Five-String Double Bass

Much interest had been shown in the five-stringed bass and Tom has had to come to grips with the age old problems that beset most - for example: how to achieve the same quick response, deep sound quality, and singing upper register as the four stringer.

There are now 5-stringed basses by Thomas Martin in the U.K., Ireland, Denmark, and the U.S.A. The reaction has been that they are "the same to play as the four stringed model but with an extra string". The successful results haven't come without a lot of thought.

The five-stringed bass is based on the full size Martin Double Bass. The string length is 106 cm. The example shown here is in the finest European maple and is played in a prominent Danish orchestra. The Ruggeri Double Bass also makes an excellent five-string bass.

More photos of the 5-Sting Bass

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