Christopher Double Basses

Chi “Christopher” Yang

Mr. Chi Yang, the founder and president Concord International Group was a well recognized, principal bass player in one of the major symphonies in Beijing, China more than 25 years ago. He learnt how to make string instruments starting with Violins when he was only 14. It was the Cultural Revolution time in China and his parents kept him home to learn how make violins when the schools were banned.
In early 1980s, he came to the United States and after a very tough competition; he received a full scholarship from Julliard in New York to study bass performance with Mr. David Walter. After his graduation, he played as the principal bass for 5 years with Singapore Country Symphony. During his study in Julliard and working in Singapore, he learned more about string instruments in general and the market environment and decided to bring better quality and affordable basses to students and professional market. He combined his lutherie and musical background and started a factory in China. His uniqueness is to translate a musician's demand into the instrument making process. It has impressed many musicians and that's why Christopher instruments have won many recognitions.

In the Christopher workshops, only high-quality and carefully seasoned tonewoods are used. Significant investments in quality woods, aged in a controlled environment in the manufacturing plant, have been made. The expertise in woodworking allows Concord to create their own veneers, enabling a constant high quality of instruments. For the fingerboard, nut and saddle only ebony is used. You won't find black stained hardwood or rosewood fingerboards on Christopher instruments, as only high-quality ebony fingerboards provide a continual good performance.

Fully carved instruments are varnished with numerous layers of hand applied spirit varnish, to achieve an unique and individual appearance.

Concord attaches great importance to the right arch of back and top. A special production process enables Concord to fabricate the arch which is characteristic for Christopher instruments even with laminated instruments. They do not use prefabricated plywoods but press the individual veneer layers into form while gluing them together. Only with this method a sufficiently strong arch can be reached.
A cross bar is fitted in the arched back of laminated basses which provides the instrument with an additional stability and gives the sound more definition.
The bass bar of the Christopher instruments are carefully fitted to the arch of the top and glued in without spring. The bass bars need to spread the vibrations onto the upper and lower bout and to support the top, but not to warp it.
Christopher bridges are made of fine, high quality maple. Bridges are fitted with black, lightweight one-piece aluminium height adjusters.