History of the American Bass

[Nando Raio]

Thanks Ken for the info. I don't really know anything about August and Gemunder, were they Bryant's as well?
I talked to the great great granddaughter and she traced her family back to the 1700's in England, very interesting, George Bryant passed away in 1916.
This bass sounds more like an Italian bass than anything else, the back is really alive, you can feel it on every note, its really easy to play even with the string String length been over 42
Upper Bouts 20 inches
Middle Bouts 14 inches
Lower Bouts 25.9 inches

Large 3/4 or a small 7/8?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Nando Raio

Thanks Ken for the info. I don't really know anything about August and Gemunder, were they Bryant's as well?
I talked to the great great granddaughter and she traced her family back to the 1700's in England, very interesting, George Bryant passed away in 1916.
This bass sounds more like an Italian bass than anything else, the back is really alive, you can feel it on every note, its really easy to play even with the string String length been over 42
Upper Bouts 20 inches
Middle Bouts 14 inches
Lower Bouts 25.9 inches

Large 3/4 or a small 7/8?

Actually it is August Gemunder Snr. and George Gemunder Snr.. They were two makers that mover to Mass. about 1846 and 1848. George came from France where he was working and August from Germany. Both originally trained by their father in Germany. Your Bass reminds me of their work in some ways.

[Brian Glassman]

Beautiful bass! Thanks for the interesting post.

[Nando Raio]

Robin just posted some interesting newspaper articles on George E. Bryant, check out this link, scroll down to see it, part of AMERICAN HISTORY
http://thehofmannandbryantfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/

[Brian Glassman]

Nando, Much earlier in this thread Ken has said that the scroll on my Prescott Gamba may not be original because it is not typical of a Prescott scroll. However it does appear to be very old and although the brass cheek plates are wider than on most Prescotts it does have the typical Prescott-like Bee Sting shape at the top which are on your Bryant as well.
In fact it looks much like the brass cheek plates on your Bryant! Tuners looks similar as well.

Perhaps it's a Bryant scroll? What do you think Ken?

The back of the two scrolls are not as similar, however. I'll have to post a pic of the back of the scroll to compare.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Brian Glassman

Nando, Much earlier in this thread Ken has said that the scroll on my Prescott Gamba may not be original because it is not typical of a Prescott scroll. However it does appear to be very old and although the brass cheek plates are wider than on most Prescotts it does have the typical Prescott-like Bee Sting shape at the top which are on your Bryant as well.
In fact it looks much like the brass cheek plates on your Bryant! Tuners looks similar as well.

Perhaps it's a Bryant scroll? What do you think Ken?

The back of the two scrolls are not as similar, however. I'll have to post a pic of the back of the scroll to compare.

I have no idea who made that Scroll. I just don't think it's a Prescott Scroll. Old Yankee basses from Prescott's time were 3-string. Many Basses get their heads chopped off. Back then I am sure the Luthiers preferred replacing the entire neck/scroll over doing a neck graft and saving the original.

Nice basses though, both of them.

[Ken Smith]

I don't know why this Bass has never been pictured here. I must have over looked it somehow. Here are a few temporary pics of the J.B. Allen.

Someday before long, as time allows, I will get a full set of pics of this bass up on my DB web page.

The workmanship, condition and masterful *restoration (*by Robert McIntosh, 1999) of this Yankee Bass has to be one of the finest specimens ever seen in the combined categories. The sound of this beauty matches its other attributes as well.