Quote:
Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer
Sorry maestro but I don't have the info you are seeking. What I wanted to elucidate, though, is the situation at the back button on the bass you pictured. Many blockless basses one encounters have a similar break there. That's because when the bass was made the neck had an extended "foot" that was glued to the back in place of having an internal neck block. Unfortunately it's a pretty weak system, and a bump to the neck often results in serious damage to the upper back. That is especially true if the bass falls sideways onto the scroll. Then you will often see the evidence not only in the form of a back break, but ribs, which unsupported by a block, tear apart at the neck joint. Interestingly, here at the Oberlin workshop this week, two guys are rebuilding blockless basses. The block installation is a complicated one, involving a plaster mold of the area, extensive block carving/fitting, and a complex glue-up. (Ken, I know you know this stuff, and you know that I know that you know, but I thought it might interest other bass nerd viewers.)  |
Yes, I have seen many Blockless Basses in various grades and styles as well as many that were blocked that I know or suspect were made Blockless originally.
On my bass above, it is getting an inlaid Neck button graft as well as a button trim. My bass from what I see has suffered all of the various forms of damage that you just described. Mike Magee has this one on his bench now. The ribs were all lined with thick canvas/linen and one rib was like a puzzle of pieces damaged and glued. This rib needed more repair so the linen was removed only to find 1-2mm or glue between the wood and the linen. In scraping the loosened glue off (and he sent me a video of it being done), the loose pieces of wood flaked away in the process. After that rib was re-assembled and repaired there was another with questionable linings. So, he started on that one only to determine that the pieced together repairs on the old linings needed to be replaced. At that point we collectively decieded to restore all of the Ribs. Going into this restoration, I was hoping to leave the ribs alone as the bass was holding and sounded good. They were a can-o-worms.
So, in conclusion, regardless of the higher grade than normal wood used to make this bass, the construction combined with a long life of constant use, bumps and bangs has proven that the 'blockless wonder' name was a 'wonder' only when it was made.
In my research over the years I have learned that the Violin family instruments were not originally made with all of the blocks and linings we see today. It was an evolution with some makers and schools moving to fully blocked sooner than others. Somewhere in it's progress the blocks and linings became standard. These blockless style basses seemed to have passed for 'so far so good' into the 20th century. Kind of like the Last of the Mohicans!
Anyone see my Feather lying around?
.. I got plenty of Bows but no Arrows either..
Now, if we could just figure out who made them! My thought on this is that possibly, they knew they were making cheap instruments that would fall apart easier than if made with a neck block. Prescott made blockless basses and inserted the ribs into the back and top plates like furniture. He didn't think he was doing anything wrong because even at that early date (not really early for the age of the d.bass), he seemed proud to use his name on everything he produced. I can only assume he copied some German model of a bass from the looks of his gamba style instruments with and without the lower rounded corners (aka busetto). The Cellos and Church basses were made the same way with violin corners as well as a few 4/4 d.basses that were like giant looking cellos. Still, he made them blockless and from some I have seen in original state, without inner linings as well.
So, the question remains, where do these basses actually originate from. An address would be nice!