Guarneri basses

[Joel Larsson]

I read about a 19th-century Italian virtuoso who travalled around Europe with a Guarneri bass. (With detachable neck, of all things.) I know that there has been some copying of the Guarneri model - for instance, Alfred Meyer makes Guarneri copies - but I always thought that it was the same with the Guarneri type models as with Stradivari; a famous maker who didn't actually build any basses, only got them attributed to him in lack of knowledge/for want of money/for convenience, or that any seriously made copies where a violin/cello model was simply adapted to the DB.
Now, this suggests that I was wrong. Are there really some Guarneri made Double Basses in the records?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Joel Larsson

I read about a 19th-century Italian virtuoso who travalled around Europe with a Guarneri bass. (With detachable neck, of all things.) I know that there has been some copying of the Guarneri model - for instance, Alfred Meyer makes Guarneri copies - but I always thought that it was the same with the Guarneri type models as with Stradivari; a famous maker who didn't actually build any basses, only got them attributed to him in lack of knowledge/for want of money/for convenience, or that any seriously made copies where a violin/cello model was simply adapted to the DB.
Now, this suggests that I was wrong. Are there really some Guarneri made Double Basses in the records?

Well, I don't know of any confirmed basses by this family despite the claims in the Elgar book. There are thousands of Strad copy basses out there so I guess they can use any name they like. I 'named' a bass after Amati knowing that to date, there are no confirmed Amati basses. Why not ask Meyer what exact Bass they copied and who confirmed it? Can't hurt. Also age Pollmann while your'e at it. They make one as well namer Guarneri.

[Richard Prowse]

I have a picture of a guy called Zubin Mehta, whose bass looks just like the one on the
alfred Meyer site, but obviously is an old bass. He was a bassist who became a conductor (he seems to be alive and kicking). There's a lot about him on the web, but I have people coming to dinner and must go. His photo, with the bass, is in a book called 'Images of Music' by Erich Auerbach. I hope this is of help.

[Ken Smith]

I just read this and I am a bit confused;

Welcome to the double bass workshop "ALFRED MEYER" in the heart of the musictown Markneukirchen!

You will find the town Markneukirchen in the middle of the beautiful Vogtland, the centre of the german production of orchestra instruments.
Once here created bohemian violin maker the tradition of the construction of music instruments in our region.The first double bass maker guild in Bohemian had been founded 1677 in Markneukirchen. Since then generations of families have been involved in making musical instruments.

We are following this tradition and we see the making of master-instruments as our life´s work.

Markneukirchen Germany is IN Bohemia?
I thought Bohemia was on the Czech side on the border across thru Prague.

In the Historical map with Bohemia in red, Markneukirchen is just on the border but doesn't look to be IN Bohemia, just next to it with Prague being smack in the middle as I had believed it to be. I would expect any Guild of Bohemia to be more centered like in Prague rather than in Germany just on their western border or outside of it. Strange I think.

[Joel Larsson]

That is their lousy English, I believe. At least, when I used my lousy German and an online translator to interpret the German version of the page, the text says that the violin making tradition was established by Bohemian makers and that the first GERMAN violin maker guild was founded there in 1677. Perhaps it's not their English but just a goof.

[Calvin Marks]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

I have a picture of a guy called Zubin Mehta, whose bass looks just like the one on the
alfred Meyer site, but obviously is an old bass. He was a bassist who became a conductor (he seems to be alive and kicking). There's a lot about him on the web, but I have people coming to dinner and must go. His photo, with the bass, is in a book called 'Images of Music' by Erich Auerbach. I hope this is of hel

p.

Mehta is a prety big deal...Used to be Principal Conductor of the LA phil. I believe he's in Israel now? There's historic footage on Youtube of him performing the Trout Quintet with Jackie Dupres, Pearlman, Zukerman and Barenboim on piano. Excuse my spelling.

[Richard Prowse]

What a clip! I've just watched it, unfortunately with no sound. He was playing German, I thought he played French.

[Calvin Marks]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

What a clip! I've just watched it, unfortunately with no sound. He was playing German, I thought he played French.

That's funny, I've seen it with sound. He played German and I believe he studied Double Bass and Conducting at the Vienna Conservatory way back when.