History of the American Bass

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Swanson

Not that the rest of the renovated Allen bass isn't just lovely, but I really dig those custom-made machines. Who did that lovely machining? Who designed the detailing?

Except for the D and A gear sharing a split shaft, the gears are 100% original. One extra gear was made as a spare when the restoration was done just in case but those gears and designs were by J.B. Allen. I think Arnold mentioned that the Smithsonian has a telescope and/or a microscope that he made. It looks like the Basses he made were to show off his skills.

I played in an Orchestra last night with 8 basses (wow, what thunder!). One was a large German bass (Fussen is my attribution) with a small lower rounded corner (busetto) like the upper of the Allen and an upper molding quasi-violin but in the molding strips like a semi-squared off busetto. The Scroll was long as well. Prescott seems to have copied a Mittenwald bass for his models but the long Scroll box is reported to be after an English Viol. The Allen has some similarities to the Prescotts as do most Yankee basses but shows a level of skill we have yet to see on a Prescott. I am sure Allen knew what a Prescott bass was as it looks obvious. I doubt however that they had worked together at any point.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

I think it's interesting that the Allen bass (the one pictured above) has a top made from 15 pieces of vertical grain white pine. I've often wondered if the individual pieces were pre-bent into the approximate shape of the arching, and then joined/carved, or whether they were all glued up as 2"x2" squares and then carved into the arched shape. When looking closely at the top it seems to me there is less end grain visible than I'd expect to see. And I know there were violin makers fooling around with a sort of "coopering" technique in the 19th century (similar to the way barrels are made). J.B. went all out with the decorative aspect of that bass, even inlaying the seams. And Robbie McIntosh did a masterful job of restoring the bass and keeping it faithful to the original while enhancing its playability as a modern bass.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Arnold Schnitzer

I think it's interesting that the Allen bass (the one pictured above) has a top made from 15 pieces of vertical grain white pine. I've often wondered if the individual pieces were pre-bent into the approximate shape of the arching, and then joined/carved, or whether they were all glued up as 2"x2" squares and then carved into the arched shape. When looking closely at the top it seems to me there is less end grain visible than I'd expect to see. And I know there were violin makers fooling around with a sort of "coopering" technique in the 19th century (similar to the way barrels are made). J.B. went all out with the decorative aspect of that bass, even inlaying the seams. And Robbie McIntosh did a masterful job of restoring the bass and keeping it faithful to the original while enhancing its playability as a modern bass.

One of the other Allen basses above with the old Tuners is a 13pc Top I think. It seems as if this was his style. I wonder besides these 3 basses if there are more of them around. It looks so good to my eye I was surprised to learn that even the Varnish is original on this bass. Robbie mentioned to me the other day that he thought about it for a day or so taking a few deep breaths before he took the Top off knowing he would have to restore that joint as well being that the outer moldings overlapped the Top edge. The Purfling covering the joint now was made by him and looks to be walnut and maple laminated.

[Ken Smith]

Here are the measurements of the J.B. Allen, 1841 as pictured in the 2004 ISB magazine.

Top length,........ 45 3/4"
Back to button,.. 47 1/2"

Upper Bout,....... 21 1/8"
Middle Bout,....... 16"
Lower Bout,....... 28 1/2"

Rib Depth inside the Purfling that hides the Top/Rib joint (floating Rib width):
8 1/4" at the bottom Block gently tapering to 8" at the angle break. Then tapering from 8" at the break to 7 1/8" at the Neck.

String Length, 42"

In reading the Article written about 5 years after the restoration, Robbie talks about the sound and how it has matured but states it's not loud bass! Currently, this bass is so loud than when I play it in my office with the other basses in the racks around it, it vibrates all of them more than almost any other bass I have with exception to the 4/4 Tarr and Panormo School basses. The bass is LOUD now, but in a sweet way as far as tone goes. The strings on the bass are Flexocor 92, put on in 1999. I am sure the bass can get even louder with different types of strings.

[Ken Smith]

Ok, I am putting on the finishing touches of the JB Allen 'page. Here's the Link if any one's interested. Enjoy..

[Tim Bishop]

Wow! That is just beautiful.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Very nicely done, Ken, with one exception: There is nothing Prescott-like in that scroll. It is totally unique.