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08-07-2004, 08:45 AM
|  | Supporting Member
Luthier: Bresque Basses, rep: Paulin EUB | | Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia | |  mystery tripod bridge
Went today to have a look at a mystery bass someone told me about, possibly available very cheaply.
The bass is a 3/4 chinese "Blessing" carved instrument, no idea of its age (c30 years probably?) and apparently nothing special, a few dings. Cruddy Ebonised maple neck and tailpiece, yuk strings and a crack splintering on the belly under the treble foot near the soundpost ... this latter is a worry, but not the end of the world ... but otherwise quite sound. I have a feeling the instrument could be made to work quite well with a bit of care. A potential project bass.
But the strangest thing was the bridge. This thing was made of steel, with three - yes three - feet in a sort of tripod arrangement, each threaded alloy foot adjustable with a screwdriver from the top. I think the brand on the bridge was selmer? should have taken more notice.
Has anyone come across either the Blessing brand, or more importantly, this freaky bridge?
Sorry, i don't have any photos.
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08-07-2004, 10:53 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2004 Location: Toronto, ON | | | metal bridge
That sounds just like something I saw on a bass at a festival last year.
Steve Belcher, the bassist for The Hickory Project uses something that sounds like the same design as what you're explaining.
There aren't any pictures of it on www.hickoryproject.com, but if you're really interested, Steve is a great guy, and I'm sure he would be into telling you about the bridge. |
08-07-2004, 05:19 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Co. | | This is more than likely a Framus bridge, made by a company in the 50's. They made laminate and carved basses, most of which were the German "cutaway" pattern much like a cutaway guitar.
You can search under all these words and maybe come up with stuff because we've covered this stuff more than once.
The basses were not bad, but the bridges were very bad.
Mingus did some ads for them in Downbeat Magazine back then
To see Framus Cutaways (without metal bridges) www.Nahrmannbasses.com
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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 : 08-07-2004 at 05:24 PM.
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08-07-2004, 05:38 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Naushua, New Hampster, U S of | | That one doesn't work. http://www.nahrmannbass.com/ works
- Wil
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- Marcel Marceau
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08-07-2004, 05:55 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver, Co. | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Wil Davis | Thanks Wil
__________________
Oh, no.....have we gone OT yet again?
"The opportunity was there...but it never presented itself." Phil Urso, 1980. :atoz: |
08-07-2004, 07:33 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Maui | | | God, I hate those bridges. They look like something designed to extract information from a prisoner. |
08-08-2004, 01:43 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: New Albany, MS | | | I can't think of the name of these, but a guy in Oklahoma City at Inter-City strings invented them in the 1950's. They are God-awful. Bob Monroney from the Denver area told me about them. There used to be a lot of them around here.
Monte
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I want people to feel good. Or bad. Or happy. Or sad. I just think music should make you feel something, and the focus is to never lose sight of that.
Ian Hendrickson-Smith |
08-08-2004, 07:44 AM
| | Supporting Member
Luthier: Bresque Basses, rep: Paulin EUB | | Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia | | | Hmmm Framus? ...
I have done quite a lot of searching but haven't found anything yet so I'll try to attach a quick mouse-drawing of the thing so you get a better idea of what I'm talking about.
And what about the crack under the treble foot? I'm thinking a 2-3mm patch under the crack covering the area where the (refitted) soundpost will go, and fill the crack with hide glue.
If I buy this bass even cheaply, I suppose I'll have to take the thing to le luthier eventually, but he's going to 1. laugh at me for being so stupid or 2. berate me for being so silly or 3. remind me that I should have bought a bass from him ... and probably all three. Then if I can overcome the embarrassment maybe I can get him to sell me a bridge blank ...
Last edited by Matthew Tucker : 08-08-2004 at 08:09 AM.
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08-09-2004, 06:06 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Waterford, CT | | | Mine is aluminum and it says London England. Can't remember what bass it was on but got it in the early 70s |
08-09-2004, 06:48 PM
| | Supporting Member
Luthier: Bresque Basses, rep: Paulin EUB | | Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia | | | Yeah that's the one. Aluminium feet and some sort of alloy/steel loop at the top where the strings run over, in a beautiful(?) black crackle paint finish? Are you still using the bridge? Has it damaged the belly? |
08-09-2004, 07:15 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Waterford, CT | | | That is it. It left marks on the finish. Raplaced it with a wood bridge |  | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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