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03-08-2004, 09:51 PM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | |  Gand?
Hi Will, and thanks for posting.
I only see vague similarities in the Gand but the proportions of my Bass are quite different. The F hole notches are offset in a similar way but then again, the Fs are still a bit different. My Bass was probably already old when Gand made that Bass in 1869.
Yes the Bass has a bit of an old English look to it as well as old French like this Bass here in the upper Bouts; http://www.worldofbasses.de/Instrume.../le_jeune.html ....... or this Bohemian Bass here in the lower Bouts; http://www.contrabass.co.uk/spring98.htm
Some see a taste of Gagliano in the Bass as well.....
So who would have used such fine grade flamed sycamore for the back (28" wide,2 piece) and ribs or the tight grained Quartersawn Spruce with 350 growth rings within 14" of width (x2=28"wide) ?? Who could have demanded this top grade of wood way back then for a Bass when it could have made at least 6 fine Violins? Was the wood imported from England into Naples for a special order back in the 18th century?.. Just guesses....
Soon the Bass will be opened up and maybe we can answer some of these questions.
In the mean time people, Keep the posts coming.... All ideas are welcomed.....
Will, glad you like our Electrics.... It was my old Italian Bass I used to own that inspired me to make Basses as I saw the need to bring the level of tone up a few notches.....
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03-09-2004, 09:44 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith Eric..... Please feel free to post Pics of your Bass or Neck Joint if you like. | I don't know the mechanics of posting an image, never done it before, but will try. Right now the "Manage Attachments" function is telling me my files are too large.
The dovetail on my bass looks much like yours, but that's where the similarity ends.
And yeah, I'd love to see a "This Old Bass" gallery too.
__________________
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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03-11-2004, 01:38 PM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | Identity
I sent pics today to DiLeone as Arnold suggested. Thanks Arnold for the suggestion. I'll post any other findings as they happen.
I just finished the rough carving of the re-Cheeking task. Just some touch-up needed and then the final after the Neck-graft is done. If you guys wanna see pics now b4 it goes off to NY, speak up and let me know. I don't wanna bore anyone with little details.....
Any more guesses?..... It's not a contest. You don't have to be right......
I guess I'll owe everyone a T-shirt or something for their suggestions either way...... |
03-11-2004, 01:48 PM
| | | | or a...cough...fusion elite ?..cough... |
03-11-2004, 01:57 PM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | Fusion Elite?
Don, the question is "What kind of Bass?" not "What kind of Boat?" ........ You will be pushing it with just the T-shirt !!!!!lol. |
03-11-2004, 06:16 PM
| | inarticulate bassist | | Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: lakeland, florida | | Ken,
I'd really love to see plenty of pictures of the work in progress! Quote: |
Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith I sent pics today to DiLeone as Arnold suggested. Thanks Arnold for the suggestion. I'll post any other findings as they happen.
I just finished the rough carving of the re-Cheeking task. Just some touch-up needed and then the final after the Neck-graft is done. If you guys wanna see pics now b4 it goes off to NY, speak up and let me know. I don't wanna bore anyone with little details.....
Any more guesses?..... It's not a contest. You don't have to be right......
I guess I'll owe everyone a T-shirt or something for their suggestions either way...... | |
03-12-2004, 04:55 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Co. | | More bass pics!!!! Free T Shirts!!! Free Burritos!!! 
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Oh, no.....have we gone OT yet again?
"The opportunity was there...but it never presented itself." Phil Urso, 1980. :atoz:
Last edited by Paul Warburton : 03-12-2004 at 04:58 AM.
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03-12-2004, 07:12 AM
| | | | Yeah man..I'd love to see some cheeks...lol. |
03-12-2004, 08:49 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada | | | Nice lower bout
Quote: |
Originally Posted by DonZ Yeah man..I'd love to see some cheeks...lol. | My apologies if this is "crossing the line"...
__________________
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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03-12-2004, 08:53 AM
| | | | LOL. OMG that is too Much ! |
03-12-2004, 09:23 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | B ass
Let's clean it up Guys.... Really....U've sunk a bit too low this time.....This is not the 'Extension' I was referring to before......
