Custode Marcucci, Ravenna (Anno 1897, #271)

[Ken Smith]

Hey, can anyone enhance this pic and read the date on this label. When I blow it up, I see a faint 7 after the 9 and an even more faint 8 in front. That would be 1897. For this makers labels and the label slightly damaged, it still seems that the 9 is too far from the word 'Anno' to be 19-something (1900 it was believed). I see it as 1897. Anyone else?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1962626_676425899084362_3408420368511499713_n.jpg

[Sam Sherry]

I've tried three different programs to zoom and clarify; none are much help. A nice, big shot of just the label (and rip) would really help.

The thing that makes this so trick is the rip -- it looks like there's a 2 but it's wood-grain. It looks like there's a 1 in front of the 9 but it's the edge of the rip.

But really, just can't tell. For the moment we'll just assume that this instrument was made in the year 9.

Are you scouting this wreck or do you have it in-house?

[Ken Smith]

I've tried three different programs to zoom and clarify; none are much help. A nice, big shot of just the label (and rip) would really help.

The thing that makes this so trick is the rip -- it looks like there's a 2 but it's wood-grain. It looks like there's a 1 in front of the 9 but it's the edge of the rip.

But really, just can't tell. For the moment we'll just assume that this instrument was made in the year 9.

Are you scouting this wreck or do you have it in-house?

The Pic was taken thru the F hole. That is the best we can get for now. Much of the ink is faded away. Possibly from washing away glue drips in the past when gluing open seams.

Bass in house?.. Let me look.. ;)

[Pino Cazzaniga]

Ken, congratulations!
I have seen three instruments of this maker, and they are great in workmanship, character and sound.
The poplar wood of the back (is it poplar, right?) is consistent with them.
The maker is a legend here: self educated, probably illiterate, he was a barrel maker, then he begun making instruments and leg prosthesis...
Hope to see your find soon on your site!

[Ken Smith]

Ken, congratulations!
I have seen three instruments of this maker, and they are great in workmanship, character and sound.
The poplar wood of the back (is it poplar, right?) is consistent with them.
The maker is a legend here: self educated, probably illiterate, he was a barrel maker, then he begun making instruments and leg prosthesis...
Hope to see your find soon on your site!

Thanks Pino. I will post some pics in the near future. It is an old bass of his period from what I can tell. yes on the Poplar back and sides and slab cut pine top in 2 pieces. The neck/scroll however is maple with some nice flame and all original. Same exact scroll and varnish as the 1898 bass of his that I compered to. This one has had a block cut and was a longer mensure before. The top and back is also beautifully purfled with violin size purfling.

These are the measurements;

Mensur... 106.7 (42") (modified/shortened with block cut)


Body (Top).. 112cm (44")

Back (over button).. 115.6cm (45 1/2")

Upper Bout... 48.6cm (19 1/8")
Middle Bout...35.9cm (14 1/8")
Lower Bout....64.8cm (25 1/2")

Ribs (ribs only, without top and back).. 20.3cm (8")
Ribs at neck .. 14.6cm (5 3/4")

Stop length..(base of neck to bridge center notch).. 57.1cm (22 1/2")

This is a very very comfortable bass to play. Even easier to play than my former Martini and Storioni was.

I have Belcanto G, D, A and Flexocor 92 stark E/C on the bass. It sounds beautiful and so easy to be musical. It has also an Eb neck which for me is better.

[Ken Smith]

Here are some pics of my personal bass, newly acquired. Some restoration and set-up work is forth coming in the next few months so here are the pictures of the bass in the current state it's been in for the last few decades.

String Length is 42" (Eb Neck Heel)
Body/Top - 44 1/2", Back/with Button - 45 1/2"
Upper Bout -19 1/8"
Middle Bout -14 1/8"
Lower Bout - 25 5/8"
Ribs (without top and back) - 7 7/8" tapered to 5 3/4" at Neck

This Bass is not for sale!

[Eric Hochberg]

Simply Stunning! Wow!

[Arnold Schnitzer]

I have known this bass for about 20 years. Trust me when I say it sounds better than it looks. Ken is a fortunate fellow.

[Ken Smith]

I have known this bass for about 20 years. Trust me when I say it sounds better than it looks. Ken is a fortunate fellow.

