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[BassCoypu]

Is this an Ashbory first? Next week I'm playing in the pit orchestra for my local (Maidenhead, UK) amateur dramatic group's production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd (for those who don't know it, a wonderfully macarbre show blurring the boundary between Broadway and opera). I intend to do it on my Ashbory!

Now, those of you who've played in a pit before know that space is usually tight. And an upright bass is big... I've spoken to the Musical Director about it, and he's happy for me to play my Ash (or even my regular electric bass as a fall-back)

Don't know if it will be possible to post photos, but I'll certainly report back...

If you want more info on the show, visit www.grimm-players.org.uk

Cheers,
Andrew
www.flicflac.co.uk/guitars.html

[Xrix]

That's pretty neat! Do post pictures if you get any!

Xrix.

[viola]

I am interested in how this turns out.

I bought my Ashbory bass from Large Sound in October 2005 in the hopes of being able to use it in pit orchestra for community theatre, a hobby of mine.

It seems like most Ashbory owners are guitar players and bass guitar players. I am neither. I play viola.

I like the Ashbory because of its small scale 18". My viola has 14" scale.

Also like it because it's easier on the fingers than regular electric bass. I bought a regular electric bass a few years ago, but the strings hurt my fingers and the 34" scale was uncomfortable as well, so that bass just sits in the corner.

To develop the heavy calluses to play electric or upright acoustic bass I concluded would damage the finger sensitivity and touch sensitivity needed to play viola and violin and certainly wouldn't help clarinet or saxophone playing (other instruments I've played in community theatre pit orchestra).

[Brock]

It seems like most Ashbory owners are guitar players and bass guitar players. I am neither. I play viola.

I like the Ashbory because of its small scale 18". My viola has 14" scale.

That is a unique perspective you have since indeed most of us playing Ashborys come in from Bass Guitars or Guitars, and thus the scale is shorter, not longer.

The shortness wasn't as intimidating to me as the lack of frets... ...again, something you aren't a stranger to with the Viola.

A lot of comfort is familiarity, and the Ashbory isn't so intimidating these days, but is rather a nice, familiar instrument.


-Brock

[BassCoypu]

Just got back from the dress rehearsal, at which everything went pretty well... I got lots of amazed looks from the cast and the rest of the orchestra, none of whom had ever seen anything like it before (the cast contains a professional music journalist, and there were several professional musicians in the orchestra - this was Sondheim!)

However, while packing the car before yesterday's band call, I left the instrument in my car for about an hour, in the cold... and I'm sure you can guess what I found when I opened up the case! Thankfully, I had a regular bass on which to play the first half, before I had chance to tune up the new G-string I had to put on. I did the whole thing on the Ashbory tonight, checking the tuning every couple of numbers as it was still settling down.

Pro's first:

* For this show the band is underneath a raised section of stage rather than in a proper pit - the space I was allocated would have been impossible for a double bass, or even my regular headless electric bass.
* I mainly play guitar, and the longer scale length on bass is sometimes a problem, so having a shorter scale length was great, particularly for some of the wide intervals (eg XII to VII frets at one point).
* The tone was suitably huge, of course.
* Repeatedly tapping (left hand) fingers on a string near the bridge gives a great tremelo sound, particularly when the timpani are doing the same thing!
* The strings are much gentler on the fingers - I don't play much bass these days (mainly guitar and, strangely, also reeds) so I got concerned about blisters on my right hand fingers from suddenly playing so intensely for a week - I did something like this before a recording session a few years ago, and had to do the whole thing with a plectrum.
[/list:u]
A handful of con's:

* Every now and again, the score called for "arco", which was obviously impossible. Plucking the note, I couldn't get as much sustain as on my headless electric.
* Maybe I haven't tweaked the controls enough, but I couldn't get the same "grunt" at key moments as on my regular bass. Probably just setting the volume in the right place to overload it slightly at the right moment...
* And, of course, that long settling time of new G strings.[/list:u]
All in all, I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow's opening night.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Brock]

Just got back from the dress rehearsal, at which everything went pretty well... I got lots of amazed looks from the cast and the rest of the orchestra, none of whom had ever seen anything like it before (the cast contains a professional music journalist, and there were several professional musicians in the orchestra - this was Sondheim!)

The surprised looks, especially when someone hasn't seen or heard an Ashbory before, is perhaps the most entertaining part of the instrument.

I appreciate the reports.


-Brock

[Zerozeddy]

Quite right that the band/orchestra is raised rather than actually in a pit so people can SEE the mighty Ashbo in action.

Does this mean a "pit" is the word used to describe wherever the band is?

[BassCoypu]

There's a great line in the show 42nd Street: "They keep the musicians in a pit... and there's a very good reason!" :-)

Unfortunately, the audience won't see my Ashbory in its full glory: for the band call the cast were all together in a studio, but for the performances the band are totally enclosed, underneath a 2.5m platform on which some of the action takes place. This also means that we can't see the cast, and the cast can't see the conductor... all a bit tricky for music as complicated as this!

Opening night tonight - more reports as the week progresses...

Cheers,
Andrew

[Brock]

Opening night tonight - more reports as the week progresses...

We'll be looking for the updates. Thanks!

-Brock

[Xrix]

Very cool stuff!
For more 'grunt' in the sound, you might try a semi-parametric EQ (stompbox or pre-amp, whatever). Dialing in the right Midrange just might do the trick.
Unless you already tried that, of course  :roll: ...

Xrix.

[BassCoypu]

I'm playing on a friend's amp (I'm mainly a guitarist), which has a "shape" control for some kind of parametric EQ, but I'm still tweaking it to find the best level.

[Xrix]

Can you tell me the brand and model of that amp? I might be able to give some advice on EQ settings. (I work in a musicstore, selling basses, amps, fx and the lot, so I've come across quite a few amps).

Cheers,
Xrix.

[BassCoypu]

Thanks for that - it's a Hartke 120W "kickback" amp - small and light, but with plenty of punch. The bass player I normally work with uses it for rehearsals, but gigs with a Trace Elliott combo.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Xrix]

I know that one . The shape control is like a filter that cuts certain frequencies, selectable with the Shape knob. So that won't help much I'm afraid.
You probably need to boost a specific Midrange frequency to get a good growl... Probably between 500 and 800 Hz I think...


Xrix.