Ex-Riccardi Cornerless Bass Copy (formerly attributed to 'Storioni') (SOLD)

[Ken Smith]

Back on topic, I visited Arnold yesterday afternoon and got a good look at the bass all varnished and awaiting its final rubout. Arnold marked the fingerboard (unstrung) where the octave G is and the D near the neck heel. Boy is that G easy to reach. With the palm of my hand on the shoulder, the G is right there under my fingers without any reach at all. The D is perfect, just a smudge above the center of my thumb.

All I can say is the bass looks and feels sweet. I have owned more basses than I can count and some of them were fairly new (not counting basses I buy for stock). This however is the first Bass I have ever commissioned to be made from scratch. I was able to select the wood with Arnold in his shop and was involved in the design as well.

The bass was in a stand along side of the back/rib assembly of the original it was copied from.

I will probably have the bass a few weeks before Christmas as it has to go first to the VSA to be judged and then when it returns I will find a day to drive up and get it. That will be my first time playing it as well.