Squared corners (Dodd)

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Thomas Erickson

Anybody have some good detail photos of those big squared-off corners, or want to comment on what the deal was with that? Was is exclusive to Dodd? I can't think of another bass that I've seen made that way, at the moment anyway...

I have seen Forster Basses with them too. It was a style for a brief period.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Daniel Hachez builds his basses with a similar corner style, inlaying ebony between the rib ends.

[Chris Shaw]

The picture doesn't show it too well, but this is the sort of corner treatment that seems to appear on Forster basses - and that's probably why this one is attributed to Forster - not sure which Forster they're going for though!

[Anselm Hauke]

nice bass, chris. do you have more infos?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Chris Shaw

The picture doesn't show it too well, but this is the sort of corner treatment that seems to appear on Forster basses - and that's probably why this one is attributed to Forster - not sure which Forster they're going for though!

The corners are usually more blunt than that. These corners look quite pointy as compared to the others I have seen.

[Chris Shaw]

The bass was, and still is I think, for sale from Turner's here in the UK. I tried it when I was looking for mine. It's certainly a fine instrument with a great sound, but a little lacking in depth and substance I thought. They describe it as labelled and attributed to Forster, but I seem to remember that the "labelled" bit referred to some repair label. The reinforcements on the corners are certainly very similar to those on Forster basses shown in Elgar's book - but we all know how dubious some of his attributions are!

[Ken Smith]

Many of the Basses made for Dodd were made by Lott Snr. This bass can be as easily by Lott as by Dodd. It doesn't look anything close to the few Forsters I have seen. The Simon Andrew Forster basses were actually supplied by Lott, 5 of them as listed in his own book. I have seen pics of one of them and it was just like a Lott I had here briefly.

The Forster Snr. basses (4 known noted) varied in size but have darker Varnish. The Forster Jnr. basses, all but one (about 6 in total) were made as Cello models and without Purfling. Also noted in the book by Simon Andrew. I think I have played one of these as the dealer thinks it's Forster Srn. but by all accounts it's exactly described as those made in the son's shop where S.A. Forster trained with S.Gilkes and his brother William F. IV.

Varnish color wise, Corners, Italian FFs etc, I would say this looks more possible as a Lott/Dodd Bass than anything from the Forster family's hands.

Like other English basses that are attributed to a famous name, this web is no less tangled than the others!

[davidseidel]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

The corners are usually more blunt than that. These corners look quite pointy as compared to the others I have seen.

Now these are what I call blunt corners! Is that what Thomas had in mind? These are on my bass - attributed English

[Matthew Tucker]

Originally Posted by davidseidel

Now these are what I call blunt corners! Is that what Thomas had in mind? These are on my bass - attributed English

Hard to see on that pic david but I think we're talking more like this.

Here's a pic of a Dodd from Kolstein's website



This is from a plan from a Lott-attributed bass. I'm just about to start building one of this model. The ends of the bouts, as Arnold mentioned, do lend themselves to the possibility of a little decoration.

[Thomas Erickson]

That's cool - thanks for posting it. Do you plan to do the ends in maple (or whatever the ribs will be) or something contrasting?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Hard to see on that pic david but I think we're talking more like this.

Here's a pic of a Dodd from Kolstein's website



This is from a plan from a Lott-attributed bass. I'm just about to start building one of this model. The ends of the bouts, as Arnold mentioned, do lend themselves to the possibility of a little decoration.

I have played that Bass but the date of 1790 seems almost a decade too early as the makers in the Shop were Fendt srn. and Lott snr, trained by Fendt whom both started in 1798, a few months apart. It is also written that all of the squared cornered Basses were made and/or supplied by Lott. I owned a Dodd as well not long ago or rather a bass attributed to him. One of the best basses I have played. Mine had normal corners, not squared.