Bass with Lion head scroll. Need help Identifying it

[Steve Alcott]

"What bass are we talking about? What year/s are we talking about? There might be more than one bass with that same nick name."

I was referring to the bass you saw when it was owned by Irv Manning-it was pretty well known among the "Condon gang".

http://www.hannaphil.com/phil.html

[ChrisGodla]

The bass has a neck/fingerboard that is very thin in width. The fingerboard does not stretch out as wide as basses normally are. This was told to me by a luthier. In the pic below you can see the fingerboard is just surrounding my thumb. Not very wide at all. The luthier did measure it but I forgot what he said the exact inches are. A little weird. No?

[Thomas Erickson]

Why not grab a ruler and measure it; maybe you have toe thumbs.

[ChrisGodla]

Originally Posted by Thomas Erickson

Why not grab a ruler and measure it; maybe you have toe thumbs.

lolol..I was going to mention that my thumbs are not huge or abnormal.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by ChrisGodla

The bass has a neck/fingerboard that is very thin in width. The fingerboard does not stretch out as wide as basses normally are. This was told to me by a luthier. In the pic below you can see the fingerboard is just surrounding my thumb. Not very wide at all. The luthier did measure it but I forgot what he said the exact inches are. A little weird. No?

As far as the original Lion posted, I recently spoke to the most recent restorer of the bass after it was sold from your possession. He is of the opinion that the lionhead and the bass are original to each other. This is probably a turn of the century Saxon bass by the model of the bass. The heads could have easily been supplied by nearby Bohemia across the border, Mittenwald or even made in Saxony. It is doubtful that heads like this are made by the actual maker.

Speaking of making an ID, I have an older bass with a Lionhead I would love to ID as well. My bass might be from the same area made 50-100 years earlier.



Any ideas? By the way, this bass was cut down a long long time ago. Both the upper and lower bouts were reduced. Only the C-bout purfling looks to be original. Smaller violin sized purfling. The back as a huge arch of well over 2". The gears are neither original or as old as the bass is.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Steve Alcott

"What bass are we talking about? What year/s are we talking about? There might be more than one bass with that same nick name."

I was referring to the bass you saw when it was owned by Irv Manning-it was pretty well known among the "Condon gang".

http://www.hannaphil.com/phil.html

I would love to ID this bass as well;


There are several other pics of the bass being played by the owner but without permission, I am not comfortable posting his personal likeness as well as the other musicians with him.

[Stefano Senni]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I would love to ID this bass as well;


There are several other pics of the bass being played by the owner but without permission, I am not comfortable posting his personal likeness as well as the other musicians with him.

It looks like Paul Chambers' bass ;-)

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Stefano Senni

It looks like Paul Chambers' bass ;-)

The bass itself is not like his bass at all. His was darker and more German looking. This one was believed to be English back about 40 years ago. I don't know what they are calling it now. The only similarity I think is that they both have a Lady on the head, Paul's was added, not original I was told and they are both Gamba shaped.

It's been 40-42 years since I played next to it so forgive me for my memory lapse if any.. lol

and with outer linings; ..also. Pauls's Lady is looking a bit downwards. The other bass is looking outwards!

[Stefano Senni]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

The bass itself is not like his bass at all. His was darker and more German looking. This one was believed to be English back about 40 years ago. I don't know what they are calling it now. The only similarity I think is that they both have a Lady on the head, Paul's was added, not original I was told and they are both Gamba shaped.

It's been 40-42 years since I played next to it so forgive me for my memory lapse if any.. lol

and with outer linings; ..also. Pauls's Lady is looking a bit downwards. The other bass is looking outwards!

yes of course, I didn't mean THAT bass to be Paul's one. They just look similar to me, with the lady on top, and both gamba shaped. I'd be surprised to discover the bass you are presenting is a certified English one...just looks like a nice German factory bass (like P.C.'s bass to be honest...)...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Stefano Senni

yes of course, I didn't mean THAT bass to be Paul's one. They just look similar to me, with the lady on top, and both gamba shaped. I'd be surprised to discover the bass you are presenting is a certified English one...just looks like a nice German factory bass (like P.C.'s bass to be honest...)...

The outer linings on the other bass look to be flush with the ribs. Different than on Paul's bass. It was called English (I think?) 42 years ago when I saw it. I really don't know what it is but regardless, it's a different style bass aside from the gamba shape than Paul's bass is. It could be German or Austrian as well. The gear plates do not fit all that well so I doubt those are the original gears as well. In either case, the are both nice basses.

[Adam Linz]

I had always heard that Chambers took his big German Bass out of the back of a car , supposedly with Doug Watkins who was his cousin, and that the bass belonged to a player in one of the New York symphonies. The player tracked down his bass to Paul at a gig, but after hearing him play decided that he should keep it. Paul was a huge junkie and I guess his bass ended up in the pawn shop too many times. The other rumor is that Paul put that ladyhead on the bass himself. He literally sawed off the top of the scroll and glued her in? Maybe. Anyways Ken do you have any info on the whereabouts of Mr Chambers bass? Seems like such an important part of bass history and also I'm wondering if anyone else has heard these tales or is someone just blowing smoke up my ass? Best, Adam Linz

[Stefano Senni]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

The outer linings on the other bass look to be flush with the ribs. Different than on Paul's bass. It was called English (I think?) 42 years ago when I saw it. I really don't know what it is but regardless, it's a different style bass aside from the gamba shape than Paul's bass is. It could be German or Austrian as well. The gear plates do not fit all that well so I doubt those are the original gears as well. In either case, the are both nice basses.

Funny...It seems this bass was for sale at Lemur's a while ago ... and claimed to be French, I wonder why...the label is surely not enough to say so

http://shelf3d.com/Muqb2GbEXTU#Lemur%20Music%20SOLD%20Claude%20Boivin %20French%20Bass%20"Lady%20Bass"