Paris school..

[Ken Smith]

Here's a French bass I just acquired. Although it was first thought to be a Mirecourt bass from the Jacquet or Lamy shop, one thing about it was bugging me. The Back Button area. Having violin corners, all of the Mirecourt basses I have seen have had the false Cello button in the upper Back but this one is more like what we see on Gamba basses. Then, I looked at a couple of Paris made Bernardel's and there it was, violin corners without the Cello outline/button.

So, here we have a c.1900-1920 Paris/Bernardel 'School' bass. Note the deep cut C-bouts and the nicely curved sharp violin corners. The F-holes are beautifully done as well. Certainly a notch above the mass-produces Mirecourt basses more commonly seen.

[Ken Smith]

Now with a beautiful handmade Chromatic C-Extension by Keiran O'Hara in Brewster NY.