I feel lucky to have this bass, thanks to a certain dealer/friend in NY that called me when it came available.

I just got back from a show rehearsal. I do not recall owning a bass with such smooth, deep, rich sounding and easy to bow notes that grab the string in a split second going from Pizz to Arco in a fast 2-beat show tune. For the first 3 rehearsals I just did Pizz on the few single Arco marked notes because I didn't think I could play them quick enough even with bow in hand during the fast Pizz parts.

Tonight when I walked in the conductor mentioned that the Pit notes now includes some comments I need to look at. "BASS, Play all the Arco notes as marked" on the various tunes she noted. So tonight, I played everything as written Pizz to Bow and like magic, the Bow pulled the string like a deep, thick, warm, colorful sounding note as if I had time to lay the bow down and start the note which, I did not. My hand nearly slapped the bow on the strings, played a note or two and then back to pizz. Wow.. And I have owned a lot of great basses. This is the smoothest to date.

Bowing the sections that are more continuous, the sound of the bass is just beautiful.

Maybe the Lipkins Bow I have helps a bit. I am sure of it. Also, maybe those lessons I took several decades ago helped as well.. :p

[Eric Swanson]

Oh my. Just lovely. Congratulations, Ken!

[Ken Smith]

Oh my. Just lovely. Congratulations, Ken!

Thanks Eric. I have been playing it every day now since last Sunday between Orchestra and Show gigs. It is a very special bass and the sound is more like a bigger older bass to me.

[Stefano Senni]

That's gorgeous, Ken ! Marcucci lived and worked in S.Agata sul Santerno, a very small village next to my hometown, Lugo (Ravenna) - Italia. An old lady there still has a Marcucci bass that belonged to his late father, and that Marcucci built directly for him ! A couple of years ago she contacted me and wanted me to acquire the bass after she has known I am an artist from that town...I was excited about it, but then her brother wanted to keep the bass in the family to honor their dad's memory....;) Maybe sooner or later they will change their mind and I will have my Marcucci as well ;) ! ... So far it's just a shame that such a bass doesn't get played and keeps deteriorating year after year ....

[Eric Hochberg]

I was excited about it, but then her brother wanted to keep the bass in the family to honor their dad's memory....;) Maybe sooner or later they will change their mind and I will have my Marcucci as well ;) ! ... So far it's just a shame that such a bass doesn't get played and keeps deteriorating year after year ....

Why don't you tell them that to honor their father's memory, you will play the bass and be responsible for it's preservation and tell the story of how you received it at your performances. When you no longer wish to play it, you will then return it to the family.

[Ken Smith]

Why don't you tell them that to honor their father's memory, you will play the bass and be responsible for it's preservation and tell the story of how you received it at your performances. When you no longer wish to play it, you will then return it to the family.

Better yet, sent it to me to be with its Twin to be played with a Bow and also get a well deserved "Smith Style Plays Like Butter FULL Restoration"! ;)

I have seen a few of them and they seem to vary in size. The build style is quite similar looking on all of the ones I have seen.

[Ken Smith]

I have my first Classical concert with the Marcucci tomorrow and the program is tough.

Carl Nielson: Helios Overture, Op. 17
Saint- Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61
Nancy Bean, Violin (Philly Orch.)

Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43


There are some very tough parts on all 3 pieces, especially the end of the Violin concerto, B major, 5 sharps.. Been shedding that for a few days. and the Helios has a tough section as well. The problem is that we only have 4 basses and for this sized orchestra, we need 6. I am a sub there when they need an extra player as 2 of the other guys in the section can't make it.



The other thing to mention is getting comfortable with a new bass. The endpin height. I am most comfortable with the endpin all the way in, on the floor. This way I can get close to the bass and reach into TP as needed and this program does have a few upper notes in it.

[David McLaughlin]

Good luck! Wish I could hear the performance. Please give us a follow up report on how everything went.

[Ken Smith]

Good luck! Wish I could hear the performance. Please give us a follow up report on how everything went.

