yes..
 

Yes, I know of that bass and one other JB Allen as well. Thanks for posting it here. I have to say though that the one I just posted looks to be in better overall condition that the other two, this one included. Mine has its original varnish cleaned and polished, the original tuners and plates with a 4th tuner for the 'D' added parallel to the 'A' tuner and sharing a split shaft as well. The Back crossbars were replaced with similar sized ones as the original. Plus, it is the one written up in ISB's Bass World in 2004. The strings on the bass here are 12 year old Flexocor 92s so not the best sound it can have but the strings were barely played on in those 12 years.

@Ken: The scroll is a new one?

It's original..
 

The Scroll, Tuners (3 of 4), Plates and Varnish and everything else except the endpin, soundpost, braces, bridge, fingerboard, tailpiece saddle and strings are original. I have the original endpin, saddle, fingerboard, and bridge. The past owner kept the 3-string tailpiece.

For the scrolls, here are 3 to compare from JB Allen, the only 3 basses I know by him. The two with the unusual Gears are from 1841 (mine and David Oberg's). The one with German quarter plates (Phil Palombi's) is from 1842.
http://www.fretshop.com/webpics/dobergbass2.JPGhttp://www.smithbassforums.com/attac...9&d=1319141265http://www.philpalombi.com/images/ba...s/IMG_1265.jpg

Any Photoshopper's care to size these and post them side by side to compare better?

Not that the rest of the renovated Allen bass isn't just lovely, but I really dig those custom-made machines. Who did that lovely machining? Who designed the detailing?

original...
 

Except for the D and A gear sharing a split shaft, the gears are 100% original. One extra gear was made as a spare when the restoration was done just in case but those gears and designs were by J.B. Allen. I think Arnold mentioned that the Smithsonian has a telescope and/or a microscope that he made. It looks like the Basses he made were to show off his skills.

I played in an Orchestra last night with 8 basses (wow, what thunder!). One was a large German bass (Fussen is my attribution) with a small lower rounded corner (busetto) like the upper of the Allen and an upper molding quasi-violin but in the molding strips like a semi-squared off busetto. The Scroll was long as well. Prescott seems to have copied a Mittenwald bass for his models but the long Scroll box is reported to be after an English Viol. The Allen has some similarities to the Prescotts as do most Yankee basses but shows a level of skill we have yet to see on a Prescott. I am sure Allen knew what a Prescott bass was as it looks obvious. I doubt however that they had worked together at any point.

I think it's interesting that the Allen bass (the one pictured above) has a top made from 15 pieces of vertical grain white pine. I've often wondered if the individual pieces were pre-bent into the approximate shape of the arching, and then joined/carved, or whether they were all glued up as 2"x2" squares and then carved into the arched shape. When looking closely at the top it seems to me there is less end grain visible than I'd expect to see. And I know there were violin makers fooling around with a sort of "coopering" technique in the 19th century (similar to the way barrels are made). J.B. went all out with the decorative aspect of that bass, even inlaying the seams. And Robbie McIntosh did a masterful job of restoring the bass and keeping it faithful to the original while enhancing its playability as a modern bass.

yes..
 

One of the other Allen basses above with the old Tuners is a 13pc Top I think. It seems as if this was his style. I wonder besides these 3 basses if there are more of them around. It looks so good to my eye I was surprised to learn that even the Varnish is original on this bass. Robbie mentioned to me the other day that he thought about it for a day or so taking a few deep breaths before he took the Top off knowing he would have to restore that joint as well being that the outer moldings overlapped the Top edge. The Purfling covering the joint now was made by him and looks to be walnut and maple laminated.

Measurements..
 

Here are the measurements of the J.B. Allen, 1841 as pictured in the 2004 ISB magazine.

