I may be purchasing a VanderAa box.I want more basses and im wondering should i get a 10 bass or 12 bass.I like the thirds on the chords because I feel it gives more richness to the chords.But then i wonder will it be to heavy! I thought i might get a ten bass and take out the thirds out of the chords like E which are pretty useless with the thirds.Some opinions?
Also would a ten bass with all the thirds in it be heavier than a 12 bass without? Thanks
I would get the 12 bass, without the thirds; it'll give you more options. As far as weight, I wouldn't worry too much, unless you're built like a sparrow. I have a 16-bass, with thirds removed, and it doesn't bother me one bit.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ceilihouse/1043815.html
Listen to 1:40:00 on programe 11.Thats the way I play and thats the sound I like in the bass..I really dont want to take out the thirds except for maby E.Will this be much heavier than a box without the thirds? pennhorse, i asume your 16 bass was mad by the brilliant vanderAa?
Brilliant ! You obviously like the piper/drone approach, as opposed to the rhythmic piano lighter touch. I honestly don't know how much weight the thirds woud add. Just e-mail VanDerAa. By the way my box was built by the equally brilliant Bertrand Gaillard. Van DerAa is an excellent builder, that's for sure.
Yep hes gifted.......ill be playing with him on friday night at a gigcant wait!! Come to think of it he has a 12 bass with the thirds in it.I can try his to see how i like it.Pennhorse ,what do you mean by piano lighter touch?
If you don't want the basses to be too strong, then instruct the manufacturer that you want the bass buttons to only depress half of the way and for them to be tuned correctly when they are stopped half way down.
By inserting a row of cardboard above the felt beam which normally stops the basses, I was able to play normally but with a lighter bass volume. The trouble with my method is that as the basses in my accordion were perfectly tuned when fully depressed, they went slightly out of tune with my modification.
But then, I never really play bass with the exception of the competitions I used to do and sure they couldn't tell what was in or out of tune anyhow!
Ya jammy git dinn2 i would love to get my hands on a VanderAa box. Out of all the box builders web pages and such that you see Mr Frans VanderAa seems to have such a great looking finish and sound (sound file on homepage) on his boxes. Most definitely go for the 12 bass that's the way forward i can't comment on the weight aspect you'll just have to contact Frans. I think that the David Munnelly band use his boxes too so there's an example. Dinn2 you say you'll be playing with VanderAa at a gig? I thought he lives in Columbia or did you mean Gaillard? Anyway keep us posted on the progress with this box as i'm thinking of investing on one myself.
Ya ive played daves 12 bass but his has the thirds removed.I was refering to Fiachna O'Mongain when i said i would be playing a concert.Still early days yet upmine but if all goes to plan , ill have the box by october.
How have you found communication with VanderAa? That's the one thing that takes time when ordering as i found with Castagnari. You got to get something like this dead RIGHT the first time.
re: [tchim-boom, tchim-boom, tchim-boom kind of bass]
for some reason, b/c accordion configurations encourage if not limit you, to do this sort of bass. it is not coincidence that the electrifying basswork you listed involving cooley, macmahon, kimmel, etc (andrew macnamara also often sounds like this bass-wise), involves c#/d (or d/d#) players. i do not know why. i don't like tchim-boom, but on b/c the only alternative i have found workable is drone-like double stops...the c#/d basswork is definitely more thrilling.....
I have the Connemara III with the 12 basses. Get the 12 bass. You can do alot of really nice things to get away from always using alternating bass with alot of gaps when the bellow direction doesn't work for you.
On great bass players no one mentioned John Williams from Chicago. One of the best, if not the best players using bass that i've seen.
I shopped the VanderAa boxes. The ones I've seen/heard are superb instruments but I am in the US and the exchange rate is a real killer. My Connemara was a bit of an orphan purchased originally by someone with high aspirations, but alot of competition for practice time before the dollars free-fall. I
Sorry. The Connemara has a switch for thirds as well as a switch that cuts out the lower base reeds to tone down the bass volume w/o all the jerry-rigging of the mechanics of the box.
To my ear bass chords sound better without thirds even when playing in major keys. The equal-tempered third makes for pretty harsh triad. And it's not just my ear... a while ago I was sitting in with some people backing a singer and gently playing (thirdless) chords to fit with what they were doing. The (acoustic) guitarist commented on how good they sounded compared to what he was used to hearing from accordions and we established it was because of missing thirds.
So I'd go definitely for thirdless chords or, if you do want the thirds, ask the maker to make the default position of the register/stop to give no thirds.
I've heard a number of stories about difficulties encountered in gettting both van der Aa and Castagnari to understand exactly what you want and give it to you.
When you order from Gaillard, after you tell him what you want he sends you a chart of the layout for you to approve or inidcate any changes you want, and then sign it and return it to him. I like that!
accordion basses......
accordion basses......
I may be purchasing a VanderAa box.I want more basses and im wondering should i get a 10 bass or 12 bass.I like the thirds on the chords because I feel it gives more richness to the chords.But then i wonder will it be to heavy! I thought i might get a ten bass and take out the thirds out of the chords like E which are pretty useless with the thirds.Some opinions?
Also would a ten bass with all the thirds in it be heavier than a 12 bass without? Thanks
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
I would get the 12 bass, without the thirds; it'll give you more options. As far as weight, I wouldn't worry too much, unless you're built like a sparrow. I have a 16-bass, with thirds removed, and it doesn't bother me one bit.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by pennhorse
Re: accordion basses......
