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Double Bass grafting decorative scroll on finished bass

#21
You prefer a stern Ed McMahon?

If one picked a wild-haired character for a scroll (say Beethoven or Einstein) would it be legitimate to give it hair like those troll pencils?

Hey I think I will go with Don King (wearing spectacles) as a scroll, come to think of it.

In real life I have seen otherwise sober orchestra players decorate their scrolls with tassels, Christmas ornaments and earrings.
 
#27
Alexi David said:
what I mean: You have a bass with a regular old scroll. You chop it off at the top, and graft on say, a lionhead.
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I have seen many old Basses with the Scroll area glued on just after the Pex box as if broken off cleanly and then re-glued back on. I would imagine that some did break and were repaired while some were just stuck on as often the grain does not match between the outer Pegbox cheeks and the Scroll sides.

Paul Chambers had a Ladies head on his Bass. That was added on as you have described. Another Bassist in NY (actually an Englishman, Irv Manning) that I played with in an Orchestra had a gamba shaped Bass with a ladies head as well. This was carved as one piece with the neck but could of had a neck graft into the pegbox which is most common on old Basses.

If it's an old Bass, leave it alone. there is nothing more beautiful than an original carved Scroll. If it's some new sort of Bass with no pedigree value, then it doesn't matter what's on the head as long as it makes you happy.
 
#30
bassbaterie said:
Did you note the endpin not connected to the tail button, and just might be at a rearward angle? I heard the way they came up with the Laborie angled endpin was from a picture of a very old bass like this. Everything old is new again.
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I've seen many German basses with that end-pin set up. Some Pollman and Meyer. I'm not saying what you're saying isn't true bassbaterie. I'm sure it's true.
Thanks for the great attachments Alexi and Matthew.
Someone posted some pictures of Al McKibbon with his Stainer. Beauteous!
To the bathroom with the Stainer.
 
#31
Paul Warburton said:
I've seen many German basses with that end-pin set up. Some Pollman and Meyer. I'm not saying what you're saying isn't true bassbaterie. I'm sure it's true.
Thanks for the great attachments Alexi and Matthew.
Someone posted some pictures of Al McKibbon with his Stainer. Beauteous!
To the bathroom with the Stainer.
Click to expand...

I worked side by side with Al McKibbon in the late '70s or early 80s at the Westbury Music Fair theatre in the round. He was with Sammy Davis Jr. and I was playing for Linda Hopkins. Although his Bass was very nice it was a 19th century instrument in my opinion. I have pictures of us taking turns holding both our Basses together. I had my 18th century Italian Bass back then. That was a fun week for me as he was a great guy to work side by side with and talk music and old times.
 
#32
KSB - Ken Smith said:
I worked side by side with Al McKibbon in the late '70s or early 80s at the Westbury Music Fair theatre in the round. He was with Sammy Davis Jr. and I was playing for Linda Hopkins. Although his Bass was very nice it was a 19th century instrument in my opinion. I have pictures of us taking turns holding both our Basses together. I had my 18th century Italian Bass back then. That was a fun week for me as he was a great guy to work side by side with and talk music and old times.
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So, you're saying that Al is a low-down yankee liar?:eek:
I love that line from the movie Shane.....Yes, i'm just kidding....
Let us see the pictures Kenny-Boy.
Google http//www.bassland.net/steiner/htm
 
#33
Paul Warburton said:
So, you're saying that Al is a low-down yankee liar?:eek:
I love that line from the movie Shane.....Yes, i'm just kidding....
Let us see the pictures Kenny-Boy.
Google http//www.bassland.net/steiner/htm
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My Pics are old Poloroid shots that are fading. If I can scan them I will but other than that, get your Butt over here and see them in the flesh (or film).

Looking at the wood of his Bass it doesn't seem older than 1800 or so. Could be slightly older but the the external rib linings and the condition of the ribs of the Bass is more unique in appearance than it is ancient like a Stainer would be. The tapered ebony strip down the center of the back seems to be a later repair or the Bass is younger if original. I can't see a piece of Ebony lasting much over 100 years without splitting. The back buldge, upper indentation and angle break are also unique as well as the tuners on his Bass which almost seem Vieneese rather than from the Tyrol but still, they are both on Austrian soil. It could also be from southern Germany but Prague is also a possibility. Many old Jazz players made claims to having a great pedigree as well as The Karr Amaiti farse. Milt's Gofriller is a Bohemian Bass with rib linings and the Bulls head purfling in the back ala Wilfer/juzek. The Lafaro while Prescottish is not from the shop but from the school of making in that period. Percy had a real Italian Bass and was called either Landolfi, Testore or Rogeri depending on who you ask. Ray's old Bass called Amati was also pegged as a possible Sweedish Bass but still great in itself regardless of the maker and surely no German or Bohemian like some of the others.

