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.