It all went well. The Marcucci bass was great and I also played fairly well. I have another concert this coming Saturday with a completely different type of program. Same bass, different orchestra, different bass section, different music. I will play first chair here as opposed to 4th like today as I was filling in as a sub. I had a rehearsal this evening for next weeks concert right after today's concert so I had a double header. No playing fatigue at all. That's a good sign! ;)

[Eric Swanson]

Very cool. I love Sibelius 2nd, especially. That part where the basses are playing a solo in unison, then split into doing contrary motion always gives me goosebumps.

What strings do I see in the photos? Are they Belcanti on the A, D, G, with a long Spirocore B?

Good luck with the next show!

[Ken Smith]

Very cool. I love Sibelius 2nd, especially. That part where the basses are playing a solo in unison, then split into doing contrary motion always gives me goosebumps.

What strings do I see in the photos? Are they Belcanti on the A, D, G, with a long Spirocore B?

Good luck with the next show!

3 Bel's and a Flex 92 STARK E/C.

[Ken Smith]

The Marcucci is in its preplanned restoration at this time. I brought the bass up to Arnold last month after having used it on a few gigs. Although we talked about this job the day I got the bass, getting familiar with the bass before its surgery helped to make decisions.

The neck is original and at an Eb at the heel. I will keep it original as it feels good to me as it is.

The neck setting and added heel button are slightly askew so the neck will be pulled, a new piece put on the heel and glued back in the block.

The bridge is slightly low as well, barely 6" or so. With the neck set back into the block with better seating than before as well as a new thicker fingerboard, the over-stand itself will be increased to just about the perfect spot. The new heel button will do the rest and the bridge will be slightly taller from the combined work. This will make the playing in the upper registers even easier to play than before.

The top has some slight sinkage in places as well as undulations throughout the top so a slight pressing is in order. With the bass sounding so good already and the top in such good health otherwise, we don't want too much change in the top that might affect the sound. We expect the pressing out will be slight as it is not being done with a mold attempting to make it like new. Just letting the bass reform itself with some hot 'shot bags' as a gentle influence and see where it wants to go.

There is an old sound-post crack that will be re-repaired as well as re-patched inside. The bassbar will also be replaced as it was removed for the top pressing.

The bass will be cleaned internally from all old work and repairs as needed only. Nothing drastic at all.

Finally it will get a new all-ebony chromatic C-extension to replace the old black painted maple E-capped one that was a bit hard to work.

This is still some fairly expensive and delicate work regardless of the degree of top pressing or new neck graft that was first discussed. To move and re-set the neck is about 75% the cost of replacing the neck. Since the neck is how I personally like it and also all-original, I opted to leave it an Eb. Also, pressing out the top in a full mold would not only be quite a bit more expensive but could also alter the sound adversely as well. The bass could take years to settle back in after that and the old sound might never come back so the approach with this is gentle and as-needed.

Note: Some of this work has been done already or in progress as I write this. The top has been pressed out and is as expected, it pushed out some of the way but was not forced back to its full original shape. I should have the bass back and all warmed up well before next season. ;)

[Ken Smith]

I just got back with the Marcucci. Beyond words. Now I have no excuse for not practicing. Like I did before.. lol

[Eric Swanson]

Care to share any photos of it, post-luthiery?

[Ken Smith]

Care to share any photos of it, post-luthiery?

I will find some time next week to not only take pics, but to build a new page for it on the website as well. I will post the link here when it is done.

The two basses I have been using while this was in restoration were my Jacquet-Pilliment (deep lush Italian sounding old French bass fully restored by Jeff Bollbach) and my attributed Luigi Marconcini bass (fully restored by Robbie MacIntosh). One luthier that recently saw the Marconcini said to me on its origin,.. "All correct! How did you figure it out?" So, maybe one day soon I will get some papers on it from him.

Comparing the three basses last night and today, I can hear and feel the clear differences between these basses. I swapped strings between the Marcucci and the Jacquet last night to see if I can brighten up the Jacq. with Bells on the top 3 strings and put the mixed Flexs on the Marcucci to rid that metallic sound. It worked. Both basses sound slightly different and for the better but these are also kind of old strings that have been on and off several basses for the last 2-3 years.

