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Double Bass Contemporary Bass Makers list

Jon Stefaniak

Jon Stefaniak

Supporting Member
Sep 2, 2000
448
387
41
Tokyo, Japan
#1
Alright, I have begun putting together a list of contemporary Bass makers. I intend this will turn into a wiki page including info on living makers/shops that put out quality hand made instruments, and competitions results. There are many, many names not on this list, so please let's add some more names!


Italia

Germany

UK

France
America

Keiran O'Hara
Anton Krutz
Golia?
Hachez & Lorge?
Albert Jackstadt -

Canada
Japan
Tetsu Suzuki - http://tetsusuzuki.com/
Munakata Goro, Tokyo - Link Removed
Yamamoto shop

Brazil
  • Jean-Franco Fiorini - [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
  • Andrea Spada
Switzerland
Hungary
  • Gyorgy Baranyai
Czech
Robert Tichy
Jiri Kropik

Australia

Benedict Puglisi - http://www.atelierpuglisi.com/


Maday, Edward
W. De Sola
Sirleto, Fratelli?
Gabriel Pareschi?
Mario Bandini?
 
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#6
Hi,

You might want to consider this, from the Jay Haide website:
  • The name Jay Haide was chosen as a combination of the founder's names, Jay Ifshin and Haide Lin. People still come in and ask to meet "Mr. Jay Haide".
 
#8
Ok, United States, Italy, Czech Republic etc. Jay Haide not a real person, good to know (should have looked at the website a little more carefully)

Jake, Hannah Mayne's gamba, Granchino looking Bass is wild. I like the "J" holes that are half baroque and half violin "f" holes. Cool Bass!

I'm not sure yet how to handle all the shops. For my own education, How does it work at Upton, or Cincinatti Bass Cellar? Are they usually collaborating on a build. One person specializing in certain steps?
I think I will list the shops separately, then list the individuals with a reference back to the shops.

Thanks for the suggestions and additions. This is little more than a bunch of Google searching and browsing around shop websites (what I've been doing on my spare time for the last month anyway) Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
#9
Troy and Steve at Geo. Heinl in Toronto, ON (CANADA) also make and do so on their own, not as a collaboration with each other. On last count Troy had about 3-4 out in the wild (but I haven't connected with him in a few years) and Steve made copies of many of the "good basses" in big Canadian orchestras, so their owners could keep their instrument at the hall and have something essentially the same at home to practice on or take out for other gigs. Heinl's website Geo.Heinl Ltd. is down currently, but if someone feels more confident than I in how both of them spell their last names, feel free to add them.

Masa and Miki Inokuchi in Toronto, ON (CANADA) made Joel Quarrington's "Peanut" (cornerless) bass and a few others. I have a violin from the 90's that is labeled Masa Inokuchi, but their website Invalid Link Removed talks about Inokuchi & Son, so I am not sure if they are collaborating or how their current instruments are labeled.

As far as shops are concerned, not only Upton and Cincinnati, but also Martin in the UK and a few others, you would have to talk to the shops directly. Several of them make "shop" basses where different people handle different parts of the build, but many of the makers at the shops also make their own instruments from start to finish. How often/many varies from shop to shop and can depend on their workload, but also their contract/arrangement with the shop.
 
#13
Apologies for being late, and without implied claim on quality, consider adding:
Italy:
Home - Andrea Spada :: Bassi e Contrabbassi d'Autore
Link Removed (His site does not say it, but one of his DB's won a prize last year at the Mondo in Cremona. Yet nowadays he seems to focus on supervising others.)

Germany:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Lothar Semmlinger

Romania:
Harsan Mihaila - Muisc Instruments
Lutier Bucuresti - Alexandru Ozon

CZ/RO consider Stentor, Hora, Strunal, those are of course shops.
 
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#18
Hi,
I've added Stentor (actually UK reg), Hora & Strunal too, but what is the distinction between a shop & a maker? In particular, why is Emanuel Wilfer a shop, and Andreas Wilfer a maker? Is a 'Meisterwerkstatt' not exactly the same as a 'Master Workshop'? Is the distinction important?
 

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