History of the American Bass

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Nando Raio

Here is a few pictures of my 1880's George E.Bryant Bass....Yankee's Bass!
George's great great grand daughter sent me 2 pictures of him at his shop, I thought would be cool to post them,

The pictures of that bass reveal a turning point in Yankee Bass making. This bass is a few decades after the arrival or the old Gemunder Brothers. They came separately a few years apart and from different countries as George was working in France with Vuillaume and August came from Germany, his homeland. They later both moved to New York, again separately but the next generation of Gemunder's collaborated as well.

The reason I mention them as seeing a Cello-like shouldered Violin Cornered roundback shows a much higher art of bass making than seen in the Prescott Era. Also, many of the Boston school makers were European trained Violin makers. George Gemunder made 2 Vuillaume model basses shortly after arriving in New England. August made a pair of Gamba roundbacks (one of which I own) and at least one roundback smaller gamba shaped bass. In NY, the son's turned to importing basses from Germany and concentrated mainly on Violins.

This Bass reminds me more of Gemunder influence rather than Prescott with the exception of the tuner plates which again, look beautiful. Enjoy it..