Double Bass Banjo... Oh yes, its brilliant....

[BassJase]

[url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/30/57345330.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/30/57345330.html[/url]

[Happy Jack]

That's a great spot, Jase. I'm actually quite tempted by that ... another way to wind up my lead guitarsehole.

[theosd]

Haha brilliant!

[Happy Jack]

Despite advertising it as London, this is actually in Bristol!

He's going to bring it up to London next week for me to have a go on it ...

Got chatting to the guy. He has a matched pair of Wal Customs and is thinking of selling the fretless so that he can buy a 5-string fretted Wal.

[Cat Burrito]

I was VERY tempted by this myself but just can't justify the space. Someone will get a cool looking novelty if not a whole lot more

[Annoying Twit]

I've seen one of these. It was either in "The Acoustic Music Company" in Brighton, or in Foulds in Derby.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[datainadequate]

Thanks to everyone for showing an interest in this. The double bass banjo of doom has now found a new home. Next up, must get serious about selling my Wal Mk I fretless...

[gjones]

They have one of these in the Taybank Hotel in Dunkeld in Perthshire (which holds acoustic sessions throughout the week). It's made with a precision fretted neck attached to a bassdrum skin stretched on a frame with a spike protruding from the bottom of the frame so it can be played upright. It's sounds fantastic with loads of oooomph and the volume of an upright double bass (louder than an acoustic bass guitar). And amazingly it's lighter than an average electric bass. If someone built these in decent numbers (rather than a one off novelty) they would sell like hotcakes!

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='gjones' post='835787' date='May 12 2010, 11:27 PM']They have one of these in the Taybank Hotel in Dunkeld in Perthshire (which holds acoustic sessions throughout the week). It's made with a precision fretted neck attached to a bassdrum skin stretched on a frame with a spike protruding from the bottom of the frame so it can be played upright. It's sounds fantastic with loads of oooomph and the volume of an upright double bass (louder than an acoustic bass guitar). And amazingly it's lighter than an average electric bass. If someone built these in decent numbers (rather than a one off novelty) they would sell like hotcakes![/quote]

What is the bridge attached to?

[Happy Jack]

Hard to describe - there was a framework of L-shape steel struts to stop the drum from collapsing under the tension, the framework being just below the double-skinned drum-head.

The bridge (which was huge) was a floating unit resting on the drum-head and pushing it down until it more-or-less met the framework.

One of the main things that persuaded me not to buy it was that I could see no way to adjust the action, which was high, high, high. The bridge was a solid unit and I couldn't find a truss-rod anywhere.

The bass was still playable and actually sounded pretty good, especially through a small practice amp, but it didn't take long to realise that I'd be in serious blister territory if I tried playing it for more than a few songs.

[gjones]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='835903' date='May 13 2010, 09:15 AM']What is the bridge attached to?[/quote]

Hmmmmm, I can't remember but I'm assuming it must be the attached to the metal bass skin frame in some way. Possibly like a very, very big banjo.