Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Campbell
You've got me thinking...your original intention of this thread was to find the big old German that folks like Prescott or JB Allen used as a model type for their Yankee instruments. In looking at your Mittenwald bass, the size ratio between the smaller upper bouts and the oversized lower ones looks quite a bit like those used by Prescott. Do you see any similarities or am I way off base here. How does this bass sound? Big and thunderous? Sweet? Clear?
Deep? A couple of things are confusing: the angle break in the back and the golden-ish varnish are not typical of the other Mittenwald basses on this thread. How did you come to decide it was from Mittenwald? Also, in your last response, you cited the bass I posted as perhaps H&H. What is H&H. Did you mean Neuner and Hornsteiner (N&H), or is this a different firm/maker?
I have more photos of yet another bass I've come across which will follow in a day or two.
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Oops.. that was a typo. N&H. They letters are just above one another and was typing too fast, for me that is.. lol
On my Bass, the Scroll is NOT original to that bass. I see it as a later Markneukirchen style end of 19th, early 20th century, gears and all.
The bass itself is red over gold. It came in as a Mittenwald and that's what I think it is. Not necessarily a typical factory model but something more custom. Almost like a copy of a Tarr or Northern English bass.
This to me is nothing at all like a Prescott in its pattern at least not to my eye and nothing like the Yankee sound either. Sounds like good German. Punchy notes with short decay, almost no after ringing inside the bass and even sounding all over. If anything, I would reiterate an English copy in its overall style. The Basses with angle breaks from East Germany thru Prague and even Vienna are diffefent in many ways. The Northerm English copied in part the Germans and here it looks like that flavor. I have also seen another Birdseye maple Mittenwald bass not long ago but that one was much bigger and more typical German all around but with the upper angle break as well. I have heard that they were made both ways in Germany, with and without that angle.
Sound wise I have to say it's still coming. The Bass hasn't seen a Bow in years and it also needs some set-up work and a bit of gluing. Jeff Bollbach will get this when I'm done with my Jobs in mid Summer and make an Extension for it as well. I have the Eurosonics on it right now as that was the only regular 4-string set I had that was 'new' but is not my choice for this bass. It was just something to hear it with. I have a concert Saturday and two jazz tunes as well with a Symphony and I got the jazz part. Last week at the first full rehearsal the bass sounded great thru the amp as well as in the section with the bow. For sound and tone I would say medium power in the mids, sweet on top and shaking the floor a bit on the bottom. It needs a good endpin as well which I know will help the sound. Also, the soundpost felt a bit on the short side and I placed it a bit closer to the F-hole than I normally would to make it fit. I am sure it will sound much better after Jeff is done with it. Regardless, I like the bass as it is and enjoy playing it every chance I get. The bass 'feels' very old and mature as well. It just needs some TLC and some playing. This I can guarantee it will get!