History of the American Bass

[Tim Bishop]

Wow! That is just beautiful.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Very nicely done, Ken, with one exception: There is nothing Prescott-like in that scroll. It is totally unique.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Very nicely done, Ken, with one exception: There is nothing Prescott-like in that scroll. It is totally unique.

I see some similarities but the Allen is on another level.

The small step at the bottom of the Peg Box reminds me of Prescott.


Sorry for the size differences.

[Ken Smith]

As the story goes, the Prescott's with the lower rounded corners (or all of them) were copied from an old Mittenwald Klotz-scholl bass, so were the gear plates of the Allen bass as far as that loop at the top. To compare, look at the Allen beside 3 other old Mittenwalders posted here on the Forum;



Although not two plates on these basses are identical, they all have the rounded loop at the top.

So, mix a Prescott with a Klotz-school bass, refine it x10 () and there you have it, 'Americana' by JB Allen..

[Ken Smith]

I just spotted a 4th JB Allen bass on FB. (2nd from left with an extension)



I don't know who it is or what bass section but they are all nice looking basses.

[Richard Korn]

Hi Ken,
Just spent a long evening reading all the posts on your list about Abraham Prescott and early American bass makers, so I decided to join the group.
I also have the Prescott ledger which goes up to 1829 and the " Historical New Hampshire" vol.42,no.2. Which btw has a few minor errors as to dates.Page 120 b.....should be marked (see fig.5) andc........should be added(see fig.7). also the date under the Wrighticture on pg.121 should be 1830, not 1800.
I got the information from the author Edward Wall where I purchased my Prescott Doublebass. It is the earliest model made in Deerfield in 1826 instrument no.70 (funny how your post 70 mentions you have never seen a dated Prescott label)and it has what might be the earliest of his labels with a handwritten number and date . The body was in beautiful condition with only a minor crack above an ff.the neck had been replaced as was the volute but the peg box and tuners are original. I had it restored to a playable condition but keeping it as original as possible using photos and measurements from the MFA bass.
Ilaso have 2 church basses, one Prescott with a later label but still from Deerfield and a David M. Dearborn with " Made by David M. Dearborn Concord N.H. 1859" hand written inside on the back. The Prescott needs to be restored but the Dearborn is currently being used as a bass de violon by a friend in Berlin.
Richard