Upton Bass String Instrument Co
Upton Bass String Instrument Co NewsletterVolume 17 - September 10th, 2010
In This Issue
9 Part Series!
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Think You're An Audiophile?
This was one of the silliest things I have been forwarded in awhile...so of course I had to pass it on to you!
Greetings!

Happy Friday everyone! 

When someone is commissioning us to build them a double bass...it's pretty often that someone will say "I want to sound like X on Y album" (you insert the player of your choice!).  Recently someone wanted to sound like Scott LaFaro on Sunday at the Village Vanguard.  And so began my week long deluge into the album...trying to suck the marrow out of the entire recording.  I get what the player is after...I truly do...but this week long audio trip into one CD kept me asking, "would Scott LaFaro sound like Scott LaFaro no matter what bass he was playing?".  To me, the answer is YES.  For example, Gary Upton Birkhamshaw, my partner here and the founder of Upton Bass, has a distinct sound...and a very, very good one at that!  I could pick him out of a lineup blindfolded.  I can hear HIM through any bass he picks up with any strings or other tone changing considerations.  His hands, his fingers, his body...the way in which he approaches the instrument...all of these things make him sound like him.  I cannot make a bass sound like him, only he can make the bass sound like him.  I can only make the best possible instrument I can for him.  I can steer the instrument ergonomically to how the player uses the instrument.  I can steer the instrument to a tonal color.  But I cannot make you sound like Gary, or Scott, Ray, Charlie, Ron, Mingus, Karr, etc.

The list is short this week.  Actually it's the largest collection of links I have offered to date...but it's concentrated into one post.  I ran across it trying to find videos of Scott playing, and while it is not Scott...I found myself watching the entire series as another example of someone who has "a sound".  Scott's short life and the era of his performances did not allow for a lot of video to be shot of him doing his thing.  Such a shame...

So...without further ado, I bring you some Friday night double bass entertainment!

And remember...if you have ANY links, news, videos, etc. you want to share, eMail it to me at [email protected] and I'll be sure to share it.  Oh...and if you just want to say "Hi" you can do that too!
 
Have a nice weekend!
 
Eric Roy
Upton Bass String Instrument Co
860-535-9399
 
That "Ray Brown" Sound
YouTube
This 9 part series on YouTube by member "bass443" is great.  I wont make you hunt for them...here is all 9.
#1          #4          #7
#2          #5          #8
#3          #6          #9