History of the American Bass

[Ken Smith]

Not all made Basses. Many made just Church Basses and most made only Violins.

I have a fairly large book by Wenberg on American makers. Again, it's mostly Violins but there are 'mentions' only about some that made Basses. "The Violin Makers of the United States
by Thomas James Wenberg, Mount Hood Publishing Company, 1986."


I have read a story about the Smithsonian claiming Prescott made only 12 of the 7/8ths Basses but that does not make sense to me. Prescott made 207 Double Basses not counting the 500 or so Church Basses. I would assume that most were 7/8ths, some 4/4 and 3/4 sizes. Maybe the 5/4, 7.5ft Basses as Elgar refers to is what the Smithsonian is referring to.

I have also read that they made them 3-string as it was to be plain and conservative as the 4-String was new in much of Europe at that time and England was the last to go to 4-strings. New Englanders being mostly of English decent viewed the Bass as a 3-string instrument for traditional purposes.

My Batchelder from New Hampshire was made in 1875 as a 4-string. This shows that most of the 19th century stayed 3-string in NE.

Arnold Schnitzer and Robbie MacIntosh were looking over my Prescott when Robbie pointed out some faint Purfling left in around the C-bout edges.. What does this mean? This large 7/8 Prescott was cut down from a 4/4 size to its present shape. The Purfling Loop on the Neck Button did make us think it was cut but we didn't see any other clues at that time so we dismissed the idea until now.

I have seen a picture of a Church bass with an Oak or Ash Scroll on line. Also, my Batchelder has a quarter sawn White Pine Back so I would venture to say that early makers in New England used local woods on occassion that was less than traditional for string instruments.