Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2023-07-15 14:43
If you live in Europe and want a bass like the Kessler or Ridenour, the first thing that you discover is that they are not available here . To make matters worse, we don't seem to have much tradition of offering independent reviews of what we do have available. Gear4music's idea of a review, seems to be a rotating video shot of an instrument under spotlights .... Something which is very persuasive in reenforcing the idea that it's a 3D object, but even if the review were more than that, it would still be hogwash propaganda .
So short of actually getting ones hands on one the these European options to try it, what does one have to go by on the decision. Well to begin with, a lot of the instruments offered out there are from the Sunwin Fabian Chinese manufacturers, the same as the Kessler and Ridenour . Leslie Cravens " Craven Sonoro BC 01 and BC 02" definitely are, in fact the BC 02 is the Ridenour in all but printed logo. Gear4music's Odessey and Rosedale are almost certainly also from the same manufacturers and are moderately priced , although they are ABS rather than hard rubber and both these models ( Seemingly identical ?) are without a low D mechanism with curving arms to press closed the cups in the chain, which assumes ( I wouldn't !) that the five large toneholes in question will close properly through revers power transmission up through the linkage .
Then there is the Thomann BCL-C offer, both in Blackwood and composite . Again I strongly suspect these are another Sunwin Fabian product . These horns appear to have everything one could desire in keywork design . An extra RH low D pinky option with the LH option linking across normally,( rather than the Ridenour's strange contraption). The long rods are all nicely capped . There are rollers on the basset thumb keys for what that's worth. The neck has a reenforcing crest . There is even a vent in the bell . Looking closely there is quite extensive use of little Philips screws for mounting, which are somewhat poorly countersink and/or with chewed up slots. One of the rod capping straps in the stock images also appears severely mauled . Aside from these details mounted by Xiang Xiang the Panda,these bass' look promising and if they are indeed SF manufacturered products then they look like the flagships.
I think the real question with the Chinese SF manufacturers, is not wether they can make a decent instrument, so much as why they offer a range of keywork designs with precious little manufacturing costs between them, some of which are clearly mechanically superior to others . I can only imagine that it's part of a smoke screen that sellers want to suggest the distinction of their product . A distinction that aside from these keywork differences probably doesn't significantly exist . Apart from the Thomann offer which appears to only sport the rather distinctive Sunwin Fabian style peg screw, other telltale features of this manufacturer are .....basset keys, thumb rest and strap ring , the locking plate and also the neck. I might be wrong that these features are exclusive to SF...but I doubt it.
If I'm right about this, than at least one has an indicator towards the low C s from these a reasonably reputable Chinese manufacturer.
These are largely speculative observations however, aimed at hopefully casting a little light on the European budget low C bass buying dilemma.
I'm sure that more detailed and firsthand experience-based contributions on this subject would provide valuable and appreciable guidance to us prospective buyers this side of the pond .
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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The Clarinet BBoard
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