Double Bass Basses without purfling?

[Charles Jones]

I watched a YouTube video of Dominik Wagner. He was playing a dark brown violin double bass that appeared to lack purfling.

Is it common to see a bass without purfling? Is the edge more likely to crack into the plates?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Sure, lots of Italian and Tyrolean basses lack purfling.

 

[5StringsBowed]

No Purfling, No problem. I should also mention there are no longer these strings on the instrument. This was post string breakage, I now have all Belcantos

 

[Charles Jones]

It would sure save my hand a lot of pain if I didn’t have to hand cut yards of purfling channels. Assuming it was not going to cause edge cracks to continue into the plates, and players would not be put off.

 

[Matt Ides]

View attachment 3359952 View attachment 3359953 View attachment 3359954 View attachment 3359955 No Purfling, No problem. I should also mention there are no longer these strings on the instrument. This was post string breakage, I now have all Belcantos

False nut and an extension? I haven't seen that before. What was the original SL?

 

[5StringsBowed]

False nut and an extension? I haven't seen that before. What was the original SL?

43"

 

[fdeck]

In addition to carved basses without purfling, a re-finished plywood bass may lack the "purfling" that is typically painted on.

 

[BobKay]

My full ply Upton has no purpling, which is typical for ply. My various Kay basses I’ve owned had painted purpling I believe.

 

[BobKay]

Purpling - thanks spellcheck!

 

[groooooove]

i saw a bass over at Jeff Bollbachs shop a while back without it. i asked him about this topic.

he said it's not so unusual to see a bass without purfling. he said that in some cases (the right circumstances) a non-purfling bass can be a nightmare. It's not that it will crack more, its that the crack once started will travel further/easier.

 

[Dan Hannum]

Glad to know there are some non purfled basses. I am going to strip the thick red lacquer off my Englehardt ES 1 and live without the purfle, unless I can find a tool that will guide by the edges and re paint the pinlines that it originally came with. Anyone know of a cheater tool ? No way do I have the steady hand for that ordeal.