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Originally Posted by Ken Smith
On my Bass it also has some old style French flavour in the upper back in both shape and bend style. The Back bends gently from the corner block to the neck block which is French in tradition. The Ribs are 8.5" from the lower block (endpin) to the upper bout corner and then tapers to 5.75" at the neck. The French and some English moved back and forth learning from and working with each other. That is fact and not speculation. Germany was also a big trade partner with England as well. Many visiting Orchestras and Musicians came to London as well as several from Italy. It is this 'visiting' factor from France, Germany and Italy that gave London its flavor more so than any Londoner traveling thru the continent which was not the case at all.
If you look closely at my Bass you will see French, Italian, Germanic and English flavors all rolled up in one Bass (the Yankee flavor being only later modifications and not in the making). You almost never see any English flavor in the other countries mentioned. Why is that? Because they had their own recipe and English was never a flavor in the continent with the exception of New England Yankee Basses which were a mix or English and German mainly. The English were mainly Copyists, period! Makers often copied Stainer and Amati in the same shop with the occasional Strad. The French thing is not that common with the exception of a few that may have worked there or with someone from France in the UK. This Bass is somewhat of a 'melting pot' example with the 'gamba flavor added both inside and out. When I showed the C-bout corner block to Jeff Bollbach up at 'Biasie's, he mentioned he has seen this style only in old French and English Basses and furniture as well.
So, with that 'brief' explanation, how does London/Corsby style sit now in your mind?  |
I do see what you mean about all the different influences.
I'm not so experienced w/ 'f' hole ID, but to me the upper bout shape definitely has a French feel to it. Almost "Lamy"-like
http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2453.htm , although we know that this bass is earlier. How about these English guys?;
http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2114.htm ,
http://www.contrabass.co.uk/1900.htm ,
http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2657.htm ,or these German guys?;
http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2657.htm ,
http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2579.htm
Bri