“Howdy from Buffalo NY. I just finished three weeks of touring with the new bass. I love it. It’s ingenious, and I can charge admission every time I fold or unfold it. I’m impressed at it’s resistance to feedback. We play in a wide variety of situations, and as long as it will fit on the stage, it’s stupendous. Thanks for sharing all the hard work, trial and error, sleepless nights, and long flights to make this a reality. Cheers!
-David Miller
Asleep at the Wheel
“I received the upright in perfect conditions. It’s an amazing instrument! Much easier to play than I expected. Thank you very much for lowering the action, for the lighter strings, the dots and for making this gorgeous instrument!
-Denis Fernández Gridchin
Barcelona, Spain
“Just wanted to follow up and let you know I received the bass and played the first gig with it last night at a good venue. The bass is truly amazing and it’s an honor to play it. Thanks for the incredible craftsmanship that went into it. I look forward to the journey that lies ahead with the new bass.
-Keith Summers
Lafayette, Colorado
“I purchased my CFB back in September 2015. I wanted to get in touch to let you know how much I have enjoyed playing this instrument. I just got off a month long tour with the Austin Piazzolla Quintet using every transit option available. The bass and the case held up great night after night. The band plays Nuevo Tango, a sort of mix between classical and jazz, and using only a DPA 4099 sent to the front of house I received more compliments on my playing and tone than I ever have with my carved bass that I was using in the past. I’ve always known that all bets are off once you start amplifying, but the sonic character of the CFB sits really well in the mix for this particular group. Thank you for a great product, and a great instrument. It’s made being a bassist infinitely more sustainable on the road.
-Pat Harris
Delmar, NY
-Roberto Cassani
Scotland, UK
“The Chadwick folding bass is great. it’s loud, even, and a pleasure to pizz, bow, and slap. for the first time ever i have checked my bass CURBSIDE for a flight with NO charges.”
– Jim Singleton
New Orleans, LA
“I’ve traveled all over the place…smooth as butter…
I’ve even started bringing it in to sessions,
something i didn’t expect that I was going to do..but it merges so well
with other instruments, and with space”
– George Koller
Holly Cole, John McDermott, David Clayton-Thomas, Ian Tyson
“I’ve had my Chadwick for a month and I’m thoroughly impressed.
Even if it didn’t fold up it would be one of the best plywood basses
I’ve ever come across, and it certainly puts any other plywood bass
I’ve encountered to shame when it comes to arco playing.
Charlie is amazing with customer service and I’m really looking forward
to many years of playing this bass – he’s really nailed it.”
– Jon Maharaj
Reg Schwager, Mike Murley, Christian Scott, Matt Stevens, Dione Taylor
“First of all, let me say that it continues to be a real pleasure to be playing my CFB! I’ve been logging lots of airplane miles with the bass and it keeps performing great. I took it to Europe this spring and was thrilled that the case even fits in the luggage rack on Thalys trains, whose conductors are notorious for charging oversize fees to bassists who have other, bulkier travel bass cases. So hooray for that! The CFB also saved the day on one car trip in Austria, where the band had to fit everything into just a little less space than we would have liked. Anyhow, I found myself talking about the bass with lots of happy promoters and lots of curious other musicians too.””
– Anton Hatwich
Chicago Bassist, Composer, Recording Artist, Music Teacher.
Aram Shelton Quartet
“Riders In The Sky just came back from ten days in Alaska, playing 13 shows ranging from the Alaskan Performing Arts Center in Anchorage to the multipurpose room of Seldovia’s K-12 school. (Total enrollment: 43) To get to Seldovia you have to either fly or climb aboard the Mulligan and zip across Kachemak Bay. The weather turned iffy, so we took the Mulligan, strapping our gear, including my indefatigable Chadwick Folding Bass, astern. Past sea otters, whales, and sea birds, over the bounding main we sped, arriving at the gig, setting up my bass in no time, and putting on a show for folks who don’t see a lot of shows, unless you count the northern lights. I’ve played Alaska a fair amount, always dreading the uncertainty of playing rented/borrowed instruments of every kind and caliber. Not this time, thanks to my Chadwick Folding Bass. This time I didn’t have to worry, and I could concentrate fully on eating yet another round of halibut and roast bear, better known as Alaskan Surf and Turf.”
– Too Slim
Riders In The Sky
“I did a five week tour in Europe in January and February of this year and did not encounter any extra fees for the bass on any of my flights to Europe or around Europe. It’s under the weight limit of 50 lbs so it’s just treated like a suitcase. Some of the budget airlines these days don’t allow any suitcases, so that is the only fee you may run into, but you’d want to just check out your itinerary and look into what each airline’s policies are. I also found the bass to be very easy to get around with once I would arrive at my destination. Especially in comparison to some of the alternative options for travel basses. I’ve also traveled with the Czeck-ease before and in it’s travel case it’s pretty un-managable. It’s hard to cart around and even harder to fit into a vehicle. The Chadwick bass fits in the back of a taxi cab!”
