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Abe Gumroyan
05-28-2009, 02:20 PM
Do any of you gentleman know of any prominent makers that worked in Manchester ?

Ken Smith
05-28-2009, 04:47 PM
Do any of you gentleman know of any prominent makers that worked in Manchester ?

William Tarr and his sons Shelly and Joseph as well as James Cole and J.W.Briggs. There were others I am sure but Tarr was the most prolific of the Northern School. Cole and Briggs both worked for Tarr at one time as well.

Anselm Hauke
05-28-2009, 04:53 PM
Do any of you gentleman know of any prominent makers that worked in Manchester ?

and what is the question behind the question?

Abe Gumroyan
06-02-2009, 07:48 PM
Well I ask because I played an English instrument owned by my teacher who plays in the San Francisco Symphony. A large gamba shaped instrument almost like Ken's "Gamba Supreme" instrument but amber in color. On the top rib there is an inscription that reads manchester but no label. I have fallen in love with this instrument, it is my bass of doom :D. The sound is more Italian than English in my opinion. The projection is massive. This bass was once owned by **** Kelley, Sr. of the LA Phil. So i was just curious if anyone has come across a gamba shaped instruemnt from manchester ?

Ken Smith
06-02-2009, 10:13 PM
Well I ask because I played an English instrument owned by my teacher who plays in the San Francisco Symphony. A large gamba shaped instrument almost like Ken's "Gamba Supreme" instrument but amber in color. On the top rib there is an inscription that reads manchester but no label. I have fallen in love with this instrument, it is my bass of doom :D. The sound is more Italian than English in my opinion. The projection is massive. This bass was once owned by **** Kelley, Sr. of the LA Phil. So i was just curious if anyone has come across a gamba shaped instruemnt from manchester ?

Just about EVERY Bass from Manchester is Gamba shaped. The only Violin model ones known to me are by Joseph Tarr, son of William. I saw one not long ago and the only reason it was called a J.Tarr was because it was the second one seen by that dealer, the first one being labeled. The FFs were Manchester all the way, the outline more London-like! The wood was similar to my Gilkes and the Scroll very very close in the outline but not in the carving.

There is a maker named Briggs that made some large Gamba basses but like most basses from that region, the FFs were cut wide and well angled outwards at the bottom. The northern makers are believed to have followed the German makers like Neuner from Mittenwald. The basses of W. Tarr are often quite similar to those of Ludwig Neuner.

On my large Gamba the FFs are more Strad like and normal 'pitched' than the Northern school from Manchester used, not wide and not narrow either. I have no clue who actually made my bass or from where, but England is only a guess at this time with most of the clues pointing that way. With a name like Manchester stamped in your Bass, it is possibly by one of the makers we know of.

Abe Gumroyan
06-02-2009, 11:11 PM
[quote With a name like Manchester stamped in your Bass, it is possibly by one of the makers we know of.[/quote]

Manchester was written (or seems like it was, didnt look like a stamp) on the top rib on the E - string side. Will try to get some photos of the bass

Ken Smith
03-13-2011, 12:08 AM
[quote With a name like Manchester stamped in your Bass, it is possibly by one of the makers we know of.

Manchester was written (or seems like it was, didnt look like a stamp) on the top rib on the E - string side. Will try to get some photos of the bass

I would like to see these Abe if it's still possible.

On the Violin Shaped basses I have to update my findings. Elgar mentions in his book that Tarr (William) made both Violin and Viol outline but until recently, I had never seen one.

About a year or so ago I got to see some pictures of a large Violin model by W.Tarr and more recently, another one as well.

Also, last year I saw my first Tarr in person, a 3/4 Gamba. If I remember correctly, it was stamped W. Tarr - Manchester (in 2 lines I think).

So to update this Thread, the 'Manchester' mark might be from Tarr but could be any of those makers as well and, both William and his son Joseph have made Violin models. The Joseph's bass I saw pics of looking more in the Varnish, wood and model of Cole, not his father. Joseph Tarr reportedly did work for some time with Cole who had earlier worker with W.Tarr.