The Czech-Ease Acoustic Road Bass
by John Montalbano
The acoustic upright bass is a big commitment as it is, both in learning to play it and traveling with it. As a suburban dweller, a large factor in my decision-making when buying a car is whether or not I can fit my bass. Some people bring their girlfriends or wives. I brought my bass. City-dweller bassists usually develop pretty strong calf muscles walking scores of city blocks to a gig. Fat chance getting your bass into a taxi. It will also cost you hundreds of dollars to travel by air with a bass, and imagine the horrified looks of your bandmates when you try to stuff it on a tour bus. From the moment I first walked into his shop in New York City as a college kid, David Gage treated me like his oldest and best customer. Taking his customers seriously and listening to the needs of the bass community regarding portability and sound have led to the development of the Czech-Ease Acoustic Road Bass.
The key to the Czech-Ease Acoustic Road Bass is in its shape. While this may seem like the obvious solution to make an acoustic bass portable, for a professional musician, serious design consideration had to be integrated to maintain the true sound of an acoustic bass. When looking at the bass, the size constraints were obviously compromised by reducing the size of the bottom portion of the bass. The squat appearance, however, still maintains a classic look complete with a nicely sculpted scroll, which is detachable purely to diminish travel size. The neck and shoulders are the parts of the bass that are usually in physical contact with the player, and are proportioned as a full-sized bass. I found this to be a major plus because it essentially eliminates any learning curve like you may experience with an electric upright bass.
The Czech-Ease is made from laminated wood, but don't consider that a drawback in any way. Some of the greatest vintage upright basses are made from the same materials. In fact, laminates can prove to be much more stable than one single piece. The fingerboard is top-quality ebony, and it comes with an adjustable bridge complete with the Realist pickup. The graphite endpin is extra long to compensate for reduced body length. The package also includes its hard-shell travel case, which brings the total weight to about 55 pounds to go.
You would expect that the sound of a bass of diminished size would be a compromise compared to the sound of the full-size doghouse. Just like any instrument, every upright bass has its own personality. The Czech-Ease bass has a very articulated but warm pizzicato sound with a comfortable sustain. Using a bow it sounded very full and vocal. It may not be the loudest bass out there, but it is louder than many full-sized basses I've played. Keep in mind too that it takes time for a brand new bass to "break in." When a brand new bass is made, from the time the last glue clamp is removed it begins to change. Wood expands and contracts relative to temperature, humidity and pressure. When an upright bass is played, the entire structure resonates. These influences change the structure of the instrument and the bass eventually begins to open up. If the Czech-Ease bass sounds this good brand new, imagine what it will sound like over time!
The Czech-Ease Acoustic Road Bass from David Gage Stringed Instruments is a prime solution for the active bass player without compromising sound or aesthetics. For more information, visit www.davidgage.com.