– Bridget Kearney
Lake Street Dive, Joy Kills Sorrow, XYLOPOHOLKS, Cuddle Magic
“… the bass has become my main bass, the setup is really great! It’s the first bass I’ve had that has no really annoying buzzes somewhere on the fingerboard. Harry Stinson’s seen us twice now with the bass and both times he’s been raving about how good it sounds. Our soundguy also really likes it. He says it sounds way better than the Eminence that we used to tour with. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on my sound from house soundtechs and other bassplayers as well, one soundtech actually said that’s the best Upright bass sound I’ve ever heard! And lot’s of people have commented on how good it looks. It always causes a stir when people see me setting it up and people are extra blown away when I explain to them how you can fold it up to travel with it. Quite a few bass players have said they are very interested in getting one! And with the foam taped to the inside of the F holes there is virtually no Feedback! We did a festival with 25,000 people a couple weeks ago and it sounded great!”
– Kurt Ciesla
Corb Lund and the Hurtin Albertan’s
“First, the difference in portability as compared to a standard 3/4 size flight case is just amazing. The Chadwick Folding Bass is so much lighter and easier to travel with. The bass is well protected in its travel case and I’ve had no difficulty whatsoever checking it with airlines or transporting it in different sized vehicles. Second, I love how easily and quickly it can be set up. It only takes a few minutes and I have a real standard 3/4 sized bass. For me, nothing compares to the feel of a full neck set at the correct angle to a properly sized acoustic sound chamber. Third, I’m very impressed with how smoothly the Chadwick Bass plays, and it possesses quite an excellent acoustic tone. And then, it’s so beautifully finished on top of these qualities! I believe that any professional musician would be proud to present this instrument to an audience. In all of these regards, it’s superior to basses I’ve previously used for traveling, not to mention the vast majority of the ones I’ve had to hire or borrow when on the road. Finally, I’ll just say, I wish I had one of these years ago! The Chadwick Folding Bass is a revolution for the traveling double bassist. Thank you, Charlie, for your innovative and excellent design. It’s really making my job easier and even more enjoyable.”
– Jake Erwin
Hot Club of Cowtown
Austin, TX
“I have had my carved-top Chadwick since December 2012, and this past week offered to lend it to the local jazz festival for some traveling artists who haven’t yet heard of the Chadwick Folding Bass. There were two European bands, one who’d brought their own detachable neck bass, and the other who were using my “festival bass” and they compared instruments after the sound-check. The guy with the detachable neck bass tried the Chadwick, remarked on how great it sounded, but then proceeded to tell everyone in earshot how much better it is to have a travel bass (like his) as a touring musician because you can have your own bass, even if it doesn’t sound as good, because the compromise isn’t worth it. The festival staff just all started laughing, and nobody had the heart to tell him that the one he had just admitted sounded much better was in fact a Chadwick folding bass!! The player using the “festival bass” had no idea either. He was told much later, at the bar, and didn’t believe it until demonstrated. Wow that was funny. In closing, I counted 8 Chadwicks on the main stage during our 10 day festival. They all sounded great, but I still think mine sounds best with the carved top, Full Circle and Velvet Anima strings. Thanks a bunch!”
– Lukas Pearse
Halifax, Nova Scotia
“The Chadwick Folding bass is a reliable workhorse of an instrument. Besides being an ingenious folding contraption for travel and storage, it is already a well crafted musical instrument, a Shen SB-100, specially modified at the Shen factory. It is an excellent bass for jazz, pop,folk, and country. With the right strings (Pirastro Flexacores for me), the bass can function as a student orchestral instrument. It plugs in through my David Gauge Realist pickup for a warm, round tone and a big robust amplified arco sound. It slaps loud and even for bluegrass and rockabilly. Charlie Chadwick himself is one of the best features of the product. Throughout my purchase, he was available to answer my questions, and helped talk me through the finer parts of selecting an instrument. He’s an obviously creative man that loves discovering the way things work. Chadwick gives good guarantees, and is a square dealer (hard to find in Nashville, TN!). The folding features of the bass are surprising and functional. The neck literally swings on a hinge into the interior of the bass, which is accessible through a removable panel in the back of the instrument. Once the interior is accessed, the instrument’s fretboard, end-pin, strings, bridge, and neck all store in comfortable clips and boxes that hold them snugly for transport. In addition, the CFB comes in a hard flight case that can be checked as luggage on an airplane. I recommend this bass as an outstanding touring bass. The instrument folds into a solid, compact travel piece that will protect the bass, and leave room for the banjo player. At its price, it is a great deal for a fine instrument.”
– F.M. Turner
Houston, TX
Freelance bassist
String Bass Instructor, San Jacinto College (South Campus)
Author of Sonic Vitamins, Flat 5 Press, 2010
“The bass sounds great and plays excellent! I just cant believe how solid it is. I was a little timid at first cause I play rockabilly and slap the heck out of my basses. Was afraid parts would rattle loose. Not a problem at all! very nicely crafted. Just got done doing two six hour sessions and there is not even concern for potential problems!
The tone is incredible as well. Nice and thick but still punchy, not muddy at all… It sounds better then one of my stand ups that was designed to play rockabilly!”
– Ryan Blanchard
“just wanted to tell you that I’m back from the tour i was on, and the bass was GREAT!!! we had such a good time together. everything, from the sound and the portability and durability…wonderful. thank you. The whole shebang even flew out of the trunk of a taxi in Istanbul and bounced down a cobblestone hill…no damage. We went to Denmark, Germany, Holland, the Czech republic, Switzerland, and Turkey. I hiked for many miles with it and took it on buses, subways, ferries, even cargo bicycles.”
– Kurt Johnson