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Old 04-29-2008, 11:12 AM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Join Date: 01-18-2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vince Mendoza View Post
Hello all:

I'm new here (this is actually my first post), so please pardon if this seems like a naive question. I wonder if anyone knows the kind of instrument jazz bassists like Paul Chambers, Doug Watkins and Sam Jones played? Were they carved pedigreed basses or laminated ones?

Thank you.
Well, in growing up in New York with Bass in hand in the mid-late 60s, I just missed Paul Chambers. He died about when I joined the Union. I did however see his Bass in pictures and asked one Luthier about that carved Ladies Head on the top of the Neck/Scroll. The Bass was a Germanic Shop type Bass from the late 19th-early 20th century or so. The Head was added by him I heard but in either case, it was not part of that Bass.

Andre' Fantoni the Luthier in NY I knew told me how Doug Watkins died in a car accident I think and at an early age. Fantoni in his late 70s or older then said 'he was a nice boy' having been old enough to be his grandfather when he knew him. I don't know what kind of Bass he had but from a few pictures I had seen I suspect some type of Germanic shop Bass as well. Very generic looking.

Sam Jones worked around NY and I had met him many times including sitting in on his Bass at a duo gig (Bass/Guitar) when he was subbing for Reggie Workman, my teacher at the time. His was an older late 19th century German Bass made possible by Hornsteiner aka Neuner-Hornsteiner. I have seen several of these Basses both in Gamba shape and with Bussetto lower corners.

None of the three great players listed above used expensive pedigree Basses but I have seen some 'YouTube's' with Sam Jones playing a nicer looking Bass. Maybe he owned others in his time or as it was common, rented a nice Bass somewhere while on tour.

There are however some Bassists in Jazz that had some better Basses. We have discussed this on TalkBass and some of the Basses they were known to own may not be by the maker the Basses are claimed to be. Eugene Wright, Scott LaFaro, Arvel Shaw and Reggie Workman were all known to play a Prescott Bass. In my opinion after seeing 3 of these 4 Basses in person and pictures of the 4th, the only Genuine Prescott in the group is the 'Wright Bass. The others, while made in the Prescott style are by other Yankee Makers. The 'Workman Bass may be even earlier possibly by a guy named Willard who may have taught Prescott. It has the same scroll as a Willard Church Bass I have seen. The 'Shaw Bass is also another maker and nicer looking than Prescotts especially in the Scroll. The Lafaro Bass and the other 3 do not have Prescott Scrolls or FFs that were one of only 2 styles each he used and I have seen all examples mentioned made by Prescott.

Reggie Workman also has a 4/4 German Bass by Seitz of Mittenwald. I have played that Bass and it's great. Percy Heath played a nice Gamba shaped old Italian Bass that has been attributed to a few different makers. Most recently to Ruggeri or Rogeri. I am not 100% sure on that. Ray Brown at one time had a Bass bought for him by Ella Fitzgerald from the Hill shop in London as a Niccolo Amati. I have seen 1 of the other 3 Basses known by the same 'British' maker as Ray's Bass and it's not even Italian much less an Amati. It is a fine Panormo era (or earlier) British Bass which 3 of them emanated out of Scotland in the 20th century. They were possibly made as a set for an Orchestra back then and sent there from somewhere in the UK or were made in Scotland which is not out of the question either. That's the Bass in his book with the high shoulders and the open key tuner handles. Other Basses I have seen him play were either German or one French Gamba Jacquet style Bass on a 'YouTube'. I also saw an old Utube with Ella and Ray in London where he had a cornerless Italian bass that looked to be a Baldontoni. Surely this was rented for him, I assume. It's the only time I've seen him with that Bass.

Charlie Hayden has had several fine French Basses that we have seen and I think I have seen a French Pear Bass in the hands of Gene Taylor at a rehearsal once. Another player whose name escapes me had a Kennedy and Rick Laird (from Mahavishnu and Chick Korea) has an English Bass by James Brown. Eddie Gomez had some nice Basses as well as George Mraz who bought a Bernadel from me in the late '70s.

Several Jazz players have been able to acquire some nice Basses but for that short jazz-pizz sound/attack, the greatest Italian Orchestral Bass is not always best, nor are they affordable now.
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