Today we’d like to introduce you to Quantum Bass Center.
Quantum Bass, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Quantum Bass Center is (to our knowledge) the world’s only comprehensive resource center for bass players, offering instruments, repairs, and education. It opened its doors in 2011 in answer to an acute need for resources for bass players in the fourth-largest city in the US. It rapidly established the largest collection of upright basses in the southeastern quadrant of the country and has showcased the finest antique basses ever displayed for sale in the history of the city. It’s the only place in Texas, and other neighboring states, to view a continuously-rotating collection of some 50 double basses of many types and countries of origin. Its collaborative team has developed their instrument-repair skills from early-stage apprentices to performing the largest-scale repairs and restorations on a world-class level. Orchestral professionals from around the country send in their basses for repairs and upgrades. Students in Quantum Bass Center’s classes have been accepted to some of the country’s top conservatories. Quantum Bass Center represents individual instrument makers, composers, and small publishers, selling their work at little to no commission, in order to give these artisans a marketplace. It has also always placed philanthropy above any profit motive, and has donated instruments, repairs, parts, and tuition to many local schools and students.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Quantum Bass Center mostly represents makers and composers who produce work for bass players, but the luthiers do hand-make some parts and upgrades for instruments that are unique. The center is embarking on making its first double bass this summer. The unique factor in Quantum Bass Center’s work is in contrast to unquestioningly following the 500-year-old tradition of making basses like giant violins, it uses thoroughly researched, physics-based principles behind everything it makes. This supports the differences between basses and the rest of the violin family, and makes the basses much easier to play, and have superior sound.
How can artists connect with other artists?
Actually, Quantum Bass Center has always offered itself as a place for musicians to network. As it’s a laid-back space with lots of instruments to try hands-on, and holds classes and workshops, there are frequently conversations and spontaneous jam sessions by visitors. Additionally, Quantum Bass Center is located inside a non-profit center for the arts, which has some private artists’ studios and has different types of theatre, dance, poetry, comedy, and visual arts events happening in the downstairs theatres nearly every weekend.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Visitors are always welcome during Quantum Bass Center’s business hours, Tuesday through Saturday. There are numerous local professionals that own basses and other stringed instruments they bought here or had substantially upgraded here. The best way to support Quantum Bass Center is to let any musician friends know that by choosing this small local business for their basic stringed-instrument needs, they are supporting the music community in Houston as a whole, as it furthers Quantum Bass Center’s philanthropic efforts, and, as the shop is highly responsive, the more visitors come in with requests, the more resources are brought in for string players to see and try out.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3414 La Branch St, Houston 77004
- Website: www.quantumbasscenter.com
- Phone: 713-909-0994
- Email: TeamQBC@quantumbasscenter.com
- Instagram: @quantumbasscenter
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quantumbasscenterinc
- Twitter: #quantumbasscent
Image Credit:
Quantum Bass Center staff
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