A bass the size of a big ukulele

Another bonus from being at Westport during the Festival was meeting Robert and Susie Bowe (from Colorado, USA, and now resident in Brindisi, Italy), who perform as the duo Bowe Country: Susie on vocals, guitar, and mandolin, and Robert on bass.

Robert usually plays upright bass, but had not bothered to lug the upright from Italy. Instead, he was playing an example of the remarkable little Ashbory bass, invented in Britain thirty-five years ago by Alun Ashworth-Jones and Nigel Thornbory. His Ashbory, like the one shown left, was blue; they are now also made by DeArmond in red and black. The scale length is 18", midway between that for the tenor and baritone ukuleles, and the strings are silicone rubber. There's plenty about them on the web; a very informative site is here. Not appropriate for a traditional bluegrass band on stage, perhaps; but ideal for jamming in confined spaces...