Violone Grosso

[Pino Cazzaniga]

Some more pics

[Ken Smith]

Very nice! Is Maggini a big influence of yours?

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Very nice workmanship!

[Ken McKay]

Fantastico Pino, bravo!!
Beautiful workmanship in the modern Italian style.

[Pino Cazzaniga]

Thank you so much!
This is my first "Maggini influenced" instrument, as the musician's need was the right one to try it.
A period music instrument to be tuned DD GG C E A, with a short string lenght (102 cm, a bit more than 40) and a generous body size.
I think I will develop this design to make a modern double bass, the next time somebody will ask me to make a short string one, as I like more this shape now than before.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Pino Cazzaniga

Thank you so much!
This is my first "Maggini influenced" instrument, as the musician's need was the right one to try it.
A period music instrument to be tuned DD GG C E A, with a short string lenght (102 cm, a bit more than 40) and a generous body size.
I think I will develop this design to make a modern double bass, the next time somebody will ask me to make a short string one, as I like more this shape now than before.

My Candi Bass when I got it was 39.5"/100.33cm but with a slightly short Neck. In restoration I had a new neck grafted (the other was not original either) and lengthened to 40.5"/102.87cm.

At the ISB Stefano Sciascia was playing it with Sergio Scaramelli watching and then they both looked it over and measured it. Sergio mentioning that he thought 102cm/40.15" was best for the Candi. I think .87cm is close enough as we were trying more to make it Orchestra ready than solo ready.

I thought it was very 'cool' company having both Serio and Stefano play and admire the Candi Bass which was the only one he ever made in his life. I think 102 is a good size if organ depth is not needed.

[Pino Cazzaniga]

102 was the maximum SL I was allowed to reach, as the musician plays with a finger per fret (with the finger on the fret, not in the space between).
That shape of the body has a short body stop, mm556,5 (21,88) measured from the upper edge of the top, while the body length is mm1071 (42,16).
So I could make a long Eb neck to place the seventh fret before the curve of the heel and reach the 102 SL, while the body size is not too small
The lower bouts are mm662 (26,06), the upper bouts are mm519 (20,43),the C bouts are mm346 (13,62).
I hope that this let the sound be warm enough even with short strings.
Also, with gut strings we can try different diameters and materials, like sheep gut.
To design a new modern instrument I think that more SL is better, maybe working on the upper part of the body to lenghten the stop.