J B Vuillaume

[Martin Sheridan]

I don't know which Bernadel made this bass. It was ID'd by a very well know dealer in the southwest. To me it looks like the factory copies I've seen.
There's a picture of a Bergonzi cello shaped bass in Cremonese Double Basses by Duane Rosengard, and there might be a picture of the Bergonzi that Vuillaume reworked?
The Vuillaume I saw looked similar to the pictures above; a nice amber varnish (not all of Vuillaume's varnishes are as succesful) and it had the double button. The outline looks just like the pics of your bass.

The owner of this bass keeps saying she'd like to find something smaller, but that's the problem with many large basses including Panormo.

I have a 3/4 double bass that someone ID'd as an early Vuillaume and said he played on one like it in Russia. It has a nice amber oil varnish but no label. There's a shop in England (Contrabasse) showing a picture of a bass they attribute to Vuillaumes workshop that looks nearly identical.

Vuillaume is such an important maker, you'd think we'd know more about his basses.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Martin Sheridan

I don't know which Bernadel made this bass. It was ID'd by a very well know dealer in the southwest. To me it looks like the factory copies I've seen.
There's a picture of a Bergonzi cello shaped bass in Cremonese Double Basses by Duane Rosengard, and there might be a picture of the Bergonzi that Vuillaume reworked?
The Vuillaume I saw looked similar to the pictures above; a nice amber varnish (not all of Vuillaume's varnishes are as succesful) and it had the double button. The outline looks just like the pics of your bass.

The owner of this bass keeps saying she'd like to find something smaller, but that's the problem with many large basses including Panormo.

I have a 3/4 double bass that someone ID'd as an early Vuillaume and said he played on one like it in Russia. It has a nice amber oil varnish but no label. There's a shop in England (Contrabasse) showing a picture of a bass they attribute to Vuillaumes workshop that looks nearly identical.

Vuillaume is such an important maker, you'd think we'd know more about his basses.

The Bergonzi on pgs 114-117 in Duane's book I think is the one modified by Vuillaume. As far as us knowing more about Vuillaume's basses because he was an important maker look at his bows! He didn't make them either so why would a busy man like he was bother woth anything other than the Violin or an occassional Cello? What we do believe about him is that he didn't make the basses. The Lott looking Vuillaume was more than likely made in sold 'in the white' from London and varnished by 'someone' in Vuillaume's shop. On the Bass in the CB shop with the sloped shoulders called a Vuillaume, I highly doubt that bass, especially the period in which it's marked as. Just my opinion. It looks more to me like a later Mirecourt school bass.

[Martin Sheridan]

Ken,
Is that Vuillaume/Bergonzi a round back or flat?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Martin Sheridan

Ken,
Is that Vuillaume/Bergonzi a round back or flat?

From the pictures I would say Flat back of Poplar.

[Joel Larsson]

I saw a Vuillaume labelled bass (I think the year was 1850) at the university in Stockholm some months ago. Smallish. Distinctly slender shoulders, looked a lot like this Mirecourt bass:
The wood on the V was much more exquisite, though; tightly flamed maple in the back. I seem to remember that this was actually a thin veneer over some supposedly less extravagant wood, but don't call me on this one; I easily imagine things. I don't remember the exact colours of the varnish nor do I know how to describe them correctly, but it was darker than this Mirecourt bass, maybe - maybe! - with a slight hint of dark red or burgundy.

Sound was sweet on the top string, but it didn't carry a lot of power. Then again, size wasn't on its side, and neither are the facts that it is a rarely used institutional instrument that also wasn't exactly in top condition. I don't think it was an exceptional instrument to begin with, but a lesser restoration and fine tuning and it would become a good bass for its size.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Joel Larsson

I saw a Vuillaume labelled bass (I think the year was 1850) at the university in Stockholm some months ago. Smallish. Distinctly slender shoulders, looked a lot like this Mirecourt bass:
The wood on the V was much more exquisite, though; tightly flamed maple in the back. I seem to remember that this was actually a thin veneer over some supposedly less extravagant wood, but don't call me on this one; I easily imagine things. I don't remember the exact colours of the varnish nor do I know how to describe them correctly, but it was darker than this Mirecourt bass, maybe - maybe! - with a slight hint of dark red or burgundy.

Sound was sweet on the top string, but it didn't carry a lot of power. Then again, size wasn't on its side, and neither are the facts that it is a rarely used institutional instrument that also wasn't exactly in top condition. I don't think it was an exceptional instrument to begin with, but a lesser restoration and fine tuning and it would become a good bass for its size.

Veneer in 1850? hey, don't laugh. The highly figured burled maple Ribs on my Storioni are veneered over Spruce. From the inside of the bass, it all looks original and that was was old in 1850!

[Martin Sheridan]

The picture of that bass is somewhat similar to mine except that mine doesn't have the bend in the back and is a round back. Mine has nice flame, the workmanship is excellent and the varnish is a nice amber color oil. The scroll is carved very much in the Italian manner and it dates to about 1840.
When I first got it the top had many names written on the inside top (it was apart at the time). The only one I remember is Ernst Von Liebisch(sp), Viena (Vien). At the time I hadn't yet started working on basses and the Vuilluame name wouldn't have meant anything to me. When I had it restored the restorer removed all the names from the top because someone had applied a heavy wash of hide glue. When he removed the glue the names disappeared also; very sad because they were the history of every place the bass had been. I think the Von Liebisch repair was from 1858. Vuillaume often signed the inside tops of his instruments. He had a signature that would have made John Hancock proud.