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Double Bass Andrea Spada Basses

#81
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CaseyVancouver said:
Sounds interesting! Perhaps post a thread with photo’s?
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There is a link to an extensive thread with photos of the making and lengthy discussion of the bass here. Here’s a quote from the maker, illustrating his pride and dedication to making in the traditional manner: Log into Facebook | Facebook
 
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#83
not a bass, but...

I sent my down payment this morning for a custom violin from andrea.

I asked some violinists, and some highly regarded luthiers, what the best deal is on a violin. (I use one a lot for my day job teaching orchestra.) They all recommended higher end snow models, eastman, and similar things. all in the $3-6k range. these are nice instruments, but chinese workshop instruments at the end of the day.

Just to see, i contacted andrea and asked if he could make a pro-quality hand made violin at less than that. we worked out a maggini model of pear wood and spruce, double purfling and all, and he came way under the above budget.

obviously my instrument is at the beginning stages, but i have the utmost confidence in him.

the ordering process was smooth, easy, and he was a pleasure to chat with both in his serving my needs but also he's just a really nice, knowledgable person.

i have a feeling this instrument will exceed my expectations, and i will likely order other things from him in the future. we'll see! roughly 6 months estimated for delivery. (true oil varnish gets a full month to cure, just like maggini woulda done it!)
 
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#84
Each and every day as I look down upon my beautiful instrument and listen to it’s sweet tone I check into the tooling marks and purfling, the shape of the bridge the elegance and design of the corners, the neck, the scroll and I feel like I am saying hello to my friend Andrea. I really have a connection with his work because it speaks to me. I have not had that experience with an instrument before.Also, that my friend Andrea made this wonderous magic maker for me particularly... it is a feeling and appreciation that does not get old.
Congratulations on your new instrument, it will be worth the wait, and you will treasure it .
 
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#85
flatback said:
Each and every day as I look down upon my beautiful instrument and listen to it’s sweet tone I check into the tooling marks and purfling, the shape of the bridge the elegance and design of the corners, the neck, the scroll and I feel like I am saying hello to my friend Andrea. I really have a connection with his work because it speaks to me. I have not had that experience with an instrument before.Also, that my friend Andrea made this wonderous magic maker for me particularly... it is a feeling and appreciation that does not get old.
Congratulations on your new instrument, it will be worth the wait, and you will treasure it .
Click to expand...

thats *exactly* how i feel about my bass by edward maday. I love noticing the tool marks, and all of the little details that show the makers hand. its charming. but it's also something of thumb print on an instrument that sounds stunning.

as far as andrea spada,

i certainly would not plunk down my hard earned money sight-unseen on a maker unless they stood out to me. i guess for now, i'll leave it at that as the instrument is nothing more than chunks of wood with my name written on 'em :D
 
#86
I'm sorry to be the one posting this,

but as per Marcos's recent Instagram post, it appears that our friend Andrea passed away yesterday and is no long with us.

Huge, huge, huge loss.

those who already have instruments of his are very, very lucky.
 
#88
Kristian said:
What?!
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my thoughts exactly. seems impossible. I'm afraid it's confirmed, though.

I know he had done some work on my violin order. my hope (perhaps an unrealistic dream?) is to have someone send me the unfinished parts, and have someone in the states who knew him/was inspired by his work complete the instrument as a little tribute to a master of his craft.

man it sounds cliché, but he was seriously one of a kind. I hardly knew him and i will genuinely miss him.
 
#90
As several of you know, I commissioned a pear/guitar shaped bass from Andrea several years ago. Not only was he concerned, in our discussions, about my bass playing needs, but also what I needed in an instrument post-cervical surgery. He produced a gorgeous 5/8ths bass that was elegant and resonant; an instrument that would have cost 2 or 3 times as much from an Italian or American maker.

I chose that bass to use in a concert of the Mozart Requiem after our daughter died prematurely. When we down-sized both Andrea's bass and the Upton Concord went to good homes. Andrea and I remained friends (long distance) and this is just devastating news. He was a true artist and innovator and I am sorry that more musicians will not be able to benefit from his talents. It's a huge loss.

I'll post this in the other thread. Thanks for letting us know.
Louis
 

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#91
So sad that Andrea passed.

Cause was a pulmonary embolism caused by heart pathology they did not know about.
He has a young family and should of enjoyed decades of music, instrument making and family life.
Feeling gutted for his family.

Andrea was a friend on Facebook and we communicated on many bass topics. He was also a 5ths tuned player in his symphony and freely gave advice on what is the best bridge for a particular bass, strings for a 5ths bass and many other bass topics. It was Andrea who convinced me to go with the Ergonpin from Saulo De Melo. Always great advice happily given.
 
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#94
I had some online chats with Paul when I bought a bow by Keith Bearden that he once owned. He had used it with the Bohmann 5-string, and it was a perfect match for my Upton Concord. When I donated the Concord to Adam Booker's bass program at Appalachian State, I included Paul's bow. We joked that it was as close as he ever got to academia, but he was happy (as was Adam) that a little piece of jazz history would, literally, be in the hands of students.

As I said yesterday about Andrea, I'll post this in the other thread. My head is spinning at the losses.
 
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#95
LouisF said:
I had some online chats with Paul when I bought a bow by Keith Bearden that he once owned. He had used it with the Bohmann 5-string, and it was a perfect match for my Upton Concord. When I donated the Concord to Adam Booker's bass program at Appalachian State, I included Paul's bow. We joked that it was as close as he ever got to academia, but he was happy (as was Adam) that a little piece of jazz history would, literally, be in the hands of students.

As I said yesterday about Andrea, I'll post this in the other thread. My head is spinning at the losses.
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Still can’t even wrap my head around this… he was such a kind and brilliant man… I am heartbroken
 
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#97
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andrea sent me this recently, absolutely ecstatic that a customer brought in a maggini-patterned violin, just like what he was going to make for me.

He acted like he was given new pieces of evidence or clues in the most important mystery of the universe. his excitement was real. We talked for over an hour that day. His passion for his craft was really unique. He had the amazing ability to transfer his emotions to you. I found myself awe struck at the beauty of what maggini had created. how each proportion related to the other, all adding up to a finished product that really is divine. his way of expressing that, as true appreciation for true beauty... it was fantastic.

I was not particularly close to him by any means. but i really will miss him. i'm devastated that the delivery of my violin and contrabassetto will never happen. But i'm grateful that I got to know him over the last year or so.
 
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#98
groooooove said:
I know he had done some work on my violin order. my hope (perhaps an unrealistic dream?) is to have someone send me the unfinished parts, and have someone in the states who knew him/was inspired by his work complete the instrument as a little tribute to a master of his craft.
Click to expand...

I feel for you on this most unfortunate situation.

Saulo Generino Bezerra de Melo, is a friend of Andrea and may be able to help you get your violin. He is a bassist with the Brazilian Symphony, inventor of the Ergonpin, and used Andrea for all things luthier. You can contact Saulo at https://www.ergonpin.com/

Perhaps there is a luthier friend that lives near Andrea’s family that could put together a package of what’s done, with matching raw wood of anything not completed and ship it to you. Or finish it. Or the family just ship you what you have paid for.

A local to you qualified luthier certainly can finish any project. Even in my quiet town there is a world class violin luthier 60 miles away. I am hoping, and optimistic, it will work out for you.
 
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