Gibson Mando Bass

[Dave W]

This Walter Carter video is two years old, I don't remember seeing it before. For what it is, it sounds pretty good.

[Ken]

Is that the Mandalorian instrument of choice?

[Basvarken]

Nice video.

[morrow]

I once considered buying one in Toronto , it was only $1500 , but it was going to need serious restoration.

… and I was going to have to get it to Halifax.

[uwe]

We've had pictures of it, but never a vid with its actual sound. I'd like to hear it playing contemporary music with a nice acoustic pup.

That it was fretted was really quite a novelty then. What scale is it?

[Basvarken]

What scale is it?

Same as a 3/4 upright

[uwe]

41.5" then - bedankt!

[ilan]

https://youtu.be/eleGc_kzKkQ?si=gWI3hHziuV7W_U2p

[uwe]

Danke Ilan, I’m not a double bass specialist, but it doesn’t really sound THAT great, does it? Not like a real double bass. And you can hear the frets, but not in a good way.

Thoughts and comments?

[Basvarken]

Same here.
It sounds weak. Crappy even at some points.

I did not suffer any GAS when I saw that other video. But if I would have had a GAS attack, this video (with the three mando basses) sure would have cured it...

[ilan]

Sounds crappy to me too. I don't think it's because of the frets, as it is the body size. You need a huge body to produce and project upright bass frequencies. And a carved top, and a soundpost to move the back.

Baroque basses had frets — gut strings tied around the neck that can slide a little bit according to the scale of the piece you're playing. That was before Bach's meantone temperament tuning.

https://youtu.be/tu9MBgXJ3bQ?si=p1N98iTcYxyx4B11

[uwe]

Well, it's certainly an artifact.

But Gibson won't do a reissue anytime soon! 

[Dave W]

Here's a mando group witha mando bassist who reminds me of Bob Hope.

Don't know the official name of the group but that's Looyd Loar in the center.

[Chris P.]

The guys on Talkbass right now: with which pickups can I make that Gibson Mando sound like a Fender?

[ilan]

that's Lloyd Loar in the center.

He must have been thinking, 'I can improve that lame giant teardrop too, how about some f-holes, violin family construction, carved top and back, oh wait... never mind'