Ex-Riccardi Cornerless Bass Copy (formerly attributed to 'Storioni') (SOLD)

[Richard Prowse]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Not very well at all on its own unless, I am playing it!

There's always one joker in the pack.

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Seriously, it plays like butter and all the notes are just where you expect them to be. If this bass was 200-300 years old, there would be very little to compete with it anywhere. Wait.. Ok, yes, I have that bass too, the original..

So, the aging process is the biggy? This might sound like a dumb question but, in your opinion, say a bass played at 50% of its potential, what do you think that 200 years would add - bearing in mind that it was a fully carved, well designed/built bass?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

There's always one joker in the pack.

So, the aging process is the biggy? This might sound like a dumb question but, in your opinion, say a bass played at 50% of its potential, what do you think that 200 years would add - bearing in mind that it was a fully carved, well designed/built bass?

Ok, the last bass I had for 200 years went from new to 200 years and sounded like.. ah, I can't remember that far back..

[Ken Smith]

Ok, here is the link to the new page we just put up. http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...hnitzer-smith/

Here's a preview from my Link;

[Ken McKay]

Beautiful workmanship and design. The varnish is superb and the best of all of Schnitzer's that I have seen. The scroll is slightly quirky and that adds a lot of interest to the clean workmanship in that area.

I would be pretty proud of that one Ken!

[Eric Hochberg]

Just too gorgeous!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Ken McKay

Beautiful workmanship and design. The varnish is superb and the best of all of Schnitzer's that I have seen. The scroll is slightly quirky and that adds a lot of interest to the clean workmanship in that area.

I would be pretty proud of that one Ken!

If you guys only knew what went in to this bass!..

The Varnishing was something special and the wood all over has some tiny flaws and nothing was done to cover them up. The Scroll on the original is simplistically beautiful. The Copy is more elaborate but hey, she's mine so I get what I want. I loved the Teardrop on the Martini which was off center but the Candi Teardrop is perfect. Some natural flaws here and there in the wood and how the wood took the varnish in my opinion just adds to its natural beauty. It IS tempting to smooth everything out but I was not looking for 'plastic' and nor would Arnold (I assume) go that route either. The Top is done in a way that you can feel all the fibers across the grain known as Corduroy. Like the pants!..

Ground coloring was applied to the Back and Ribs and then sanded out leaving the darker flames highlighted. Then it was varnished over. This was done to add a natural look to the aging without using chains or tools. The Ribs themselves show some natural rippling which I have seen on a few newer basses as well as many old ones.

Yes guys, it's a beautiful bass and I thank you all for your compliments. The tone is so pleasing that playing Pizz with Belcantos, it pumps out air like Gut strings and they feel thicker under my fingers. Switching to the Hart back to back with the same strings on feels completely different so I know it's the bass and not the strings doing that. Although I was going for an Orchestra bass and it's great in that respect, it's also a fantastic thick punchy sounding Jazz bass as well.

Maybe Arnold will come in here and say a few words. He's a little busy trying to finish the restoration on the original. Maybe a side-by-side photo session would be in order up at his shop with both the new and old meeting for the first time all strung up.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Maybe Arnold will come in here and say a few words.

I appreciate greatly all the kind words and support.

This was an intense project for me. I'm not accustomed to getting so much input from the person for whom the instrument is being built, especially from someone as knowledgeable and particular as Ken. At every step in the design and building process, Ken made it perfectly clear what he wanted. "Lush sounding. Deep. Easy to play and easy to get around". Every choice made regarding wood, arching, graduating, shape, etc. was done with "deep and lush" in mind as the tonal goal. Top wood: Engelmann (deep and lush). Shape: wide in the middle, like the original (deep and lush). Arching: pronounced in the back, flattish in the top center (deep and lush). Bridge width and bass bar placement: wide (deep and lush). I guess you get the picture. The bass came out as desired, deep and lush. A side benefit is that it speaks very quickly, as it is fairly light but stiff.

Ken likes a dark and complex sound because he is surrounded by a collection of ancient masterpieces. To have my creation meet with his approval, and hold its own in that company is rewarding and inspiring. And to get paid, to boot!

[Matthew Tucker]

Nice work Arnold, I DO like that head carving!

The outline is quite unique, with its small corners. The bass looks a little tubby but at the same time elegant. It isn't so much that the centre is wide as the upper bout is narrow and tall.

I am frustrated seeing only small pictures, Ken. Got any bigger ones or nice sharp closeups of the corners, the purfling and/or that show the wood textures??

How does the sound compare to the original? Are the organ pipes still there?