The Master and his Apprentice
Samuel Gilkes and John Hart
The written text here was taken from a combination of sources. This includes one Double Bass example in my possession from each maker as well as references from several English and International books that mention these two famous makers from the English School of the 19th century. Both S.Gilkes and J.Hart are highly regarded as the top of their class but mainly Gilkes as there is very little original work to be found by John Hart. However, individual works by Gilkes is probably rarer especially if you are talking about an actual ‘Labeled & Branded’ Double Bass which this is the only known example I have heard of.
Samuel Gilkes was first trained by Charles Harris (a relative) and later worked for William Forster III. The Forster family supplied string instruments to King George III (1760-1820) and most probably maintained the instruments for the Court and the Royal Orchestra/Band. S. Gilkes was employed by Forster from 1810 to 1819. He also opened his own shop in 1810 while still employed by Forster. His duties also included training Simon Andrew Forster, son of William III. Samuel Gilkes was born in 1787 and died 1827 (40 years old). Samuel's son William (named after Forster??) was born on 1811, just 3 years before this Bass was completed and later became a well known maker in his own right carrying out the Gilkes tradition (possibly with the help of John Hart, apprentice and assistant to Samuel as the Basses by William look similar to an early Bass by Hart). Samuel was only about 26-27 years old when this Bass was 'completed'. I say completed because the exquisite workmanship shown on this Bass along with the magnificent 7-Layer Purfling on both the Top and Back could take the best of makers several years to complete as he was employed elsewhere during it's construction.
Samuel Gilkes is noted in the book 'The British Violin' (pg. 80) and I quote, "Gilkes, however, was one of the finest Cello makers of his age; indeed, he is in the first rank of English Cello makers of any age. His sophisticated copies of Stradivari with a fine oil varnish are particularly successful."
NOTE: In the book 'History of the Violin' written in 1864 by William Sandys and Simon Andrew Forster (son of William III) both Samuel Gilkes and John Hart are included in the 'Family and School of William Forster' in chapter XXIII. This inclusion attested to by S.A. Forster, the last maker of this Family.
Note: Sometime in the late 19th century, the upper Shoulders were cut down from it's original Cello shape to make playing easier in the upper registers. Some of the original 7-layer Purfling was replaced in the cut area but this is nearly impossible to match up. I believe that the two upper Ribs may have been re-varnished when the Shoulders were cut as well as the Neck/Scroll being re-set around the same time. Only under UV light can you tell the difference in the Varnish as it is so well matched to the original Oil applied by Gilkes. Scratched in the Bass side Rib near the Neck Button there is a date reading "P.A./8.8.1884". I am told that in European writing this means "August 8th, 1884". That might be a marking from the owner at the time (P.A.?). My guess is that the Ribs were re-bent shortly before that time during the Shoulder-cut.
Although this Neck & Scroll is believed by some to be the original Gilkes Head of 1814, a few others thought it to be fine German work from the late 19th century. Since the Gear Plates did not fit all that well, it might have been made partially as a Copy of the original Gilkes Scroll that may have been damaged, destroyed or lost but also re-carved around the Volutes and the rear of the Pegbox to match the original work by Gilkes. I have recently seen a Bass by Joseph Tarr, c.1883 that made while he was working with/for James Cole who formerly was employed by William Tarr, Joseph's father. This was a Violin cornered Bass with a carved round Back which is extremely rare for a northern English maker. Tarr's Bass not only had the same kind of flamed maple on the Back and Ribs as the Gilkes but also had a nearly identical flamed Neck and Scroll with the exception of the extra carving work I had just described. I think it is safe to assume that this extremely rare Double Bass by Samuel Gilkes may have very well been Cut (shoulders) and restored in Northern England, possible by Tarr himself given the model he had made with nearly a twin Scroll/Neck to this Bass. The Gilkes being an expensive Bass for its time and a Strad Cello copy as well was most likely made for a member of English society or some level of Royalty. This Bass evidently had great care and very little use for its first 50-60 years. There are practically no cracks at all on the Top and the Back Table is nearly virgin with the exception of the Shoulder Cut and the Button replacement. The amazing wood and condition can be seen by looking at the Restoration Photos. Only the Ribs show some normal distress of a Bass nearly 200 years old.
