Custom Gears..
In doing the C-Extension the Plates and Gears were removed from the Bass. The Plates have fused housings for the Gear shafts to slide in to. One Gear might be an old replacement but the one with the milled shaft was done to put a fifth gear around the shaft inside the pegbox as the bass was used as a 5-sting for quite some time and then recently converted back to 4-string.
My Panormo School was also a 5er at one point modified with a 5th gear at the TP and the ball end of the string anchored in the pegbox. I have also seen two old 3-string basses modified to 4-strings that way as well. One was a Prescott and one a beautiful Goffriller that I tried to buy when I was younger. Both those bass had their original 3-gears in the pegbox. The Panormo still retains its original plates and the 3 original Baker gears, with a 4th one added later, not quite matching 100% but close enough. The original center hole in the plates from its 3-string days is still visible under the gears.
I just thought it would be interesting for historical purposes to show that while Baker gears (and a few others in his time) flourished in London, the Manchester school up north headed by Tarr had their own metal works of art. Side by side, the Tarr gears win as the most beautiful I have seen combined with their plates.
Note: Pictures courtesy of Arnold Schnitzer.
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