Bohemian Bass

[Eric Hochberg]

I thought I would contribute to this forum with some info on a bass I purchased in April, 06 after a two year search. After visiting shops in NY, Boston, Cincinatti, ISB Convention and elsewhere, I found this instrument here at home in Chicago. It was previously owned by Harold Siegal, a well known orchestral, studio, pop musician and bass teacher in the Chicago area who at 92, is now retired. According to my luthier, Scott Henrie who was a student of his, this was one of Harold's three or four instruments, and "Harold always had good sounding basses". The inside label is faded and dirty but you can make out "Bohemia" and not much else except for the typical "Antoni...". Scott believes it's 100-115 years old.

When I bought it, it needed setting up with a recut bridge, new reset adjusters, dressed and reglued fingerboard, recut nut, new soundpost, tailwire and an extensive touch up as it was very scratched up, worn and discolored, I'm guessing from many generations of bass students and poor past touchups. We've also been experimenting with the position of the tailpiece and bridge location. While it was pretty much unplayable when I bought it, the little playing I could do on it told me that it really had a sound, and because the instrument was solid, I decided to take a chance on it. The bass came out very well and has a very even, punchy and full jazz pizz sound, and to my ear, sweet arco sound, top to bottom.

[Charlie Hack]

Nice bass! Did you have the abalone dots inlaid in the fingerboard, or did it come like that? I would really like to have dots put in my bass's 'board at the octave, fifth above, and second octave marks. I usually just pencil them in, but they come in handy. Your bass is quite similar to mine in shape and dimension, right down to the rib linings and cheek plates on the scroll. I'll post pics and a detailed description of mine later. Something about those old german basses... When I was looking for a bass to replace my student laminated job, i went to Steven Reilly's shop in Lansing, MI and David Gage in NY, and I tried everything in my price range, old and new. Only a few basses 'felt like home', and they were all 100-150 years old and German. These instruments are the workhorses of the bass world. Cheers,

Charlie

[Eric Hochberg]

Thanks, Charlie. The "Abalone" dots are really just stick-on labels that I cut for temporary use as I get used to the Eb neck (after 34 years of D neck!). They work fine and look ok from a distance so I probably won't install permanent markers. When they get worn, I just replace them.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

Thanks, Charlie. The "Abalone" dots are really just stick-on labels that I cut for temporary use as I get used to the Eb neck (after 34 years of D neck!). They work fine and look ok from a distance so I probably won't install permanent markers. When they get worn, I just replace them.

Where do you get these stick on dots. I need some for this new monster I am playing.

[Eric Hochberg]

I used a hole puncher on some labels to create the dots. Coincidently, the labels I used came in a mailing from the AFM and are photos of various instruments. So far, I've been using the darker colored areas for the markers. By the way, Ken, your new bass looks amazing.

[Charlie Hack]

Here's my new (old) bass. @100-120 years old, German, unknown maker. I first played it at David Gage's shop back around Thanksgiving. I spent an afternoon there playing everything, and this is the bass that ended up fitting me best. It's got a thick, warm sound and is even all the way to the very top. Its sound in the thumb positions is very clear and focused, but still warm. It's strung up with Obligatos. This is a do-it-all bass, perfect because I play a lot of Jazz and Solo and some Orchestral music. When it got to my house and I took it out of its case and started to play, I had a total lightbulb moment-- it just clicked immediately-- 'that's my sound'. It's exactly what I had been looking for. Now it needs a name...suggestions?

Charlie

P.S. apologies for the small pictures-- the utility wouldn't let me upload the big pictures because they were too large.