Double Bass Prescott?

[61pollmann]

Anyone watch the Jazz at the White House on PBS a couple of months ago? Christian McBride was playing what looked like a Prescott. Just saw him at Newport with a different bass. Any ideas?

 

[sing-modulator]

Saw that, too. Since it's the size of a house, I also thought it was a prescott.

 

[DHoss]

Uncut f hole visible at 2:04 and 2:51. Masterful playing the whole clip!

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

It's hard to see much because of the quick camera cuts, but I'm not seeing any age on that bass.

 

[Carl Hillman]

Could it be one of these w/different tuners?

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[sing-modulator]

Could it be one of these w/different tuners?

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Nope, the upton has much smaller upper bouts, prescotts have those enormous shoulders like in the video. Also, the crazy flame maple neck is very prescott.

 

[Sam Sherry]

Nope, the upton has much smaller upper bouts, prescotts have those enormous shoulders like in the video.

Actually, Prescott upper bouts vary dramatically (as do all the measurements). I did a survey for a pal at one time and as you see they're all over the map.

EDIT: Like that clip a lot. It sounds like they left McB's mic off so there's just room sound. But that guy, that bass? We don't need that close-mic!

 

[martinez]

I though McBride was playing Ray Brown's old bass? (Invalid Link Removed)

 

[robgrow]

A friend has two Prescott basses, which are very different from each other: One is very large similar to the Scot LaFaro bass. The other is much smaller and more of a traditional viol shape. Last summer I played a large viol-shaped Prescott, so it's true, Prescotts vary quite a bit.

 

[Jeremy Darrow]

Could it be a modern copy? Maybe one of Kolstein's or something?

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

I remember Ken Smith saying that a lot of older "yankee" basses are mistakenly attributed to Prescott.

- Steve

 

[J Maass]

What is an uncut f hole? I looked at 2:04 and 2:51 and didn't see anything unusual. I just returned to double bass after a brief initial encounter with my first one in 1968. I had to sell it to buy a wedding ring. I'm happy with my like-new Eastman VB80 that has me practicing again.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

What is an uncut f hole?

- Steve

 

[rolandm]

Would have loved to hear that bass through anything but a mic wedged into someone's shoe. LOL. Lovely instrument all the same. Sounds like it might have been room, Krall's and piano mics picking him up, which says a LOT about that instrument and McBride.