Gibson Mando-bass

[Skokiaan]

I found this at the Great American Guitar Show in Pennsylvania on Saturday. It's a 1917 Gibson Mando-bass, designed for the mandolin orchestras of the day and probably the first fretted bass instrument. Made to play with a leather pick or a small felt-covered hammer(!). I'd seen one in person before, but this is the first time I got to play one. It was cool.

Scale length is either 40 or 42 inches. V shaped neck. A second endpin in the 4:00 position allows for playing more horizontally while seated (very awkward) or standing (better). It's not loud, and the room was, which didn't help. That's where a pick or hammer(!) would help. It projects fairly well forward, so it was easier to hear when somebody else played it.

It was I great condition for being almost 100 years old. Appeared to be all original except the endpins, which were clearly modern.

Asking price was $6,000. The dealer chased me down later and offered it for $5,000. A divorce would cost me much more than that, so I had to pass.

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[/\/\3phist0]

Guitar center Hollywood has one.
Very cool

 

[Bob_Ross]

You had me at "small felt-covered hammer"

Was it tuned in 5ths or 4ths?

 

[Skokiaan]

You had me at "small felt-covered hammer"

Was it tuned in 5ths or 4ths?

Fourths.

I play a 42" scale electric upright, but it was weird playing such a long scale fretted bass. I liked it, though.

 

[Gaolee]

Throw a piezo of some kind into the mix and that would be a whole lot of fun to pull out at a gig sometimes. Minds would boggle. Well, minds that actually have an inkling of bass. So, that limits the number of boggling it would do, but it would still be fun.

 

[bholder]

I so so so want one of those. One of my regular ebay "bass pr0n" saved searches, in fact.

 

[FranF]

Member Steve Boisen here has/had one too Hope he chimes in. Dripping with history, and very cool.

 

[FranF]

And I think Steve was looking to sell. ;-)

 

[amusicalperson]

I am a big fan of the Mando-bass as well! Even though I am a bassist, I cannot lie, I've been lusting over a Mandocello. I had an opportunity to play one at a vintage guitar shop; the sound was so beautiful!

 

[bholder]

And I think Steve was looking to sell. ;-)

Oooh! Hmmmmmm, better be saving pennies...

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

Member Steve Boisen here has/had one too Hope he chimes in. Dripping with history, and very cool.

Thanks Fran. What I had was actually a Regal Bassoguitar which shares some similarities to the Mandobass. I no longer own one, but I did create a website so I could share all of the information and pictures that I collected while researching this instrument.

- Steve

 

[bholder]

Thanks Fran. What I had was actually a Regal Bassoguitar which shares some similarities to the Mandobass. I no longer own one, but I did create a website so I could share all of the information and pictures that I collected while researching this instrument.

- Steve

Ah, ok. I was going to make the "similar, but not quite" remark about the (and my) Bassoguitar. I still wants the mandobass, though!

 

[BassGreaser]

Fourths.

I play a 42" scale electric upright, but it was weird playing such a long scale fretted bass. I liked it, though.

How did it sound?

 

[Skokiaan]

How did it sound?

Fingerstyle it was soft, deep and not very loud. It's all bottom, as you can imagine. With a pick it had a sharper attack, of course, with somewhat better mids. The notes become better defined and volume was better. I didn't try it with a hammer, or even know about that option until I looked online later. I doubt the seller would want me to take a hammer, felt or not, to his 99 year old instrument.

 

[mcarp555]

What's the best mandobass for metal?

 

[lz4005]

I found this at the Great American Guitar Show in Pennsylvania on Saturday. It's a 1917 Gibson Mando-bass, designed for the mandolin orchestras of the day and probably the first fretted bass instrument.

Mando basses are very cool, but not even close to the first fretted bass...if you count bass viola da gamba that commonly had moveable gut frets tied around the neck going back hundreds of years before that.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

There's a Club for that: Bassists Who Double on Mandolin Club

 

[Bob_Ross]

Minds would boggle. Well, minds that actually have an inkling of bass.

So inkle, then boggle. Got it. I'm in!

 

[GretschWretch]

A contemporary Rigel Bass would be cheaper, easier to play, and probably louder than that Gibson mandobass. A badly overpriced Regal Bassoguitar at $2,000 likely would be louder as well. One thing Regal nailed that the mando designers seem to have overlooked is to have pitched the neck at an angle such that there is fingerboard overstand re the top. More downpressure on the bridge enhances the overall volume.

 

[bholder]

$2,000

Badly overpriced? Sigh. I payed quite a bit more. I can be a dope when I fall in wuv with a bass.

Though thanks for mentioning Rigel again, I keep forgetting about them. And here I was about to try to track down the mandobass that started the thread (still might want to do, that's history there).