Although the Gilkes Scroll does not look typical English style to many dealers, the book "The British Violin" from the 1998 Exhibition '400 years of Violin & Bow making in the British Isles' has a section about Samuel Gilkes (pgs.192-193) with a Cello ca.1820 which has the exact same Scroll as this Bass including the deep 'veining' in the rear to the Button. The book states; "This example is made on the Stradivari model (although some exist on the Forster 'Amati' pattern), with a particularly well-observed and crafted (if rather slender) scroll." This is evidence enough for us that Gilkes made 'slender' styled Scrolls unlike other British makers of his period when it came to the Cello and Double Bass as is witnessed here. Also, the 1805 Royal Forster Scroll made for King George III is a long and slender pattern as well. If this Scroll is a replacement, then who ever made it did a great Job.
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John Hart apprenticed with Samuel Gilkes from 1820-1827. His apprenticeship ended the same year that Gilkes died. This beautiful 'Fendt-like' Double Bass has four (4) small stamps on the inside of the Back on either side of the center Crossbar upper and lower reading "J.HART" in fine lettering of the size you might see stamped on a Bow. I mention Fendt and Maggini in general only as these makers all had an individual style and only have slight similarities as far as the trained eye goes but in general do have resemblance to the average onlooker. Maggini was the apprentice and successor to Gasparo d'Salo (the first Double Bass maker in history) whose model he followed and improved on. In the early to mid 19th century, it was the favored model Double Bass made by British makers like Fendt, Kennedy and even William Gilkes, the son of Samuel and co-worker/trainee with Hart who was about 6 years older than William.
During our investigation and research on this Bass we find that John Hart signed a 'Contract of Apprenticeship' in May of 1820 in London at the age of 15 with Samuel Gilkes within one year of Gilkes leaving his employ at the shop of William Forster (1819). His apprenticeship with Gilkes is also noted in many books dating back to the 19th century. Duane Rosengard commented to me, "This is one of the greatest archaeological finds in Double Basses in decades!". This Bass also had a Business Card laminated to the lower Rib at the Block under the Varnish by
"MESSRS. BIRD & SONS" (c.1890) and an inscribed message inside the lower back from a restoration by 'William Zettwitz', London 1944.
MESSRS. BIRD & SONS
56 Berwick St. 1 Door from Oxford St.
50 Double Basses on Sale from 8 to 100 guineas
The Double Bass and 40 Music Stands can be had on hire
Professional Gentlemen can have a Double Bass at a Moderate Price
(Partial Reproduction from Original Card attached by TailBlock, c.1890)
Although we have been all over the Fendt name on this Bass as that's what everyone across the globe has called it for the past 35 years or more, these 4 stamps in the Back from 'Hart' would not have been discovered if it were not under a full and diligent restoration. Arnold Schnitzer (Maker/Restorer, NY) while cleaning the dirt caked to the grain of the flamed Sycamore Back discovered these stamps accidentally as he worked with extreme dedication to do the job right. Another important English Double Bass authority believes this may well be the work or the English master John Devereux (c.1850) who was also the maker of many of the Maggini models for B.S. Fendt as well. The night I brought the Hart Bass home I received an email from London. I was told that an identical Bass to mine purchased as a genuine G.P.Maggini was once used for 30 years in the London Symphony by the former Principal Bassist at that time. They later were told that the Bass was actually British and made by William Valentine. Valentine worked for Hart and was his ‘half brother’ as well. While comparing the Scroll and FF-Hole pattern to other Basses by Valentine, Devereux, Fendt, Kennedy, Lott etc., we find that this Bass is truly original in this respect and compares to nothing we have seen before by any other British maker. Since we have conflicting opinions which is not at all unusual in this Business, we are still calling this a John Hart Bass as it is at least agreed that he either made it or had it made for his shop and bears his brand stamp, (J.HART).