French bass

[Tim Pearson]

This instrument has no label but is clearly French. Anyone have any thoughts on a maker? I’m in the process of purchasing it.

[Tim Pearson]

Here’s the back....sorry for not putting this in original post...am new to this ancient technology

[Ken Smith]

Scroll/Pegbox pics, all angles would help. I would say from those 2 pics, Jacquet school, 1880s.

[Tim Pearson]

Thanks for the reply!

The owner replaced the original tuners with those currently on it. Am hoping to put the originals back on at some point. what would the original tailpiece have been made of? Would it be a "tulip" design?

thanks!

[Tim Pearson]

Here's the back of the pegbox. FYI it was originally a 3 stringer but you probably knew that.

[Ken Smith]

Is that head grafted on crooked? I didn't know it was a 3 unless I see scars. The side of the head you showed above had no visible repairs and some new varnish to cover it up.

[Tim Pearson]

Yep...the owner did a repair by putting a thin layer of wood on the outside of the peg box. Old peg holes are evident from inside. The neck is not original so either the graft was sloppy or the neck warped and broke and that’s how the peg box got off kilter. The bass sounds pretty great...not a subwoofer sound but clear and deeper than any other French bass I’ve played.

[Ken Smith]

Yep...the owner did a repair by putting a thin layer of wood on the outside of the peg box. Old peg holes are evident from inside. The neck is not original so either the graft was sloppy or the neck warped and broke and that’s how the peg box got off kilter. The bass sounds pretty great...not a subwoofer sound but clear and deeper than any other French bass I’ve played.


Ok, so 1880's Jacquet from one of the sons OR, an earlier father Jacquet being that that might be a pre-Guild scroll that was used by Joseph Xavier Jacquet aka Jacquet-Pillement. The over-varnish on the bass is not as nice as could be as it clouds the finish and masks the age and patina.

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/jacquet-pillement/index.html

[Tim Pearson]

Thanks for all of this. I saw your post about the Jacquet-Pillement a while ago and thought they were similar. I played a Xavier Jacquet that belonged to a friend for a year or so and the scroll on that bass was identical to this one.
Varnish color on Jacquet basses seems to vary so much.

[Ken Smith]

Thanks for all of this. I saw your post about the Jacquet-Pillement a while ago and thought they were similar. I played a Xavier Jacquet that belonged to a friend for a year or so and the scroll on that bass was identical to this one.
Varnish color on Jacquet basses seems to vary so much.


Unless the bass is branded or labeled and authenticated, not all basses thought to be by Jacquet are. On varnish, all the ones I remember are some shade of golden brown. Barbe made similar basses as did the Lamy factory and probably others. It was a French style of making.



Read these;
http://luthiers-mirecourt.com/jacquet_genealogie.htm

http://luthiers-mirecourt.com/pillement_genealogie.htm
3rd row after head, first on left.

http://luthiers-mirecourt.com/index_genealogie.htm


Have fun.. ;)