Double Bass swanson bass info

[Cyoder]

I'm pretty sure Wayne Holmes is talking about my bass. He carved the name of his violin shop underneath the fingerboard and he signed the top. He did that real well, but I'm not going to get into the quality of restoration. But I don't blame him entirely, these basses are cheaply made to begin with.

 

[mattwallace]

you can polish a turd, but its still a turd.
wayne does good work, and have to appreciate the fact that he even tackled a Swanson in that bad of shape....most of them are "rougher than a night in jail".

 

[Cyoder]

Well, unlike turds, this bass only LOOKS like crap. And Wayne Holmes didn't do much for the sound besides put it into a state in which it was capable of making one. I commend him for having the gall to restore such an instrument, though. Without that I wouldn't be enjoying this bass.

 

[LouisF]

Okay, okay... everybody count to ten...

Cyoder, I take it yours is one of the "Three Caballeros" attached (along with the ex-LF Gullwing and Dr Rod's Swanson).

Wayne sent me constant photos while he was restoring it. A couple are attached here and the next post. I played that bass in his shop and thought it had great potential, but thought that the Gullwing was more fun.

It's hard to say on basses like these (and maybe Eroy will chime in) how much a luthier can do (harm or good) given the basic quality of the instrument. They are what they are.

I think Bob Swanson built them mainly to be back up instruments for guys in the Pittsburg Symphony - so that they would look like old Italian instruments from a distance - a good distance.

So... if you want more photos email me and I'll be happy to send them.

Louis

 

[LouisF]

two more

LF

 

[El Thumpo]

Wow. That Gullwing reminds me of an 18th century gentleman in a powdered wig.

 

[Eric Rene Roy]

Okay, okay...It's hard to say on basses like these (and maybe Eroy will chime in) how much a luthier can do (harm or good) given the basic quality of the instrument. They are what they are...

I'll bite. Ours scares the crap out of me to look at...but when you really look at it it's as healthy as it can be. Any "fixing" right now would be my ego getting in the mix. It's wafer thin...and it will need fixing annually to the next owner unless it sits in one location (like it does on our showroom floor)....but the thinness and size is what makes it sound almost as good as the Prescott we have on the floor in some regards. If you're an orchestral player it's an interesting compare and contrast between the 4.5k Swanson and the 45k Prescott...

 

[TimDenbo]

Hey everyone. I used to have an old account in these forums back in the day, but could not for the life of me remember any of my info...so I just started over. Anyway...my two cents...

I don't know much about the Swansons aside from the fact that I know Wayne Holmes has had a couple of them.

As to the questions about Wayne though, I just wanted to say that I've been entirely happy with the work he's done for me. He essentially rebuilt a fully carved Eberle that had been in pieces and added a C extension to it and then gave me a GREAT deal on the bass. I use it extensively in sessions and in my role as principal bassist with the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra. It's been a great bass.

I did also enjoy the fact that he kept me updated with pictures every couple of days throughout the final touches on the bass and while adding the extension. Like watching your child grow up.

 

[LouisF]

Checking in with Wayne Holmes about tornadoes in his area, he passes the following on to me about Bob Swanson (from Bruce Wallace, whose father was in the Pittsburgh Symphony)

"... Bob Swanson was bass player who owned a farm in the south hills of PGH. He began building basses at his farm. Bob was able to sell his farm for a healthy sum and now the land is the site of the South Hills Mall. I believe his basses number up into the 60's but I don't know if he began with 01 or how he numbered them.

I also know that he was making them as early or earlier than the !960's. When I bought his molds etc. he had not made a bass for sometime, that was in the late 80's early 90's.

As you know he did not carve his tops and used laminate on most of his backs and sides. He also did not carve scrolls. Most of his necks and some of his sides were parts from old basses. My farther told me he used pictures of old basses, some of which he took in museums in Europe to come up with his designs, unfortunately he did not take measurements. He also put tops or backs on old basses and passed them off as the original with fake labels, but it is plain to see when this has been done."

Louis