another puzzle

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

I think that could be a French bass; definitely worth saving!

This looks French from the inside and the Back does as well. The Top is in poor shape and hard to see its true form but I would say Mirecourt factory Jacquet school. The Scroll is French as well and was maybe a 3-string converted to 4 but modified with German Gears. A total mismatch in my book.

Re-varnished poorly as well as the Scroll in a darker color does hurt the value quite a bit. The Scroll although French as well is no guarantee it belongs to THAT bass. The Scrolls were usually 'Guild' made anyway and were supplied to more then one shop from the same supply but having it all original is a plus.

That center wide crossbar is original but the upper and lower bars were maybe added later. The French did not usually mix those two designs that I have seen.

[Adrian Levi]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

This looks French from the inside and the Back does as well. The Top is in poor shape and hard to see its true form but I would say Mirecourt factory Jacquet school. The Scroll is French as well and was maybe a 3-string converted to 4 but modified with German Gears. A total mismatch in my book.

Re-varnished poorly as well as the Scroll in a darker color does hurt the value quite a bit. The Scroll although French as well is no guarantee it belongs to THAT bass. The Scrolls were usually 'Guild' made anyway and were supplied to more then one shop from the same supply but having it all original is a plus.

That center wide crossbar is original but the upper and lower bars were maybe added later. The French did not usually mix those two designs that I have seen.

Sounds interesting , I guessed maybe French ! It does look like it may have been a 3 string at one time ( at least the scroll does ).
What age do you estimate it to be and do you have a pic of a bass that you think may be from the same school and era ?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Adrian Levi

Sounds interesting , I guessed maybe French ! It does look like it may have been a 3 string at one time ( at least the scroll does ).
What age do you estimate it to be and do you have a pic of a bass that you think may be from the same school and era ?

With that model and Cross bar I suspect latter quarter 19th century to early 20th. Just look at the French bass section here and Google Jacquet bass. Plenty of them in the world. I am not claiming exactly that it was made in one of the 3 or 4 Jacquet shops but rather it is in that style. many French makers used practically the exact same pattern. Like the German 3/4 Gamba basses. The all look almost alike as well.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

That huge crossbar is whacky! The soundpost would need to sit on the northern edge of it to be properly placed.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

That huge crossbar is whacky! The soundpost would need to sit on the northern edge of it to be properly placed.

Arnold, looking at the Top and the F-notches, the 'Post would be the lower third of that 'Bar just south of the middle of the C-bout. If you click on and blow up the pic of the inner Back you can see a mark from the Sound Post on the lower 3rd of that wide Bar.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Arnold, looking at the Top and the F-notches, the 'Post would be the lower third of that 'Bar just south of the middle of the C-bout. If you click on and blow up the pic of the inner Back you can see a mark from the Sound Post on the lower 3rd of that wide Bar.

Right. I was seeing the space between the middle and lower bars as the middle bar. Now I see...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

Right. I was seeing the space between the middle and lower bars as the middle bar. Now I see...

That's what it looked like to me until I blew up the pic.