Through collaborations with Francois Rabbath, Nicholas Walker, Patrick Neher, and other musicians I invented a new removable endpin. This endpin is installed at an angle in a conical hole drilled in the lower block near the back of the double bass.
The endpin is made of a graphite rod glued in a conical plug made of hard wood like ebony, rosewood or boxwood. A rubber ball of a specific composite and density provides solid contact with almost any floor.
Two goals have been achieved as a result of this invention :
-due to the displacement of weight on the left thumb, the player feels a lighter instrument. This gives more comfort to the musician who stands with the face of the bass open, as in the traditional seated position.
-there is a notable increase in the fullness of tone. This is due to the tilted instrument, which allows for more projection, and more freedom in the vibration of the instrument due to the removal of the weighty steal end pin.
A blindfold test of the same instrument played with a regular endpin, and with the Laborie-endpin proves without doubt this improvement of tone.
For more than a decade, luthiers from around the world have been installing this endpin for soloists. It is now used in many orchestras. In testimony of its success and popularity, it is interesting to note that at the 2009 ISB Convention, nearly every prize winner was a double bassist who uses this kind of endpin when standing.
The endpin is made of a graphite rod glued in a conical plug made of hard wood like ebony, rosewood or boxwood. A rubber ball of a specific composite and density provides solid contact with almost any floor.
Two goals have been achieved as a result of this invention :
-due to the displacement of weight on the left thumb, the player feels a lighter instrument. This gives more comfort to the musician who stands with the face of the bass open, as in the traditional seated position.
-there is a notable increase in the fullness of tone. This is due to the tilted instrument, which allows for more projection, and more freedom in the vibration of the instrument due to the removal of the weighty steal end pin.
A blindfold test of the same instrument played with a regular endpin, and with the Laborie-endpin proves without doubt this improvement of tone.
For more than a decade, luthiers from around the world have been installing this endpin for soloists. It is now used in many orchestras. In testimony of its success and popularity, it is interesting to note that at the 2009 ISB Convention, nearly every prize winner was a double bassist who uses this kind of endpin when standing.
