Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith
I have here in my posession a Panormo (or School) Bass that had been re-varnished when it came in for sale and also needing a huge restoration. The Varnish was touched up a bit during the restoiration but still, not the same flavor of a real Panormo in the finish. The Scroll I think was left original thankfully. Hopefully I can get some good pictures up on my website soon and post it. This one is a 4/4 sized bass with a slight block cut getting the string length down to 42" with a newly grafted flamed maple Neck with D-heel. It looks like all the other 'real' Panormos but without any certification.
The more I see the better. That's the only way to know how close a bass is to an original.
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I'd like to add a few factoids about this bass. Several things about it point to a fine maker who either worked for, or closely studied Panormo's work. Firstly, the top table has a high arch and is not graduated. It's about 6-6.5 mm's thick all over. That's how Panormo basses are as well. (The amazing bear-claw figure in the top is beautiful, by the way.) The back is also highly-arched and thin, with a wide crossbar under the soundpost. I don't know if this crossbar is original, but it is very old, and as it was mostly tight, was left intact. The treatment of the back bend is in the Panormo style as well. For some reason, the lower back is in two pieces and the upper in four. I surmise that the back wood this maker had available was possibly too short and this was his solution. The scroll is original and really pretty, though not typically English, as the volute narrows in the middle when viewed from the front, like a fine Venetian bass. The brass plates are original, as are three of the four Baker gears. There is still a hole in the brass where the middle of the original three string tuner shafts was located. The recurve on the top and back edges is quite subtle and Italian in flavor. When viewed as a whole, the workmanship on this bass points to Italy, though it is definitely English. I was prepared to keep this beauty in my shop until the right buyer came along, but Ken, being a great aficionado of fine English basses of the 19th century, made a smart buy.