tucker on innovations in bass luthiery
494: Luthier Round Table
Today’s special episode is a round table discussion with over two dozen of the world’s top double bass luthiers. This discussion took place at the 2018 Violin Society of America Double Bass Workshop at Oberlin College and features the following luthiers: Jay VandeKopple Greg Smith Brian Gencarelli Joey Naeger Thomas Helton Robbie McIntosh Vince Jesse… Continue reading 494: Luthier Round Table
486: James Ham on double bass innovations
James Ham is a legend in the double bass luthier world. After a multifaceted background that landed him in Victoria, British Columbia, James Ham created a series of revolutionary designs for the double bass. His first instrument was commissioned by Gary Karr after a deep analysis of the various positive and not-so-positive traits of the… Continue reading 486: James Ham on double bass innovations