A couple years ago I was with my daughter, watching one of the first (earliest) "Concerts for Young People" DVDs that the NYPhil put out. I noticed that there was a cornerless bass near the far end of the section. This particular film was from the very late 50s or very early 60s.
I wrote the archivist at the orchestra, hoping to figure out who was playing that bass. While the (kind, patient, remarkably helpful) archivist provided a interesting, comprehensive list of all the section members (and the various orchestras that evolved into the NYPhil), he could not tell me anything about the instruments themselves.
So, the pear-shaped instrument that was in that section went somewhere. Anyone know who plays it now?
Whoever was playing it in the NYPhil was definitely not the same player in the Chet Atkins clip. If it was the same person, he dramatically changed his left hand technique for the other gig
.