For most of his career Gary Karr played a truly iconic instrument which was the solo bass of choice for Serge Koussevitsky. The abbreviated tale is "normal scale normal gamba size." Copious details here.
He also had a other basses including both spot-on copies of the Koussevitsky DB and more modern takes. Beginning in 1995 he relied on a bass built by Jim Ham of Vancouver.
Gary's Ham instrument was the basis for an authorized Karr model from Upton Bass. The first bunch were hybrid -- i.e. solid top with plywood back and sides. IMR Gary used some those for teaching at Karr Kamp.
He also commissioned modern bows. Part of Gary's tonal preference was for 'letting the hair make the sound'-- he used the bare minimum of rosin.
It's been decades and I was only around Gary a bit, but reflecting back, I don't think it's that he was a gearhead but rather that he had access to the very best and loved to experiment. I hope he still does!
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