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This is Paul Tutmarc's first electric bass:
1934/5
His Audiovox 736 was the evolution of this one so it only makes since he called it a bass fiddle.
1934/5
His Audiovox 736 was the evolution of this one so it only makes since he called it a bass fiddle.
It's a guitar-like instrument. If it could be described as "bass" depends on the range of notes it's tuned to.
Bob,
my video , the bass has the original round wound strings. The low E was replaced with an A string and tuned to E by Paul Tutmarc in the 1940s. It also is being played through an original Audiovox 236 guitar amp with an open back and a 10 inch speaker. When it is played through my 76 SVT with 2 8 10 bottoms, it has much bottom as my 51 Fender.......I guess I should make another recording.
That might be what I'm hearing, the A tuned to an E, cool video though, I look forward to hearing it through your SVT, mine are right on my left.
Just about anything sounds good through an SVT though.
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I was amused by that as well. This was probably envisioned for orchestral use (which was probably the most common use case of the day), and I believe in that situation you would likely have multiple double basses playing in unison to achieve the correct sound level in a live "mix". That massive 18 watt amp (with only 3% distortion!) would have replaced the need for multiple double basses. (I guess this instrument pre-dates the phrase "cuts thru the mix" and "plays like buttah". We've obviously advance so much since then.
)Yes, and it would be gorgeous! ... ... ... And then they would relic it.I think the real question here, is....would the Fender Custom Shop make one?
Here's my own take on this based on nothing more than my own musings. It doesn't really matter what something is called. You can call an "automobile" a horseless carriage or a self-propelled people transport, but it doesn't change it's function. So forget what the creator named it. The question "is this a bass guitar" is also misleading. By modern standards, perhaps no. But by it's function, probably yes. I haven't heard it but it is in the configuration of a guitar and it plays lower register bass notes? That's all you really need to know. It's a type of guitar that plays bass notes. Call it a pickle, if you will. But by it's function, it is what we today call a bass guitar.
I wanna see this video where the guy uses a pick and has it running through a Darkglass B7K. Lets see what she's got!
A few years ago a thread came up on TB asking if anyone bought a bass because it was available in the year the person was born. That intrigued me, so I looked up 1949 and the only one available was the second generation version of the AudioVox 736 designed by Paul's son, he called it the Serenader. Since none were available, I decided to modify a Hadean 24" scale bass uke as a tribute.
When @Bflat purchased the 736 in the OP he and I coordinated on a small event for a bunch of Seattle bass players to be able to check out this important piece of bass guitar history. It was really gracious of him to agree to come out and the Seattle bass community really appreciated it. Pics can be found here, but they may not be visible since they’re within a group even though they’re posted from my page:
As for bass vs bass guitar vs bass fiddle vs bass whatever... well... to me it’s a bass guitar by modern parlance. It’s meant to be played in the same way that we all (generally) play a bass guitar. Also, despite some quirky tuning stability the 736 sounded surprisingly good through the amp I provided at the event (Phil Jones D400 into a Bergantino HD210). I thought it sounded even better than the later version that was also brought to the event which I seem to recall @Bflat also purchasing. Quite a collection!
As for bass vs bass guitar vs bass fiddle vs bass whatever... well... to me it’s a bass guitar by modern parlance. It’s meant to be played in the same way that we all (generally) play a bass guitar. Also, despite some quirky tuning stability the 736 sounded surprisingly good through the amp I provided at the event (Phil Jones D400 into a Bergantino HD210). I thought it sounded even better than the later version that was also brought to the event which I seem to recall @Bflat also purchasing. Quite a collection!
It's a vintage 1936 bass guitar. And 1930's technology and style are worlds away from today. It's a wonderful, historic piece, but from a different time and place. A precursor to today's electric basses.
D
Deleted member 165050
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That's definitely an EUB to use the parlance of our time, not much like the 736 to look at...
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The real questions are.. do you want to buy another one? Are you jealous of your friend’s and want one? Does it come in sunburst? Does it look good with tortoise? If the answer to all those questions is yes, then it’s a bass guitar. I didn’t ask if it weighs less than 8 lbs. looks like it does 
