Little Bass ID

[Ken Smith]

Well, it is a mess and yes, don't bother fixing this for monetary reasons. For learning, it's a good piece to play with. It would be rewarding I am sure to see a cellist play this in an orchestra once fixed and slightly modified.

One thing of importance here is that the Ribs went into a slot cut around the inner edges of both the top and back. This is how Prescott made some if not all of his basses. I would assume some as I haven't seen but a few and who knows what experiments he made over time. This is a furniture-style joint like a drawer divider in a desk. It is the Yankee self taught method of basses of both sizes from the 19th century.

Who made it where or when?

I would say American, 19th century, maybe in the northeast. That's as close as I would venture to say.

[Chris DeMarco]

I didn't know Precott made basses like that. When I get it I will check for markings, if it's close enough to cello measurments it might be an interresting project, cutting it down shouldn't be a challenge since it's missing the ribs anyways. Of course I'm not a luthier but maybe I could donate it to somebody who can fix it, or who knows? I've always wanted to try a restoration project but I think this will be far to big of a job for me.
Thanks

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Chris DeMarco

I didn't know Precott made basses like that. When I get it I will check for markings, if it's close enough to cello measurments it might be an interresting project, cutting it down shouldn't be a challenge since it's missing the ribs anyways. Of course I'm not a luthier but maybe I could donate it to somebody who can fix it, or who knows? I've always wanted to try a restoration project but I think this will be far to big of a job for me.
Thanks

I have also seen pictures of one or two of these made in Pa. as well. That's why I said N.E. USA and not just New England.

[Chris DeMarco]

Cool, thanks for the info. I'll update with any markings I find once the bass is in my posession.

[Chris DeMarco]

Well, the verdict is in...

I picked up the "bass" yesterday and to my suprise it is pretty small. It's actually smaller then most cello's I've seen but It's pretty cool so I'm not complaining.

I took some pictures...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5808953...57629458891181

When I got the bass it wa sbeing held together by a rubber band, which you can see in those pictures but when the rubber band snapped the bass top fell into two pieces and came off. The scroll is really cool, it's a three piece scroll that is very interresting on one side bt non existent on the other. The fretboard has what I thought were tape marks but what are actually grooves in it. Like there were frets? There was also an interresting patch on the upper end of the front which looks OK from the front but is terrible from the back.

Here are the dimensions:
Upper Bout: 9"
Lower Bout: 11.5"
Mid: 7"
Body Length: 22"
Rib Depth: 3"
String Length (guesstimate): 20"

(As you can see quite a bit smaller then what the seller origonally gave me)

Origonally I was planning on hanging it on a wall but now that I have it, I'm thinking about trying some repairs on it over the summer. I don't intend on getting it in working order but maybe atleast in one piece! I was also thinking with the discovery of the "fret grooves" and size which is actually smaller than a cello maybe it's not a church bass at all, maybe it's a old cello or viol da gamba? Just a thought.

[Ken Smith]

Sounds more like a little or 3/4-1/2 sized cello. A bass of anykind in the modern sense would never be that small. But, in the old days, Cellos were also called basses and OUR basses were called Double Basses formally to make the distinction. In that sense, it is a bass of sort but NOT a small DOUBLE Bass. You have a baby Cello, not a Baby Double Bass.. I think!

[Chris DeMarco]

A baby cello with frets?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Chris DeMarco

A baby cello with frets?

Possibly so or small Church bass which was a basically and American Cello. My JB Allen originally had 3 frets inlaid in the first few positions, inlaid maple lines so show the NON-trained amateur player what notes to play with the singers. With the original neck and FB in hand, I can tell by the varnish wear on the neck that only a few notes were played over and over again. No Simandl training back then, just fistacuffs technique.

[Chris DeMarco]

If I decide to practice some repairs on it, where should I start? I'm thinking either the front or scroll. The front is split in two, the smaller half has a bad F hole crack that is several inches long and the larger half has several smaller cracks towards the bottom. If I start with the front, should I do small cracks first then put the two pieces back together or should it be in all one piece first? Good place to get spare wood for the inside patching? When I get around to the corners, I'll want to know what type of wood the top is made of, any ideas? My guess is pine? As far as the rest of the body, I'll need some veneer for those sides, not sure what that's made of either.

Since it's just a fun project should I just use wood glue or will that just make more of a problem for myself?

[Scott Pope]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

fistacuffs

There's a word I haven't seen in awhile. And, of course, everything comes full circle. Church bands, then organ, then orchestra (with or without organ), then electronic keyboard instruments due to the high cost of purchase and maintenance of a traditional pipe organ, now with some "contemporary" services, back to a church band, now electrified. But from what I've seen, the same comment about technique still applies.