any info on Petrazzini basses?

Don Harris · #1 07-04-2007, 05:53 PM

I had a bass player friend in from out of town who offered to let me make drawings of his Petrazzini Italian bass. I couldn't find any info when I googled Petrazzini. Is anyone familiar with this maker? Would it be a good bass to copy? He also has a Fendt, Klotz and a Vincenzo Panormo (he's been a dealer for 30 years), but those models have already been copied so many times. -don

bassist14 · #2 07-04-2007, 06:03 PM

try to google peDrazzini...

edit: if you are not interested in motorboats try to google "pedrazzini + bass"

Don Harris · #3 07-04-2007, 06:41 PM

Bingo. Thank you.

Pete G · #4 07-04-2007, 09:11 PM

I may be wrong, but I seem to recall Steve Reiley making a Pedrazini reproduction bass a few years back.

**Matthew Tucker** · #5 07-05-2007, 06:04 AM

Guiseppe Pedrazzini was bornin in Cremona in 1879. he made a number of models of instruments which he "interpreted quite freely" and apparently a lot of his work was sent abroad. He had ties with Boosey and Hawkes in the UK.

The attached is a Pedrazzini I saw in Toronto. I love it.

Don Harris · #6 07-05-2007, 07:49 AM

Thanks Matthew. I was hoping for a photo and you came through for me. It is a good looking instrument. -don

anonymous12251111 · #7 07-05-2007, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Guiseppe Pedrazzini was bornin in Cremona in 1879. he made a number of models of instruments which he "interpreted quite freely" and apparently a lot of his work was sent abroad. He had ties with Boosey and Hawkes in the UK.

The attached is a Pedrazzini I saw in Toronto. I love it.

Tha's a nice bass, I remember it having a really warm nice tone especially with those Eudoxa's on it. I believe they wanted 70k for it?

neal davis · #8 07-05-2007, 12:27 PM

they wanted 61k for it, really nice bass, they also had a hawkes up stairs that was one of the quietest basses I've ever played

Pete G · #9 07-05-2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neal davis

they wanted 61k for it, really nice bass, they also had a hawkes up stairs that was one of the quietest basses I've ever played

A quiet Hawkes? That's a new one on me.

What Toronto dealer are we talking about here?

Anonymous75966 · #10 07-05-2007, 01:53 PM

George Heinl - I passed through there in March. I don't remember a Hawkes but there was a bass they told me was Czech that was very Hawkes-ish. If it's the same one I remember some weird old repairs (grafts and a big dowel in the neck) and a very low string height - Steve put some shims under the bridge so I could try it out. Maybe that's why so quiet? They didn't offer to let me try the Italian bass though - sigh.

**Matthew Tucker** · #11 07-05-2007, 04:09 PM

I played the Hawkes, and yes what a disappointment. The E was just like a rubber band! I couldn't believe a bass like that could sound so thin. On sound alone, I wouldn't have paid $5 for it. But something nice probably lurks inside. A real set-up challenge.

There were some nice basses, one french-looking one by a pair of Montreal makers (1980's) that sounded really nice, I forget who these makers were but it was a beautiful instrument. There was a nice Neuner and Hornsteiner as well, both these were powerful sounding, well set-up.

Pete G · #12 07-05-2007, 04:20 PM

There's certainly not much listed on the Heinl website.

If I'd known they had a Pedrazzini, I'd certainly have stopped by the last couple of times I was in Toronto.

Of course, SWMBO would kill me if she knew I was even thinking of another bass right now.

anonymous12251111 · #13 07-05-2007, 04:42 PM

Hawkes are total hit or miss instruments!! I played that bass and I absolutely hated it; I found that it didn't fill the room at all, and I think they wanted 25k for it. Generaly everything at Heinl's is extremely overpriced. I remember they were/are selling these junky low end basses called "Gill's" for a ridiculous 12k.

**Matthew Tucker** · #14 07-05-2007, 06:42 PM

The Gills are german imports I think, they looked and played OK to me but nothing special and $12k wow, yeah that's pretty steep, even canadian $$.

ArenW · #15 07-06-2007, 07:34 AM

I'm in the process of making my first bass which happens to be a Pedrazinni copy. I have been working in Kevin Flannery's shop in Grand Rapids, MI. I believe he said his is from around 1925. If I can get some pictures around I'll try to post them. The bass really is a work of art, and it sounds fantastic. From what I've been able to pick up, it sounds as though Pedrazinni didn't make very many basses, but the ones he did make are amazing.

Don Harris · #16 07-06-2007, 08:34 AM

Thanks Aren. Please let us know how your instrument is coming along. Any pics would be much appreciated. -don

**Matthew Tucker** · #17 07-06-2007, 08:59 AM

This guy

http://baumgarten.nl/index2e.html

plays one. But no pics on his website :-(

bassist14 · #18 07-06-2007, 11:13 AM

there is a pic on his dutch site
http://www.baumgarten.nl/index2n.html

he also has a Victor Pavlovsky bass.
i don´t know which one is on the pic

Jake deVilliers · #19 07-06-2007, 08:19 PM

Look here for pix of many beautiful basses.

http://www.knooren.nl/uprights/index.htm

I Googled 'Pedrazini Bass' and got some different hits too.

Don Harris · #20 07-06-2007, 09:47 PM

Great link. That Pedrazinni is very different from the one in Toronto. I think I like it better without the extremely sloping shoulders. Now I'm impatient to find out what my friend's looks like. -don