"Cornerless Italian & Spanish Basses"

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Adrian Juras

Beautiful bass. There really is something pleasing about the shape of a cornerless(or guitar shaped) bass. Very intriguing. I look forward to hearing more about yours Ken as the restoration continues!

It is a slow going process. The Top mold is being made soon. Then it's a matter of time for the Top to be brought back gradually. In the mean time, the Back, Ribs and Neck will be worked on. Maybe I will have a special X-mas this year!.. Maybe I will win the lottery as well.. without even buying a ticket.. lol

I hope to see it sooner than later but it's a huge job. The other one I have in restoration might be done sooner. That is not as big a Job but no small one either.

[Ken Smith]

Today after another brief discussion with Arnold who is restoring the 'ex-Riccardi bass' I have decided to remove the Storioni attribution from the listing and change it officially to "Italian Guitar Model Bass, Italy, 18th Century".

When I first bought the Bass a well known historian that knew the Bass said it was not Storioni or even Cremona and most likely 19th century. When two prominent Bass Luthiers looked inside the bass their estimates were approximately mid-18th century, give or take a few decades.

Now that the Bass is opened up and getting worked on the 1750 or so estimate looks more likely than anything near the 19th century. Who actually made it? I don't really know, I wasn't there! Perhaps in the future something will come along and tell us more. I did see a slightly similar Scroll/pegbox on another Italian Bass but that had I think a replaced Back and was not cornerless. The FFs were different as well but, the Scroll was close and maybe not a match for the Bass it was on.

When I first heard of this Bass for sale about a year or two before getting it I was told it was a Rogeri. When I bought it the name was changed back to Storioni which it had been called before it was a Rogeri. Perhaps the Bass going to market was the reason for all the famous name calling.

This by no means in itself lessens the greatness of this Double Bass but it does relieve me in the 'burden of proof' if it were to be sold. Regardless, it will not change the asking price either!

[Adrian Juras]

Very interesing. Although I'm sure it will be difficult to find out who actually made the bass, I hope that as the restoration continues you and Arnold can find out more towards this. This is certainly an intriguing bass. Are you having Arnold make an extension for it as well?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Adrian Juras

Very interesing. Although I'm sure it will be difficult to find out who actually made the bass, I hope that as the restoration continues you and Arnold can find out more towards this. This is certainly an intriguing bass. Are you having Arnold make an extension for it as well?

An Extension will be made similar to the latest ones made for the Hart and Jacquet. All Orchestra grade Basses I have get Extensions so that they are complete in their own way.

On the maker, I don't know what clues could be found short of a label or inscription by the maker. Even then, proving the name to be real to the bass would be nearly as difficult. With 'one-off' makes or one-of-a-kinds there is very little to match up as far as a maker goes. This bass is quite unique in itself.

I will be happy with just the bass being repaired, restored, healthy again and sounding like it did before. A name wont do all that much except to use for marketing the bass when it gets sold.

Even in the old shops in Italy it is believed that basses were less important than violins so it could be from a particular shop but not made be the master himself. In that case we are dealing with a 'shop bass' that may have one or more 'unknown' hands in the mix. At that point, no one knows who made what unless they were there to witness it.

[Ken Smith]

Ok, here's a few pics of the Bass during the Varnish touch-up stage that Arnold just sent me. I have several pics of the repair process but like watching a Heart Transplant, some internal operative pics are not for the faint!

The flame in this maple is the best I have ever seen. The Scroll repair from the old extension cut in this pic is invisible to my eye.

[Ken Smith]

I don't remember seeing this Bass posted but I just found it on line (Vito Liuzzi's site), Pedro Valls;


I am not 100% certain but I think this is a Spanish Bass.

In searching on the 'net I read this eye opening paragraph;
"In Spain, two new fretted string instruments related to the lute emerged in late medieval times and spread around the Western world. These were the vihuela (Spanish guitar) and the viol. Our modern, classical guitar is a direct descendant of the vihuela. Because it was plucked it was often called vihuela de mano (hand guitar). Related to it was a Spanish instrument called the vihuela de arco (bowed guitar), better known as the viol. The viol was developed in Spain in the late 1400s. It had six strings and was fretted and tuned like the lute and vihuela, but it was bowed, not plucked. It came in different sizes and was played with the instrument resting on the lap and legs. It is often called by its Italian name viola da gamba (leg viol). Having entered Italy from Spain, it quickly spread from there throughout Western Europe."

