Re: Using Cello as a stand up bass ?
I'm another real potty trained 'cellist. My take on it is a 'cello is no substitute for a bass, and a bass is no substitute for a 'cello. Each has it's own contribution. I still have my 'cello but never found it very satisfying in a bluegrass or old time jam. You don't have the contrast because you are in the same pitch range as the guitars, and you don't have near the volume of a bass. That doesn't mean there isn't a place for it in Bluegrass--it's just not going to be a one for one substitute for a bass.
Now, the one real advantage of a 'cello is the tuning is in fifths and the notes lie in the same relationship as a mandolin. It's not hard to switch between the two. Playing a bass tuned in fourths drives me nuts, so I tend to re-tune them in fifths and then I don't have to think about it when I am playing.
Phil Vinyard
Gibson Jam Master F Standard #12 May 13, 2009
Gibson Model A #67336 ca. 1921
Harwood Bowlback ca. 1900
Trinity College TM-325 Octave Mandolin
Freshwater Mandocello
Krutz 200 Upright Bass
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