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ceilihouse/1043815.html
Listen to 1:40:00 on programe 11.Thats the way I play and thats the sound I like in the bass..I really dont want to take out the thirds except for maby E.Will this be much heavier than a box without the thirds? pennhorse, i asume your 16 bass was mad by the brilliant vanderAa?
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
Brilliant ! You obviously like the piper/drone approach, as opposed to the rhythmic piano lighter touch. I honestly don't know how much weight the thirds woud add. Just e-mail VanDerAa. By the way my box was built by the equally brilliant Bertrand Gaillard. Van DerAa is an excellent builder, that's for sure.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by pennhorse
Re: accordion basses......
Yep hes gifted.......ill be playing with him on friday night at a gig
cant wait!! Come to think of it he has a 12 bass with the thirds in it.I can try his to see how i like it.Pennhorse ,what do you mean by piano lighter touch?
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
You know, the tchim-boom, tchim-boom, tchim-boom kind of bass accompaniment (for lack of a better description!).
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by pennhorse
Re: accordion basses......
Oh ,like joe burke and the like.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
like this
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_255_5_darra_mulhearn/
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
Yeah, kind of. Nice playing, but a little too hurried for my taste.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by pennhorse
Re: accordion basses......
Damn right.The best are Cooley, MacMahon,Derrane and the great Kimmel.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
If you don't want the basses to be too strong, then instruct the manufacturer that you want the bass buttons to only depress half of the way and for them to be tuned correctly when they are stopped half way down.
By inserting a row of cardboard above the felt beam which normally stops the basses, I was able to play normally but with a lighter bass volume. The trouble with my method is that as the basses in my accordion were perfectly tuned when fully depressed, they went slightly out of tune with my modification.
But then, I never really play bass with the exception of the competitions I used to do and sure they couldn't tell what was in or out of tune anyhow!
Hope that ramble makes sense!
Martin.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by martin t
Re: accordion basses......
Ya jammy git dinn2 i would love to get my hands on a VanderAa box. Out of all the box builders web pages and such that you see Mr Frans VanderAa seems to have such a great looking finish and sound (sound file on homepage) on his boxes. Most definitely go for the 12 bass that's the way forward i can't comment on the weight aspect you'll just have to contact Frans. I think that the David Munnelly band use his boxes too so there's an example. Dinn2 you say you'll be playing with VanderAa at a gig? I thought he lives in Columbia or did you mean Gaillard? Anyway keep us posted on the progress with this box as i'm thinking of investing on one myself.
upmine3
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by upmine3
Re: accordion basses......
Ya ive played daves 12 bass but his has the thirds removed.I was refering to Fiachna O'Mongain when i said i would be playing a concert.Still early days yet upmine but if all goes to plan , ill have the box by october.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
How have you found communication with VanderAa? That's the one thing that takes time when ordering as i found with Castagnari. You got to get something like this dead RIGHT the first time.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by upmine3
Re: accordion basses......
re: [tchim-boom, tchim-boom, tchim-boom kind of bass]
for some reason, b/c accordion configurations encourage if not limit you, to do this sort of bass. it is not coincidence that the electrifying basswork you listed involving cooley, macmahon, kimmel, etc (andrew macnamara also often sounds like this bass-wise), involves c#/d (or d/d#) players. i do not know why. i don't like tchim-boom, but on b/c the only alternative i have found workable is drone-like double stops...the c#/d basswork is definitely more thrilling.....
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceemonster
Re: accordion basses......
thanks dinn2 for the link to Fiachna O'Mongain's lovely playing on the Ceili House program. Sounds like he was playing a D/D# box there.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dogbox
Re: accordion basses......
Yes,its on a HOHNER BLACKDOT!!!!!
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dinn2
Re: accordion basses......
Dinn2
I have the Connemara III with the 12 basses. Get the 12 bass. You can do alot of really nice things to get away from always using alternating bass with alot of gaps when the bellow direction doesn't work for you.
On great bass players no one mentioned John Williams from Chicago. One of the best, if not the best players using bass that i've seen.
I shopped the VanderAa boxes. The ones I've seen/heard are superb instruments but I am in the US and the exchange rate is a real killer. My Connemara was a bit of an orphan purchased originally by someone with high aspirations, but alot of competition for practice time before the dollars free-fall. I
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by zippydw
Re: accordion basses......
Sorry. The Connemara has a switch for thirds as well as a switch that cuts out the lower base reeds to tone down the bass volume w/o all the jerry-rigging of the mechanics of the box.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by zippydw
Re: accordion basses......
To my ear bass chords sound better without thirds even when playing in major keys. The equal-tempered third makes for pretty harsh triad. And it's not just my ear... a while ago I was sitting in with some people backing a singer and gently playing (thirdless) chords to fit with what they were doing. The (acoustic) guitarist commented on how good they sounded compared to what he was used to hearing from accordions and we established it was because of missing thirds.
So I'd go definitely for thirdless chords or, if you do want the thirds, ask the maker to make the default position of the register/stop to give no thirds.
I've heard a number of stories about difficulties encountered in gettting both van der Aa and Castagnari to understand exactly what you want and give it to you.
When you order from Gaillard, after you tell him what you want he sends you a chart of the layout for you to approve or inidcate any changes you want, and then sign it and return it to him. I like that!
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by Jeeves Tones