Top length,........ 45 3/4"
Back to button,.. 47 1/2"

Upper Bout,....... 21 1/8"
Middle Bout,....... 16"
Lower Bout,....... 28 1/2"

Rib Depth inside the Purfling that hides the Top/Rib joint (floating Rib width):
8 1/4" at the bottom Block gently tapering to 8" at the angle break. Then tapering from 8" at the break to 7 1/8" at the Neck.

String Length, 42"

In reading the Article written about 5 years after the restoration, Robbie talks about the sound and how it has matured but states it's not loud bass! Currently, this bass is so loud than when I play it in my office with the other basses in the racks around it, it vibrates all of them more than almost any other bass I have with exception to the 4/4 Tarr and Panormo School basses. The bass is LOUD now, but in a sweet way as far as tone goes. The strings on the bass are Flexocor 92, put on in 1999. I am sure the bass can get even louder with different types of strings.

Allen 'page in progress..
 

Ok, I am putting on the finishing touches of the JB Allen 'page. Here's the Link if any one's interested. Enjoy.. ;)

Wow!
 

Wow! That is just beautiful.

Very nicely done, Ken, with one exception: There is nothing Prescott-like in that scroll. It is totally unique.

I see some similarities but the Allen is on another level.

The small step at the bottom of the Peg Box reminds me of Prescott.
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...scrollleft.jpghttp://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...croll-left.jpghttp://www.smithbassforums.com/attac...9&d=1319141265

Sorry for the size differences.

also..
 

As the story goes, the Prescott's with the lower rounded corners (or all of them) were copied from an old Mittenwald Klotz-scholl bass, so were the gear plates of the Allen bass as far as that loop at the top. To compare, look at the Allen beside 3 other old Mittenwalders posted here on the Forum;

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...roll-right.jpghttp://www.smithbassforums.com/attac...7&d=1273597622http://www.smithbassforums.com/attac...6&d=1274452623http://www.smithbassforums.com/attac...5&d=1277501886

Although not two plates on these basses are identical, they all have the rounded loop at the top.

So, mix a Prescott with a Klotz-school bass, refine it x10 (:D) and there you have it, 'Americana' by JB Allen.. ;)

4th Allen bass
 

I just spotted a 4th JB Allen bass on FB. (2nd from left with an extension)

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto..._5783255_n.jpg

I don't know who it is or what bass section but they are all nice looking basses.

Per post # 70
 

Hi Ken,
Just spent a long evening reading all the posts on your list about Abraham Prescott and early American bass makers, so I decided to join the group.
I also have the Prescott ledger which goes up to 1829 and the " Historical New Hampshire" vol.42,no.2. Which btw has a few minor errors as to dates.Page 120 b.....should be marked (see fig.5) andc........should be added(see fig.7). also the date under the Wrighticture on pg.121 should be 1830, not 1800.
I got the information from the author Edward Wall where I purchased my Prescott Doublebass. It is the earliest model made in Deerfield in 1826 instrument no.70 (funny how your post 70 mentions you have never seen a dated Prescott label)and it has what might be the earliest of his labels with a handwritten number and date . The body was in beautiful condition with only a minor crack above an ff.the neck had been replaced as was the volute but the peg box and tuners are original. I had it restored to a playable condition but keeping it as original as possible using photos and measurements from the MFA bass.
Ilaso have 2 church basses, one Prescott with a later label but still from Deerfield and a David M. Dearborn with " Made by David M. Dearborn Concord N.H. 1859" hand written inside on the back. The Prescott needs to be restored but the Dearborn is currently being used as a bass de violon by a friend in Berlin.
Richard

Strings, Bridge for Church Bass
 

I am finishing up restoring a church bass and was wondering if there were opinions on what kind of strings and bridge to put on it? It is a 4 string church bass. Should I put cello or bass gut strings? Someone recommended a Forster bridge which was popular in England in the early 1800's. Are there any thoughts about that?

What kind of bow would be used, a cello or bass?

??
 

I have no idea. I never had a Church bass or a desire to own or play one. Sorry.