I was playing a Chamber gig a few months back and a man came up to me to let me know his brother playd Bass and had a 500 year old Italian bass. I said 500? He said yup, 500.. Oh, ok.. I replied.. I was playing my Loveri that day and he just had to tell me how much he knew.. Clueless in my mind but I was silent as I wasn't sure who was who and just wanted to get paid and re-hired in the future.
 
#35
bassbaterie said:
I have too - with the tail button separate from the endpin. I just mean that the endpin seems to be at a rearward angle. That's the old/new thing. Did you mean some Pollman and Meyer have the endpin at an angle too?
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I'm not sure what you mean by 'tail button. But to answer your question: no angle on the end-pin.
 
#36
KSB - Ken Smith said:
I was playing a Chamber gig a few months back and a man came up to me to let me know his brother playd Bass and had a 500 year old Italian bass. I said 500? He said yup, 500.. Oh, ok.. I replied.. I was playing my Loveri that day and he just had to tell me how much he knew.. Clueless in my mind but I was silent as I wasn't sure who was who and just wanted to get paid and re-hired in the future.
Click to expand...

If it was a Chamber gig , perhaps the gentleman was referring to an early 15th Century Viol.

viol-shape-transitional-FrancescoFrancia-1500-Italy_deta.jpg

Early consort of viols, transitional hybrid with earlier Renaissance body style fiddles, Francesco Francia, 1500, Italy
 
#37
Kcorren said:
If it was a Chamber gig , perhaps the gentleman was referring to an early 15th Century Viol.

viol-shape-transitional-FrancescoFrancia-1500-Italy_deta.jpg

Early consort of viols, transitional hybrid with earlier Renaissance body style fiddles, Francesco Francia, 1500, Italy
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No no, he was dead serious that he was a working Bass player and gigged around with a 500 year old Bass. I can tell any relative my older 200 year old Basses are 600 years so they too can spread stories but we all know that only a few Basses exist from 1600 or before and no guy gigging around town has anything close!

We are getting back to the German Karr Amati or the Bohemian Gofriller all a couple hundred years exaggerated from reality not to mention origin.

By the way, have you seen my Maggini? Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed

Oops.. the URL gave away my secret..:bawl:
 
#38
KSB - Ken Smith said:
No no, he was dead serious that he was a working Bass player and gigged around with a 500 year old Bass. I can tell any relative my older 200 year old Basses are 600 years so they too can spread stories but we all know that only a few Basses exist from 1600 or before and no guy gigging around town has anything close!

We are getting back to the German Karr Amati or the Bohemian Gofriller all a couple hundred years exaggerated from reality not to mention origin.

By the way, have you seen my Maggini? Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed

Oops.. the URL gave away my secret..:bawl:
Click to expand...

Nice try Kenny!
 
#39
Don Zebrauskas said:
Al, meet Ken...Ken, meet Al... Ken's bass, meets Al's bass...
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Boy was that a long time ago or what? Come to think of it, the Car I was driving then was my first. An old Ford which I sold in 1980 so the Gig has to be between 1975-1979. I had hair then and was a bit thinner. Yup, that Tux does NOT fit me anymore.:(

That was when Linda Hopkins was doing a Gospel Show on Broadway of just after it as we worked an entire week.
 
#40
KSB - Ken Smith said:
I was playing a Chamber gig a few months back and a man came up to me to let me know his brother playd Bass and had a 500 year old Italian bass. I said 500? He said yup, 500.. Oh, ok..
Click to expand...

Why not give him your card and tell him you'd pay his brother to show you, and let you photograph, a 500-yr.old bass. Just tell him you've never seen one that old and you would like to. Of course it wouldn't really be 500, but it may be something interesting. At least you'd know for sure.
 

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