Panormo School Basses..

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

I'd like to add a few factoids about this bass. Several things about it point to a fine maker who either worked for, or closely studied Panormo's work. Firstly, the top table has a high arch and is not graduated. It's about 6-6.5 mm's thick all over. That's how Panormo basses are as well. (The amazing bear-claw figure in the top is beautiful, by the way.) The back is also highly-arched and thin, with a wide crossbar under the soundpost. I don't know if this crossbar is original, but it is very old, and as it was mostly tight, was left intact. The treatment of the back bend is in the Panormo style as well. For some reason, the lower back is in two pieces and the upper in four. I surmise that the back wood this maker had available was possibly too short and this was his solution. The scroll is original and really pretty, though not typically English, as the volute narrows in the middle when viewed from the front, like a fine Venetian bass. The brass plates are original, as are three of the four Baker gears. There is still a hole in the brass where the middle of the original three string tuner shafts was located. The re-curve on the top and back edges is quite subtle and Italian in flavor. When viewed as a whole, the workmanship on this bass points to Italy, though it is definitely English. I was prepared to keep this beauty in my shop until the right buyer came along, but Ken, being a great aficionado of fine English basses of the 19th century, made a smart buy.

Well, I would like to add that I saw the Bass prior to the restoration when it just came in. I offered to buy it on the spot un-restored with a fair profit BUT, Arnold insisted he restore it and put it to market as originally planned. He knows very well I don't personally need the Bass but then again, the hint of this being Panormo's work got the best of me.

I have it here beside me as I write this. As some of you know, I have been going back and forth with my personal basses trying to choose one as my own so I can work on my left hand accuracy. Switching basses every week does not help that one bit and in fact, hinders ones progress.

This bass has what I would consider a world class restoration. Arnold restored it with the intention of bringing it to the ISB to show the world and the world did see this bass. Everyone I spoke with of note at the show played and/or looked over this bass from players to Luthiers.

Given the date of the ISB as a fixed schedule the restoration had to be completed within a week of the show. Arnold didn't have the time to make a c-extension for it so it's only a 4-string for now. My Big Gamba went out for an Extension and some repairs as well and needed to be done on the same schedule. When the Gamba was done I drove straight to Arnold's shop from Jeff's place to show him the bass. We compared these two 'big boys' side by side and each played them both.

The Panormo(?) bass and my big Gamba are completely different in design and tone. Both powerful and both earth shakers. I just had to have this one as to me, the response with the bow is amazing. I can also play it in tune and hit 'almost' all the notes above the Neck in TP. That's better than I do with most basses at first that are even smaller, regular sized instruments.

I have a concert next week and one piece is the Flying Dutchman with two lower notes to start, DD/D#D# and then up chromatically to the upper d on the G-string. This excerpt is actually in the Simandl book but it's quite fast and played more like 16ths than 8ths as written. Guess what? I would rather tune the Panormo down to a low D than bring the Hart or Martini with the C-Extension. We also have a Piano Concerto to do by Ravel that has a few low Cs and Ds in but for the rest of the playing, even an octave up this bass will out perform the other extensions in my section for depth. I took this same attitude when I played the Storioni two years ago doing the Tchik./Romeo. My bass was deeper than the big German monster next to me at an octave lower on some parts.

So guess what.. this one's personal. I am using this bass for Orchestra and leaving my Martini and Hart in the rack. To me, this bass sounds and feels more Italian than English, much more. Who knows, maybe it's a Betts shop bass by Panormo which wont always be the same as Panormo made on his own. He made what he was told with the woods supplied and had to complete it on a schedule. Instruments made this way are harder to identify and usually do not look like the makers personal work. This Bass is quite old as I have seen it inside and out from almost the day that Arnold got the bass. I watched it during restoration every time I visited and although I wished it found a good home thru Arnold, the economy is just not to speed just yet. I figured the bass needed a home and I had a space in my rack for it.

Thank you Arnold one again for your attention to detail. This bass is beautiful. The only problem I will have playing is that the other players around me wont be as happy. Like bringing a Tank to a Gun fight.. lol