Bohemian Bass

[Charlie Hack]

Here's my new (old) bass. @100-120 years old, German, unknown maker. I first played it at David Gage's shop back around Thanksgiving. I spent an afternoon there playing everything, and this is the bass that ended up fitting me best. It's got a thick, warm sound and is even all the way to the very top. Its sound in the thumb positions is very clear and focused, but still warm. It's strung up with Obligatos. This is a do-it-all bass, perfect because I play a lot of Jazz and Solo and some Orchestral music. When it got to my house and I took it out of its case and started to play, I had a total lightbulb moment-- it just clicked immediately-- 'that's my sound'. It's exactly what I had been looking for. Now it needs a name...suggestions?

Charlie

P.S. apologies for the small pictures-- the utility wouldn't let me upload the big pictures because they were too large.

[Mike Smith]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hack

P.S. apologies for the small pictures-- the utility wouldn't let me upload the big pictures because they were too large.

I've addressed this problem by allowing the use of larger sized images in terms of height/width and also how much space it requires on disk. Can find out more about this in the new thread I created on adding images

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hack

Now it needs a name...suggestions?

I named mine after the previous owner, Harold! I think our basses are cousins.

[Ken Smith]

I think that Bohemia refers to the area near Prague in central Czech and not near the German border. This Bass of your is clearly a Germanic Bass regardless of which side of the border it was made on. Bohemian Basses have a different look that the German Shop Basses which this one has the look of. Shoenbach was the area that bordered these two countries. Markneukirchen was another area close by where these were made as well as Bebenroth. Mittenwald also made some as well.

Clear signs are the outer linings, the basic shape, the spirit varnish and the tuners. All signs of early 20th century shop basses from the German/Czech region. These basses have been imported into USA for at least the last 80 years and carry various labels in them or none at all.

For more on this, see this section; http://www.smithbassforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17

This is what old Bohemian basses look like by the way as far as what I have learned;





These Basses all have a handmade look rather than a factory 'one-size-fits-all' that we see more often.

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I think that Bohemia refers to the area near Prague in central Czech and not near the German border. This Bass of your is clearly a Germanic Bass regardless of which side of the border it was made on. Bohemian Basses have a different look that the German Shop Basses which this one has the look of.

So, the terms Bohemian, German, French, etc. really are used to define style, and not necessarily the actual location of manufacture? If my bass actually was made in Bohemia, as the label asserts, then it would be more accurately described as a German shop style bass made in Bohemia. Maybe Wilfer or another German maker had a shop in Bohemia.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

So, the terms Bohemian, German, French, etc. really are used to define style, and not necessarily the actual location of manufacture? If my bass actually was made in Bohemia, as the label asserts, then it would be more accurately described as a German shop style bass made in Bohemia. Maybe Wilfer or another German maker had a shop in Bohemia.

Do you think you could post pics of the Label? Then we can see if it was an export product or not. Handmade Basses in Bohemia should have the Label in its own native language like this;

When you see a Label that says 'made in' written in English then it's usually a factory Bass made for export. Like this one;



"Label Printed and Handwritten" Artist Deluxe Model (hand written script)
Andreas Morelli (printed in script)
Handmade Reproduction (printed in script)
Antonio Stradivarius (hand written script)

Trade Mark Registered


A clear sign of a Bass that was made for the American market and possibly Labeled right here in USA after arriving.

[Eric Hochberg]

Here's the label. You can make out "Bohemia" to the right of the big stain. Maybe the circular logo looking mark on the far right will tell you something.

[Ken Smith]

I googled it and found this amongst other things;

"Czech Nationalism and NationhoodThe 19th cent. brought a rebirth of Czech nationalism. Under the leadership of Palacký a Slavic congress assembled at Prague in the Revolution of 1848, but by 1849, although the Czech peasantry had been emancipated, absolute Austrian domination had been forcibly restored. The establishment (1867) of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy thoroughly disappointed the Czech aspirations for wide political autonomy within a federalized Austria. Instead, the Czech lands were relegated to a mere province of the empire. Concessions were made (1879) by the Austrian minister Taaffe; Czechs entered the imperial bureaucracy and parliament at Vienna. However, many Czechs continued to advocate complete separation from the Hapsburg empire. 9Full independence was reached only at the end of World War I under the guidance of T. G. Masaryk. In 1918, Bohemia became the core of the new state of Czechoslovakia. After the Munich Pact of 1938, Czechoslovakia was stripped of the so-called Sudeten area, which was annexed to Germany. In 1939, Bohemia was invaded by German troops and proclaimed part of the German protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. 10After World War II the pre-1938 boundaries were restored, and most of the German-speaking population was expelled. In 1948, Bohemia’s status as a province was abolished, and it was divided into nine administrative regions. The administrative reorganization of 1960 redivided it into five regions and the city of Prague. In 1969, Bohemia, along with Moravia and Czech Silesia, was incorporated into the Czech Socialist Republic, renamed the Czech Republic in 1990. The Czech Republic became an independent state when Czechoslovakia was dissolved on Jan. 1, 1993." 11

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

Here's the label. You can make out "Bohemia" to the right of the big stain. Maybe the circular logo looking mark on the far right will tell you something.

On the bottom of the label there looks to be two words. What does the first word say? I think the second is Bohemia.

This Strad label is typical of export made Basses from the German/Czech border. The name 'Bohemia' is not used that often on labels from what I have seen being it covers a large area from the German border to Prague and beyond as seen here and here.

Personally I do not consider these types of Germanic style shop Basses as Bohemian just because they were made across the border. They look like are built like and sound like the same style German Basses from the early 20th century. I think using the name Bohemia on the Label is an attempt to add some type of mystique to the Bass as if to be of older handmade type Basses like those from Prague and the 19th century when Czech Basses looked like Czech Basses and not identical to German Basses.

In this country we have a handful of names that has been used on the labels after importing them which include Juzek, Morelli, Pfretzschner etc. as mentioned earlier.

Even in Germany and throughout Europe they needed lower cost Basses for Schools, students and professionals that could not afford the handmade versions. Today we see these used for jazz and Pop music for two reasons. First, they sound thinner and amplify easier than a deep rich sounding Orchestral Classic Bass and two, the cost less because of it. For a moment, put yourself in the late 19th or early 20th century before Jazz ever existed but some of these Basses did and the Orchestra Pros in Germany preferred their Seitz, Neuner and Klotz style Basses. The Italians liked their domestic breed, the French Orchestra pros had the Bernadels, Gands and Jacquets and the English had the Dodds, Fendts and Lott Basses. Also, each country had some of each others classic Basses as well. So.. What to do with these factory or shop/cottage industry type Basses if they didn't sound so good in the Orchestra? Sell them to the students, Schools and those with less to spend. France also had there own factory/shop Basses but between the German/Czech border production and the Blockless wonders in the south, the world would soon be flooded with cheap Basses as it happened also with Violins that sold for as little as $5. 100 years ago and often with case and Bow.

Today, these Basses are from 40-80 years old on average (some older) and sound fairly good for todays Jazz players. For Orchestral playing, the demand is somewhat higher in terms of tone and evenness. Some modern makers out of the gate produce Basses sounding better than old shop Basses less its age, but that will come in time.