Stock quiver and the lever arm in park position along
the side of the body.Two years after I've started to learn how to play upright bass and playing pizzicato only (I play jazz only), I've decided to add a bow which is occasionally used and adds character to a tune. It immediately became evident that there is not place to put the bow to and regular quivers found in music stores and online would be problematic to attach to Stagg's skinny body. I did not want to sow the quiver itself and just bought a standard leather one online. Leather straps that it came with immediately were torn as soon as I've tried to tighten bottom of the quiver to the end pin bushing. But even if I'd be able to do it, there's no place to tie the top to - it has to be in the air at some distance from the bass body in orde to have correct attachment angle. I should be able to quickly remove and insert the bow, and it obviously should also not interfere while playing pizz. I had to come up with a solution to attach it to the Stagg, and it had to be removable.
Below is what I came up with. Stock leather straps were discarded. The top section of quiver is held in place by the metal lever that is bolted through the plastic bushing to the side of the body below bridge level. That lever can rotate around bolt with large plastic ball head. I usually swing it out 90 degrees and the holes in quiver that the strap use to go through are now serving as attachment point for the lever arm. How far do I insert the lever through the hole defines the angle of the quiver relative to the instrument body.
The bottom of quiver is inserted into a special holder that can be attached and removed without lifting the instrument. It is made from the same flat metal strip the top lever arm is made of, and shaped after the quiver with a bow in it. The ends of the metal strip are bolted to the plastic holder for a microphone, whose inner diameter happens to be exactly matching the diameter of the aluminum bushing for the end pin. It sits against the bottom of the Stagg body when the instrument with quiver rests on the stand.
This attachment is very flexible, I can adjust the angle the bow is sticking out at, yet it's also very rigid and is not flapping around as the stock quiver with leather straps does. I think it looks quite professional, but more importantly, it's very convenient to attach and take out. The lever arm stays attached to the body. Like with the top body support, once it is "parked" along the body, it takes very little space and whole thing easily fits in the gig bag:
Stock quiver and the lever arm in park position along
the side of the body.
Bottom support for the quiver.
Note, it's attached to the plastic mike holder the angle.
Another view with body support extended and bow quiver attached.
This is
how it sits on the end pin bushing.
Bottom support inserted.
Bottom
of the quiver inserted into the support.
Top of the quiver - the lever goes through the
holes where former leather straps use to be.