From; "The Invention of the Violin and the Spanish Guitar"

It seems from this article that the Guitar Shaped Viol came from Spain originally and not Italy. Not counting politics but rather the intermingling of makers training in Italy from Spain it's easy to see how the two styles would merge into almost one. The Italians borrowing from Spain and the Spanish making Italian Violins. J.B. Guillami and Juan (Johannes) Guillami are reported to have trained in Italy. Juan II's instruments looking the same as the fathers but the father reportedly a better maker. Both are famed for their Double Basses, rare, sought after and valuable. J.B. Guillami is referenced in one of my books but the main book on Spanish makers by Ramon Pinto sells from $250-450 and I don't have one. I do know where one is so next time I am there, I will try to spend a few minutes looking up the family of Guillami. I emailed Pinto a few times about my Bass and he never replied.

Is my Bass possibly by Guillami? If so, it's by J.B. or Juan I (possibly the son of J.B.) as Juan II is too late in time to be associated with this bass from the looks of its age. The Pinto book does not mention J.B. but the earlier Henley book does (not Jalovec!). Also, it's mentioned that J.B. trained in Cremona and dated his instruments as if made there. It could be possible that J.B. IS actually Juan/Johannes and just anti-dated some of his instruments upon returning from Italy, possibly Turin or Naples. It is not uncommon to see makers anti-dating their work or place of making for profit or whatever. It is also possible that for some reason, his name was left out of the book as no single book is perfect. If Pinto believed J.B.'s labels as being an Italian maker, then he may have left him out of the Spanish listings. The Spanish school being of less importance than other parts of Europe may also be to blame for the lack of research we see as compared to other schools of making.

In reading the elder dated J.B. as compared to Juan I, the description of work of J.B. fits more along the lines of my Bass as his Violins (I think) are described as having fine wood and wide purfling as well as a similar varnish color to my bass. This could fit a thousand other makers but between these two, I go with the earlier by description.

Compare this on line copied from Henley as compared to the Link from the Pinto book;
"GUILLAMI, JUAN (1)
Worked at Barcelona, 1720-1765. Pretty outline based on Stradivarian principles - sometimes reminiscent of a Gagliano. Arching of medium height. General style quite of Italian traits which he had imbued during several years’ sojourn in that country. Said to have been A pupil of Guadagnini. Had no plastic mind to control his somewhat erratic portrayal of a scroll, this being altogether of weak conception, thickly built but of narrow proportions. Ridges of volute marked with Indian ink. Ribs rather deep. Measurements: Body length, 35-1/2 cm.; upper bouts, 16.7; middle, 10.8; lower, 20.7. Belly wood always of close and strong fibre. Reddish shade of oil varnish, but not particularly supple.
’Cellos of fair Stradivarian design, well-calculated arching, and golden red varnish. Also several much sought for double-basses.
-----------------------------
Joannes Guillami me
fecit en Bar: anno 1760
-----------------------------
--------------------------------
Joannes Guillami me fecit
en Barcelona 1742
--------------------------------
Branded near sound-post. £450, 1959.

GUILLAMI, JUAN (2)
Son of the preceding. Worked at Barcelona, 1767. Died 1820. Similar style to that of father, but a defined line of demarcation rests between the workmanship, wood, and varnish. Wood often carelessly chosen, particularly that for the tops. Varnish rather brittle and chippy.
Also ’cellos and double-basses. £300, 1959.
---------------------------------------
Joannes Guillami
filius fecit Barcinone anno 1768"

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Had no plastic mind to control his somewhat erratic portrayal of a scroll ...

so THAT's what I need

[Adrian Juras]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Ok, here's a few pics of the Bass during the Varnish touch-up stage that Arnold just sent me. I have several pics of the repair process but like watching a Heart Transplant, some internal operative pics are not for the faint!

The flame in this maple is the best I have ever seen. The Scroll repair from the old extension cut in this pic is invisible to my eye.

WOW! That looks GREAT! Arnold did a terrific job on the scroll. The whole bass looks great.