As I posted on FB last night describing the work and sound;

Brought my bass home today from its restoration. It was in the shop being worked on for the last 5 months. Previously, it had not been opened up for repairs for over 40 years. Now, it's time to play it and break it in. This is a before picture. It looks just about the same now as before from a few feet away. The C-Extension has been replaced with an all ebony Chromatic one, the insides (top, back, ribs, lining, blocks) cleaned up and all issues carefully addressed and has a new bass-bar as well. The neck was also re-set and the neck-block inside beefed up. The sound is more focused than before and more powerful as well. In my experience, restored basses settle in gradually over the first few years as they mellow little by little after surgery. This is still the original neck as well as everything else also being original. :)



https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/q82/s526x395/10670246_783139861746298_8181188275908367096_n.jpg ?oh=f69fc000df29d71888d1f3bb845ba646&oe=54E49262&__gda__=1424082020_2cddfbe2e9caf15624dd8db848d817b 0
(https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=783139861746298&set=a.445924615467826.99903.100001508756877&type=1)

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Ken, to most players' ear the BelCanto strings sound mellower and smoother than the Flexicores. (They also have less tonal dynamic range.) I'm curious why you would use Bels to try to brighten up a bass, when they are typically called upon to darken the sound of a bright instrument. Please write at least four paragraphs explaining this move. :D

[Ken Smith]

Ken, to most players' ear the BelCanto strings sound mellower and smoother than the Flexicores. (They also have less tonal dynamic range.) I'm curious why you would use Bels to try to brighten up a bass, when they are typically called upon to darken the sound of a bright instrument. Please write at least four paragraphs explaining this move. :D

To my ear, the Flexs are smoother sounding under the Bow and the Bels have a metallic overtone to them. As strings get old, both kinds tend to be scratchy under the bow if the string has been over-warn from on and off basses. That is different than a string just aging on one single bass undisturbed by string changes. I hear more color in the sound as well with the Flexs and a flatter tonal pallet with Bels.

Some basses are more sensitive to various strings and my research comes from these types of basses. If a bass itself is duller and takes most any string the same way, then it is hard to tell what the string is doing.

I think walnut is brighter sounding than maple where most hear with their eyes based on color.

No Mushrooms or Bamboo shoots please! :eek:

[Lou Laurenti]

Here are some pics of my personal bass, newly acquired. Some restoration and set-up work is forth coming in the next few months so here are the pictures of the bass in the current state it's been in for the last few decades.

String Length is 41 7/8" (Eb Neck Heel)
Body/Top - 44 1/2", Back/with button - 45 1/2"
Upper Bout -19 1/8"
Middle Bout -14 1/8"
Lower Bout - 25 5/8"
Ribs (without top and back) - 7 7/8" tapered to 5 3/4" at Neck

This Bass is not for sale!



Looks great Ken

[Ken Smith]

Looks great Ken

I just got back from playing it tonight with an Orchestra. It was just a rehearsal and only one bass tonight. Next week we will have all 4 basses there, basses and players that I know well and then I will have a better grip on how it blends. All went will tonight.

[Ken Smith]

Ok, I finally gave the bass its first new set of strings since I have had it, b4 and after restoration. I had been rotating between few different sets on and off other basses to see what it likes and at the recommendation of the restorer (Arnold Schnitzer), I put a new set of strings on the bass. Finally!!:rolleyes:

[Ken Smith]

Ken, to most players' ear the BelCanto strings sound mellower and smoother than the Flexicores. (They also have less tonal dynamic range.) I'm curious why you would use Bels to try to brighten up a bass, when they are typically called upon to darken the sound of a bright instrument. Please write at least four paragraphs explaining this move. :D

What I had been doing was moving strings around between several basses and by doing that, wearing the strings out way before their time. Unlike playing a string on a single bass till it breaks in and the sound darkens till it wears out, I was getting the opposite effect and that is why they were sounding brighter.

The new Bel's sound much smoother then the ones that came off that had been on and off no less than 4x between several basses over the last year or two. I think you can do a change or two with fairly new strings but 3, 4, or 5 changes, you are working with strings that no longer perform as intended.

Thanks Arnold, once again..;)

[Ken Smith]

Ok guys, the new Marcucci web page (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/marcucci/) is now up. I can add information that is written in books and on-line sites but I can also just answer questions here or on FB about it. Enjoy..

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/marcucci/