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Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker
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I have read the original article on that Bass but I do not agree it being made by Lott Jr. aka Jack Lott. That bass looks exactly like a regular John Lott bass. Tom Martin wrote that article and unless it is signed inside by Jr., I doubt it is by him. Jr. was famous for forging Violins by Strad and Del Gesu and also did other things. Look for an article called 'Jack of all Trades'.
On that Stamp in the Back, it is not what is in my Bass at all but then again, my Bass is an early John Hart and not Hart & Sons. I don't know of any mark being made that says 'Harts'. The firm was known as Hart & Sons and that was the mark. If you look at the back of my Dodd Bass, you will see a similar type stamp on the back but different letters, too blurred to read though. It came to me as a Betts bass and then attributed to Dodd BY Tom Martin and more recently another London dealer said he thought it was by Craske. I think that is an 'inked on' stamp that could have been used by dealers. Possibly as rental instruments as many dealers loaned out basses for visiting Orchestras. My Hart had a business card laminated to the block area rib stating they have basses and music stands for rent and that dates over 100 years ago. If you show anyone that bass without the article written, they will tell you it's a typical Lott. Also, as I mentioned, Lott Snr. the Luthier was actually Lott Jnr. himself as his father the non-luthier also John Lott was married in 1775 in the same church a year before the son was christened in 1776. This is how they discovered J.F. Lott as being of British birth.
So, copy that bass as well if you like. It IS a Lott in my book and not by Jack or Jnr. Also, J.F. Lott, the first London maker by that name (b.1776) made basses for other shops by trade. The 5 basses bearing the label of Simon Andrew Forster are J.F. Lott basses, maybe not the Scroll or the Varnish but the Carcass is Lott. Lott Snr. as we will call him was a Bass Maker and made the basses for Dodd that had the outer linings. Lott Jnr., Jack Lott was mainly a Violin maker and according to Whithers where he worked, Jack made only one bass for a Quartet, period. After reading all the stories and seeing the instruments by both makers you can draw your own conclusion. A Jack Lott Bass (Jnr.) is rare as there is only one bass recorded. John Lott made many many basses so they are less rare or somewhat common in comparison. Perhaps the Jr. attribution was financially motivated. Of the 3 Hart basses I have seen with my own eyes (only 1 in person, mine), if this was made for the Hart's then I know 3 different actual makers. John Hart, the early ones (4 of them known like mine), William Valentine, his 'half brother' and bass maker of record (1846 is the one I know), and now this bass from 1845 that looks like a regular Lott bass and has a different stamp on the back.