But before we do, why is the 'Top' on the 'Back' ?..... Besides, my 'F' holes are much nicer, not to mention longer and wider as well..........lol |
03-12-2004, 10:04 AM
| | | | SO, Ken, show us the new cheek reinforcments... |
03-12-2004, 11:30 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | My New Cheeks
Here are the post carving pics of the Cheeks. It links from the original Scroll pic section.
See here; http://www.kensmithbasses.com/Myster...fterphotos.htm |
03-12-2004, 05:17 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Co. | |
Thanks Ken ...looking swell! And Eric Thanks! Looking swell!
__________________
Oh, no.....have we gone OT yet again?
"The opportunity was there...but it never presented itself." Phil Urso, 1980. :atoz: |
03-12-2004, 10:50 PM
| | Jeff Bollbach Luthier, Inc. | | Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: freeport, ny | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Eric Jackson My apologies if this is "crossing the line"... | Not quite up to the art of Paul's avatar, but I will have to copy this into my "break my heart file" |
03-13-2004, 07:40 PM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | ?????
Well Jeff, now that you've looked at the post, do you have a comment about the Bass?
I know that you don't like making comments about a Bass you can't see in person on TB, but you're out of the closet so let's hear it.
Or do we need a few more painted butts to get you going?
Do you like me "Cheek" job? |
03-13-2004, 08:17 PM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | Tally
It's been several days since anyone has made a guess or suggestion as to the origin of the Bass. Thanks to those that have so far. For interest, I have made a tally of countries mentioned here on TB as the possibilities. I will leave out the Makers since you can read them on page 1 and 2 of the thread. The period from your guesses seem to be between c.1750 and c.1850 according to the makers mentioned. Again, the internal examination will tell us more. Here's the tally in no particular order. Please correct me if I am inaccurate up to date.
French - 3
English - 3
Tyrol - 1
USA - 2
Bohemia - 2
Italian - 2
Some of you made more than one guess in the same post or other posts. That's fine as we need to think out loud a bit here.
It would be nice to hear from all the luthiers out here tell us what points of a Bass helps them determine or guess the maker or school of making. |
03-19-2004, 07:04 PM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | Last Words?
Last chance guys to take a guess. Tomorrow I drop the Bass off in NY and for the first time will be seen in person by a top NY(worldwide) Luthier.
I'll let you guys know if he says anything specific or not before he pops off the top and looks inside. |
03-19-2004, 11:53 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: eugene, oregon | | | i'll have a stab at it. i had another look at the pics tonight and, though i claim little or no specific evidence for it, my feeling from looking at it was that it's french-made. something about the sweep of the lines. they're almost sensual. but it looks 18th cent. to me, which is on the early side of french making, to my knowledge... just checked elgar and he notes a small handful of french makers active in the 1700's. for sport, i'll guess late 18th cent. french.
i'll be glad to hear what a personal inspection by an experienced luthier turns up!
sean p |
03-20-2004, 04:53 AM
| | Banned
Owner: Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Perkasie, PA USA | | a Stab?.....ouch
Sean, thanks for your late night 'stab'. Haven't been stabbed like this since left NY......lol....
All kidding aside, the lines are quite sensual but as I may have mentioned before, the Bouts seem to have been altered a bit. Both the upper and lower Bout show signs of being cut or at least being trimmed a bit. The Purfling on the top runs from the Neckblock and only half way down the Bout before running off the Bass and then comes back in just before the Corners and the same type of cut at the lower Bout touching the Corners and bottom block. Using a stick of 1/8th" dowel, I lined up the Purfling before if starts to run off and made an imaginary Bout that shows about 1/2" or so being missing from both sides of the upper and lower Bout. The Bass being of highly Flamed Sycamore could have been cut down a bit when the Back and Sides shrunk in the first 50 years of it's life. I don't think it was cut for playability because the Shoulders are still very high and un-touched from how the Bass was originally made.
Very early French is a possibility but I suspect the back bend that is so typical a French trait may be a later alteration as well. There are signs of repair and touch-up on the upper portion of the top Ribs where it meets the Back. Also, the upper Crossbar has been removed and the upper Back is slightly concave from the steep forward bend.
I'm jumping in the car now to go to NY. I'll post any findings when I return.
Please feel free to continue your thoughts on the matter and once again, all opinions are welcome.
Last edited by KSB - Ken Smith : 03-20-2004 at 04:31 PM.
Reason: typo
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