Squared corners (Dodd)

[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?

[Matthew Tucker]

Affirmative

[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.

[Jim Mortimore]

one of my basses has corners like this...
i'm still unsure of the maker of my bass tho... any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jim Mortimore

one of my basses has corners like this...
i'm still unsure of the maker of my bass tho... any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Those ebony 'wrap arounds'(?) look like they were added after. The Dodd and Forster basses I have seen with square corners finish flush with the plate corners, not overlapped. Also, they are rounded and not square not to mention ebony. Ebony was quite rare back then. I don't know what the fingerboards were but the tailpieces were stained black over maple or boxwood. So, ebony corners seem doubtful.

What do the shops over there think your bass is? can I see the scroll, all angles? If it's old enough, it could be from the Dodd shop or one of his out-workers.

I had one that was attributed to Dodd that looks vaguely similar to your bass. Tony Houska thinks it resembles a Craske her recently had. I think some English basses were similar back then but not uniform in size and details from bass to bass, even from the same maker. I have seen a few Fendts that varied in size and string length made on the same exact d'Salo model. You would expect them to measure up close to each other but they didn't.

Nice bass you have there regardless.

[Jim Mortimore]

Thanks Ken, thats very interesting to hear.

it has ugly machines.. not original. i want to get them changed. are their any you can recommend that might be vaguely like the originals it may have previously had?

the previous owner who had the bass since the 50's thought it might be a Hawkes.