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Originally Posted by Jeff Campbell
Hi Ken,
I was curious about your Mittenwald bass. It has a bevel near the top of the back. Most Mittenwalds have a slopped back towards the neck block. How about the inside braces, are they 'let into' the linings? How many braces are in the back. Nice bass. Do have ideas about a possible maker? (Seitz, Venner, N & H? etc.)
I'll post a photo of the scrolls of the pair of Mittenwalds. They do not have the same type of gears nor are the scrolls similar in shape or size.
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Well, I showed the pics to Arnold and he agrees with me all the way on this. Not all Mittenwald Basses are non-angled backs. I know there is something about this on another website discussing the difference between Neuner and Tarr but I don't see this as anything but German. The break on this is just at 2". Most English basses I have seen average 2.5-3" in break and from the middle or upper part of the bout. This one starts just below the middle making is less of an angle in the bend.
I doubt the Scroll is as old as the Bass and is a northern Scroll as well to me. Maybe Markneukirchen 100-120 years old. I have seen others like it and the gears a well. The Back shows signs of a Neck/Heel break in the past. This Scroll as well was once pinned through the button and then maybe a new neck grafted after that failed. The Bass sounds great and I can only assume it was heavily used because of its sound. It is one of the best German Basses I have ever played.
On the Linings, the blocks at the bottom bout are cut and the lining butted up against the notch, the same on both sides. The middle bout linings are flush, not inlaid as are the upper linings into the upper blocks. Only the lower back side bottom block are notched. One side it goes in and one was trimmed back.
There is a center crossbar 3" in width, a lower crossbar shaped like a bassbar, a middle crossbar shaped like a bassbar and an upper one covering the angle-break that is a flatter bar but rounded softly about 2" wide.
There are many repairs inside the back as you can see the numerous splits in the Birdseye. I am just now dropping some glue on a lower crack inside that has no visible repair to it. When the bass goes this Summer to Jeff Bollbach, I will have him put some linen over it and go over the whole bass. It looks like the repairs are several years old and may need a touch of fresh glue in a few spots. I don't think the bass needs to come apart at this time.
Jeff, if you hadn't asked me to look inside at the back construction I would have not seen that faint un-repaired crack. Thanks..
The shoulders of this Bass slope a bit more than some other Mittenwalds but then again, there were several shops and makers in the 19th century making basses and/or producing parts for them. The red varnish over the yellow under it is also common with Mittenwald basses.
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Do have ideas about a possible maker? (Seitz, Venner, N & H? etc.)
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Venner? Never heard that name. did you mean Neuner or Baader?
The most famous names and families I know of that have produced basses are first the Klotz family of makers, the Neuners, the Hornsteiners, Seitz (also a supplier of Basses), the firm of Neuner-Hornsteiner and the J.A. Baader firm to name the most important ones I can think of. There is some overlapping of these names in their work periods and some marriages between them as well. Mittenwald was a huge center for Violin family instruments and some of what I have seen are shop-grade type instruments. Not necessarily factory made in a modern sense but old style bench factory/shop making and even cottage industry building going back to before 1700 when Mathias Klotz (Kloz) returned to Mittenwald and became the founder of that School of making.
What is my bass exactly and who made it when? Hey, tell me and we'll both know..
It sounds old and sweet. That's enough for me for now..