Gagliano

[Paul Warburton]

While digging around in the Elgar book 'Looking at the Double Bass' I came upon one of my favorite basses by the Italian maker Gennaro Gagliano. I played one of these back in the time that I live in Aspen. I also mention that particular bass on another thread a while back. This one has a huge knot in E side front plate. If I remember correctly, Kenny-Boy mentioned that he thought he'd seen this bass around NYC.
To the point, does anyone on the board own a G. Gagliano DB? I'd just like to compare the forms: the Elgar compared to the other ones out there.
Besides the form itself, i'm nuts about the open peg box as well as the full- plate machines with the ivory tuner handles. It kind of has those Vienesse type points on the back scroll cheeks.

[jmpiwonka]

Paul, we all know you're just trying to get any gagliano owners to pimp off some pics (of their basses) for you i like you're style paul.

[Silversorcerer]

I saw photos of a Gagliano bass that had belonged to George Hofer, retired principal of the Savannah Symphony. I think his was made by a Joseph Gagliano. Interestingly, it also had a large knot in about the same location that you describe, right on the front plate lower bout on the E-string side, almost straight down from the f-hole. That bass was a gamba with a quite rounded lower bout. I don't recall an open pegbox, but I could be wrong. When I get down to see George again, I will see if he will let me scan the photos of it. He had several. He sold the bass a few years ago to someone in the USA, but other details I don't know.

[Ike Harris]

Originally Posted by Silversorcerer

I saw photos of a Gagliano bass that had belonged to George Hofer, retired principal of the Savannah Symphony. I think his was made by a Joseph Gagliano. Interestingly, it also had a large knot in about the same location that you describe, right on the front plate lower bout on the E-string side, almost straight down from the f-hole. That bass was a gamba with a quite rounded lower bout. I don't recall an open pegbox, but I could be wrong. When I get down to see George again, I will see if he will let me scan the photos of it. He had several. He sold the bass a few years ago to someone in the USA, but other details I don't know.

This was the same guy who sold Edgar his Gabrielli. Complete story is in the latest Bass World (ISB mag). He must have seen a ton of vintage basses through his place if this is any indication.

[Silversorcerer]

Originally Posted by Ike Harris

This was the same guy who sold Edgar his Gabrielli. Complete story is in the latest Bass World (ISB mag). He must have seen a ton of vintage basses through his place if this is any indication.

I last saw George in February, and haven't been back due to health issues that I am almost fully recovered from. Indeed George has seen quite a few of them, restored and rebuilt many as well. I'm going down for some more lessons soon. I might even relocate. George is just the best fellow you can imagine and speaks very highly of Edgar. About the Gabrielli;- He says it was a kind of average instrument, but that Edgar was what makes it sound good.

His comments about the Gagliano was that it was a great playing and sounding instrument but extremely heavy, even compared to my Kremona, which is the larger one, so that must have been one chunky Gagliano. It was a gorgeous bass, judging from the pictures. The back was one piece as well as the front, both slab cut. I didn't look too closely at the scroll, but the form of the body was that older style almost circular lower bout gamba shape. I think the shoulders had some slope in them but I don't remember if they were cut down. My thought is that they were not.

George had pictures of all kinds of basses he had worked on, played, and traded over the years, and he had Elgar books and the W. (book) as well as a copy of the C.T. book (ha!) Understand that reading for George is a bit of a challenge with his advanced macular degeneration. But there it was, the latest in DB "philosophy" as George characterized it, under a giant magnification screen projector. I don't think he was too impressed by C.T. If I don't get back down to see George soon, I'll never forgive myself. His mind and ear are still as sharp as ever and I'm convinced he is probably the best DB teacher in the south.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Silversorcerer

I saw photos of a Gagliano bass that had belonged to George Hofer, retired principal of the Savannah Symphony. I think his was made by a Joseph Gagliano. Interestingly, it also had a large knot in about the same location that you describe, right on the front plate lower bout on the E-string side, almost straight down from the f-hole. That bass was a gamba with a quite rounded lower bout. I don't recall an open pegbox, but I could be wrong. When I get down to see George again, I will see if he will let me scan the photos of it. He had several. He sold the bass a few years ago to someone in the USA, but other details I don't know.

The Gagliano i'm speaking of had the knot on the E side upper bout, so Silver, that's probably not the one...also, like the bass in the Elgar book, it was a kind of a blunted violin pattern.
Beside the beautiful (to me )pattern, I remember the golden varnish was, even to this day the most breath-taking varnish i've ever seen on any instument. I remember, also trying to see if there was any trace of it being re-varnished, and no, i'm sure it was the original.
So, Silver, if you saw another one of his basses with a knot in the top, it sounds like, for some reason Mr. Gagliano liked knots....

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by jmpiwonka

Paul, we all know you're just trying to get any gagliano owners to pimp off some pics (of their basses) for you i like you're style paul.

jmpi, I don't deny, for a minute, that i'm becoming more and more like Kenny-boy in terms of my love for basses....but, unlike him, I have to settle for pictures. He deals with the real thing.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

...but, unlike him, I have to settle for pictures. He deals with the real thing.

...sort of like me and Hugh Hefner.

[Heifetzbass]

If memory serves me correctly, that bass was purchased by the late Charles Barr- bassist with the Cleveland Symphony who had the tragic accident last month.

BG

[jmpiwonka]

is that the bassist that was hit while riding his bicycle?
that is unfortunate.