It is definitely similar to the Barbe basses Ken, but not the f's. It is also a bit stouter to my eye. The Barbe basses look narrower. The French maker in England or English maker in France does seem plausible. I was trying to think of why a French maker might wind up in England and then I remembered "A Tale of Two Cities". If the bass is from the late 18th century, the maker may have been a noble expatriate. I have no idea how one could get beyond the theory to a list of noble expatriates, but the French royalty must have had luthiers in employ if not in the royal family. Those were strange times for many of the French bourgeoisie. Many did leave France if they were affiliated with the royals. Perhaps the maker was wealthy and successful and felt the need to vacate. Do you think that was the period that the bass might have been made?
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