[Ken Smith]

The design under the Back Button is very interesting. The Scroll I am told is not original but 19th century S.Germany, just above the Tirol where this Bass was made in Bolzano. The tuners are the exact same ones (smaller gears) that came on my Mystery Bass when I got it. I have seen these on some old Mittenwald Basses as well as an old English/Italian Bass. The gears date from 1850 and before. On my Bass, 3 of them were 100% identical while one looks maybe 5% different. My Guess is that the Bass had 3 of them and in later years when converted to a 4-string, the Gears were still available and a 4th was added but made in the same shop some years later. This bass too has two different Gear sizes but the same exact Worm handles.

This will be a 'slow growth' thread being that we are looking specifically for old Italian Basses in the Gamba form. I know they are out there but not many of them with Forum members unfortunately. Still, it's nice to look back at the Basses made that were not affected by commercial production and Italian as well where it all started 450 years ago in Italy.

I think it's a treat when someone like Maury offers to share pics of a Bass as rare as his. Tirol Italian Basses are rare as well. With this region being shared by Austria, Germany and Italy you never know what might turn up. A few weeks ago while visiting Arnold I saw a beautiful old Fussen made Bass. Looked Italian to me but was actually from the German Tirol from over 300 years ago. A big violin cornered bass with an original Scroll, wide unusual FFs with tabs almost Maggini/d'Salo-like. It also had blackened reddish brown Varnish like we have seen on some old Italians but then again, this wasn't Italian. It was made just north of Italy.