British old-school G bass

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This week I asked our colleague Ed Solomon to help out in a Vaughan Williams rehearsal on his "Betty" model G bass and I think I'm in love (with the sound, that is, not Ed). We were using a couple of medium-bore tenors.

Despite the small bell, it's clearly a bass sound but focussed and clear, and it matches perfectly with a British-style tuba for the bass line. Perhaps the best word to describe it is "presence". Obviously, the post-war standard here on US instruments is much higher, but I think we gave up something important too.

Meanwhile, I may not have a G bass, but now I know what the concept should be.