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DaXun Zhang's 3/4 Walnut Doublebass |
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In 2011 I had the unique opportunity to build and design a doublebass for DaXun. He was initially impressed with a 7/8 Lloyd Gamba that I built in 2010, but wanted f-holes and an outline that was more Italian in style and a mid-sized body better suited for transport. The outline of this 3/4 Violin pattern is based on the principles of my larger basses. Specifically: long C-bouts that do not interfere with bow movement and a slender uppper body that allows the bassist complete access to thumb position. From my experience in repair and setup I knew that a bass's volume and projection had more to do with arching, bass bar placement, and overall construction than it did sheer body size. The goal was to design a beautiful 3/4 instrument that gave total freedom to the bass player, tonally and physically. |
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The neck set can make or break how easy a doublebass plays. Bassists need complete access to the entire fingerboard and a neck that is comfortable for the left hand and shoulder. This bass as well as every Lloyd bass uses a non-adjustable carbon fiber truss rod that is permanently glued inside the neck hardwood. Carbon fiber adds a significant amount of strength for it's relatively light mass. Many contemporary bass makers are using this technique and I believe, in the future, bassists will have far less problems with necks bowing forward and warping. |
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Not all flatback basses are created equal. The traditional bracing method used in flatback gamba-family construction is troublesome for larger instruments. Usually there are 3 braces (upper, middle, lower) and they are glued 90 degrees to the grain of the back. As the back wood moves through the seasons it wants to slighly expand and contract. In other words: the back is in charge and 90 degree-bracing constricts the back from breathing. As a result the back starts to develop cracks. The great bass maker Abraham Prescott observed this and 45 degree X-bracing has been seen in his instruments dating back to the year 1820. DaXun's bass uses just two braces in a "Y" pattern. The back wood itself is also lightly graduated in the uppper bout as to allow a gentle, low-stress transition from the upper corner block to the neck block. No break/bend, no kerf, and no 3rd bracing is needed to make this happen. |
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This highly figured Claro Walnut is sourced from a selection of U.S. wood dealers. I prefer Walnut for it's stability, color, and tonal characteristics. Scroll carving is very time consuming and I use a variety of German, French, and Japanese hand tools to achieve a final balance of classic proportions with my own individual style.
Another misconception about doublebasses is a longer string length equals more volume. DaXun's bass is 40.5" inches. It is also incredibly clear, bassy, resonant... and loud. The volume of a doublebass has more to do with arching, construction, setup and of course the person playing the instrument. At the 2011 ISB Convention DaXun Zhang gave a recital on Wednesday evening with his Lloyd 3/4 bass to a standing-room audience. The next day a bassist came by my booth and remarked how wonderful DaXun's performance was, but he wished that a microphone had not been used. In fact no microphone was used for this concert! The sound he heard that night was coming from two acoustic instruments: a grand piano and a modern Lloyd doublebass. |
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