Strange F Holes... can anybody identify the maker?

x18karatharmony · #1 02-16-2011, 02:56 PM

Hey guys,

Can anybody identify the maker of these basses? I have never seen anything like it!

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4890506_n.jpg

PRUNEFACE · #2 02-16-2011, 02:59 PM

Nick Lloyd makes a bass like that and I believe Kolstein has a Dutch(?) bass for sale (Im not positive on which shop has it... I cant check now) that has F holes like that.

Eric Hochberg · #3 02-16-2011, 03:15 PM

String Emporium has one advertised Johanne Eberle, 1750 and 1775, who knows.

Gigel · #4 02-16-2011, 03:19 PM

Strange you asked about that bass, as soon as I saw the picture I thought, "I think I've seen that somewhere today" I searched a bit, and indeed I did: http://stringemporium.com/basscafe.htm

They are selling a bass with those F holes and they're saying: "The sound holes, are actually referred to as viola d' Amore sound holes"
The maker is Johann Ullrich Eberle and that bass was made circa 1775. But you can read for yourself there

Hope I was of help.

^ Just saw you already posted about it

Steve Swan · #5 02-16-2011, 03:32 PM

Wilfer offers this soundhole shape as an option, calling it the "flames" f-hole. A few years ago I had a model 14 solo 7/8 bass in the shop this feature.

tstone · #6 02-16-2011, 04:11 PM

I'll be darned, I always thought that weird f-hole shape was a Nick Lloyd invention, I didn't realize it was a traditional design. Here's one of Nick's:

fdeck · #7 02-16-2011, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstone

I'll be darned, I always thought that weird f-hole shape was a Nick Lloyd invention, I didn't realize it was a traditional design. Here's one of Nick's:

Are the f-holes echoed in the end of the fingerboard?

tstone · #8 02-16-2011, 08:37 PM

>> Are the f-holes echoed in the end of the fingerboard?
Yes, at least on that particular bass. Below is a grainy blow-up of the end-of-fingerboard area:

BTW, I see now that on his website he refers to that f-hole shape as "Baroque F-Holes", as opposed to "Classic F-Holes", which he also offers.

crowsmengegus · #9 02-16-2011, 10:49 PM

The usual f hole shape has variations, usually found on baroque instruments. Pics below of a viola da gamba and a bass viol from here and here respectively.

jmpiwonka · #10 02-17-2011, 10:19 AM

i think paul warburton has a luthier pal that has done f holes like that before too...

LouisF · #11 02-17-2011, 09:22 PM

Robert Ross, I think:

http://www.rossdoublebass.com/

crowsmengegus · #12 02-17-2011, 11:10 PM

OP, if you want to identify the maker, can you help by telling us where the pic came from?

Kaspar Vadsholt · #13 02-18-2011, 05:07 AM

This is a Rubner bussetto on sale from geba-online.de.
I have no affiliation with the seller, but just wanted to share, since I've wondered about these f-holes and their origin.,

LouisF · #14 02-18-2011, 09:01 AM

Bjorn Stoll seems to make the same bass (which I tried out in Berlin). Probably not a surprise as his father worked for Rubner.

http://stoll-kontrabass.de/en/instru...l-busseto.html

Louis

LeslieD · #15 02-18-2011, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaspar Vadsholt

This is a Rubner bussetto on sale from geba-online.de.
I have no affiliation with the seller, but just wanted to share, since I've wondered about these f-holes and their origin.,

Nahrmann's Bass shop brought an Otto Rubner bussetto bass to the 2009 ISB that had similar f-holes. Volker Nahrmann told me it was built in Markneukirchen before WWII. I played it, and it was quite similar to the Eberle basses built in the Musima factory (though it was much, much nicer of course).

ThumpPlunkJunk · #16 02-26-2011, 09:00 PM

Sorry to dredge this thread up, but does anybody know how common a request for these Amore f-holes is?

Dilbertisme · #17 02-26-2011, 09:36 PM

In case you're wondering, here's the inspiration for the Viola d' Amore f-holes. Enough strings for ya?

LouisF · #18 03-26-2011, 10:45 PM

Mike Prochownik has this Rubner busetto for sale on his website. It's history sounded too fascinating to pass and sounds like it might have been a companion piece to the bass Volker Nahrmann had:

Double bass - Otto Rubner Markneükirchen 1941

"A bass, from the estate of professor Zdzislaw Marczynski...

This bass was ordered, during World War II, by the Nazi governor Frank for the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra in 1940 from German luthier Otto Rubner.

In total, seven 4-string basses were made and delivered in 1941.
Prof. Marczynski bought one of these basses in 1945 when the war ended. This bass was his companion throughout his artistic life.
In 1969 prof. Marczynski immigrated to Canada and took the bass with him.

The sound is very strong in the middle and high register....
It is a great solo and chamber music instrument."