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 Tested the Gear4Music (=Kessler?) Low C Bass
Author: Kalashnikirby 
Date:   2018-05-16 13:14

Hi all,

Out of sheer curiosity I've bought the G4M Bass, with their "30-day-money-back-guarantee" in mind, I just had try this one out and compare it to some other basses I've played. For now, I'll keep it short, but if you guys are willing, I'll post a more detailed review next week. Nevertheless, I wanted to give a few insights on why to probably buy the Ridenour, not the Kessler (or G4M).

First let me explain that I'm 99% it's the same instrument like the Kessler: It's ABS, the case has these Backpack straps and identical layout, but the Kessler is a little more "deluxe" and the keywork design + pads are identical.

Whether it's because this Instrument was declared as B-Stock or because the keys are bendy, the first problem was that the LH low D lever wouldn't work as the F/C lever was in the way, bent to the right. Then, some pad heights would have needed a little adjustment; the throad G# and throat A are about 20 cents too sharp, as the keys open to much (to my liking; maybe the tone holes are misdimensioned??) and this could be easily corrected, I guess. The pad cup for the chalumeau D was getting stuck in a somewhat complex mechanism, causing it not to fully rise and making the E too flat. Other than that, intonation was pretty decent and the notes spoke very well.

Yet, it's missing something. By chance, I'm practising the Courante from the Cello Suite No.1 and this is the same piece that M. Lowenstern plays in his Ridenour review - I wondered, do I sound THAT bland in comparison? The answer is still yes, but on my Leblanc 430S, especially the low notes are much "fuller" and can produce a nice vibrato, which doesn't seem to be possible with the G4M. I suppose due to the different (Yamaha-copied) bore concept.

So overall, intonation seems OK thus far and the instrument is very easy to play. But it definetely needs work on some key rods, despite having very little play and nicely set pads, actually. The use of cork pads one the register mechanism is ideal, and the others seem to be decent quality leather ones with resonators; the keys aren't as bendy as on other cheap chinese clarinets, but not as flexible as forged keys, so when they bend, they'll bend for good! There are some other caveats I should post later.

And yet, it's a good instrument and these little corrections shouldn't be too expensive to have them done by an experienced technican. I simply found that it's tone is too mediocre, lacking dynamic possibilities and that they keywork might or might not be a huge risk factor, for we cannot know how smoothly it'll work after 1-2 years of use even without being bend a single time. Nevertheless, the keywork feels pretty solid and ergonomical.
You see, there's a lot of antagonisms, I mean, the fact I paid 1,1€ for a low C instrument is crazy in itself, it shouldn't be possible for that instrument to be anywhere near good as it is. Did I mention the tone holes are undercut? Likewise, the Ridenour is still a great offer, but if the keys aren't significantly stronger, I wouldn't expect it to last long unless it's transported very carefully.
If you guys like, I can attach sound files of me playing the Bach with my Leblanc and this instrument, but keep in mind I've been doing bass for only 3 months ;)

There are a few more pros and cons to post about this instrument, but that sums it up for now. Just take these YouTube reviews on the Kessler bass with a grain of salt, they're leaving far too much out. On the other hand, these guys didn't seem to have problems with bendy keys, or did they? Even if the Kessler bass is set up much better, it's going to have most of the issues I posted

Best regards
Christian

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 Re: Tested the Gear4Music (=Kessler?) Low C Bass
Author: jdbassplayer 
Date:   2018-05-16 16:22

Just because it looks like a Kessler doesn't mean it's the same instrument. The tricky thing with Chinese instruments is that they are almost always copied from the same design. While all Chinese bass clarinets may look the same, there are actually dozens of shops across China making them. These range from rudimentary workshops using unskilled workers to full factories with good quality control. I can tell you that my 2013 Ridenour had much stronger keywork than my first no name low C bass which I purchased in 2013 directly from China. Also the Ridenour was rubber while the generic no name bass was some type of plastic. Even though the instruments were the same design for the most part, they were definitely made with different materials. I don't think it's fair to judge the Kessler based on the shortcomings of the G4M bass.

-Jdbassplayer

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 Re: Tested the Gear4Music (=Kessler?) Low C Bass
Author: Kalashnikirby 
Date:   2018-05-16 20:26

We have probably already discussed this and I've said that I would've tried the Kessler if I could, however in case of G4M, do you honestly think that if they recently added a wooden Eb model just like Kessler did, with the exact same case, these aren't stencils from one and the same factory? How come the key corks are cut in exactly the same way on the Kessler and the G4M bass?
It's so much more likely that Kessler just does a better job at regulating these instruments, plus they're a much smaller company, hence the higher price. I refuse to believe that they're somehow able to offer better instruments, when they're significantly cheaper than a Ridenour.

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