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Double Bass Help identify this unnamed Double-Bass

#10
Yes the bass does not feel like a 4/4 at all because of the shoulders. The wide bottom works like a subwoofer - You can actually hear the thunder from below :)

To me it looks similar to basses built by Joseph Rubner around 1900. But this is only going on pictures I have found on the Internet.

The restorer said Markneukirchen around 1900.

- Johs
 
#11
Kung Fu Sherrif makes a good point about the neck block.

Here is a brief detail about Rubner and Markneukirchen:

RUBNER, Josef Born 1864, died 1927 Markneukirchen Germany. Specialist in cellos and double basses, in two classes: ‘Concert’ and ‘Solo’. Double basses of both viol and violin form. Fine materials and good workmanship.

Louis
 
#14
#16
Ken Smith says Saxon area 1890-1930, which is the same conclusion as the restorer Erik Hoffmann made. He wrote Markneukirchen 1900 on the receipt.

Neuner & Hornsteiner, A. Meyer and J. Rubner have also been mentioned as possible builders of my bass.

Would be fun though if anybody had seen the design of the plates on the scroll before. To me it looks like a smiling frog :)

- Johs
 
#17
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
The neck set and gears say Saxon to me.
Click to expand...

What do I win? :D

My bass is believed to be of similar provenance; the plates are nothing like yours, but the gears and handles have a lot in common. Like yours, mine is made with pretty strongly figured maple throughout, which I haven't seen on many basses from that place and time.

Now for the real question...how does it sound?
 
#18
Kungfu, you win kudos for adding "Saxon" to my vocabulary :)

Soundwise, Coming from a regular gamba flatback 3/4 to this beast, is like going from a regular floor tom to a Brazilian Surdu.

I have tried many basses before buying this 4/4. I like the fact that the bass feels sturdy, well built, light weight and vibrant.

The low fundamental vibrates the floor, and the high notes tickle my arm (if I touch the shoulder of the bass).

It is not a charming, dark and hollow tone. There is plenty of deep midrange and a punchy attack.

Although the bass speaks well with gut strings (good note definition because of the long scale length), I like the sonic muscle power I get from higher tension strings (on this bass). So far I have settled for Spirocore E,A and Oliv D,G

The instrument responds to even small changes in setup, which has led me to start reading about the theories behind violin/bass building. In many ways this bass feels like a huge violin, only set up to give a nice pizz growl on the low strings.

- Johs
 
#19
Link to two pictures: http://imgur.com/a/T9MMl/embed

1. Is a 1924 3/4 bass by Josef Rubner (for sale at GEBA-online, Germany).
2. is a scroll from a 1900 Josef Rubner (for sale at The Bass Church).

The neck joint and laquer (on 1.) resembles my bass. It is therefore my impression that my bass is very likely to have been built by Josef Rubner.

Pictures of my bass: http://imgur.com/a/MwlQ1/embed

Any comments?

- Johs
 

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