J B Vuillaume

[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.