Simba meets Mufasa (The Bohemian Lion)

[Eric Swanson]

Lovely bass! What strings did you put on, for this trial? For now, how is the low-end response under the bow? Upper register access? What are your first playing impressions?

[Eric Hochberg]

Wow, love it!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Swanson

Lovely bass! What strings did you put on, for this trial? For now, how is the low-end response under the bow? Upper register access? What are your first playing impressions?

Passione G,D,A, and Stark E Passione.

The E is louder than the A. The bass has a powerful deep sound. The upper register as well as the low register is smooth and silky. Close your eyes and you will swear it's a 200 year old Italian. Someone yesterday told me the F-holes remind him of Testore but I highly doubt this bass is anything Italian.

The FFs are not evenly cut from one to another. Not the nicks, the holes, the curve, the placement or the fluting at the bottom. This is a one-off hand made original. The shoulders are not symmetrical either being that the treble shoulder is slightly more curved for playing then the other side. The C bouts are not even as well. Like my Gilkes was, the upper corners are opened up for bow clearance with the lowers being squared across.

This bass was made for comfort. It was about a 43" string length before but after restoration, it's just under 42".

Speaking today with a former owner who spoke with the former owner HE got it from was told that HE, the 90+ year old German player bought it from another old player in the 1950's and that HE was told that the Shoulders were Cut down from even a larger bass. Just how and where the bass was cut I can't say and don't know but this was bigger when it was made.

So, I have some basic knowledge of the past 3 owners spanning a century or so. The bass was probably 100 years or so old before it was cut. That being said, the last previous owner who is also a dealer and player thinks the bass is much older than it's shape and model leads us to speculate at first look.

[Ken Smith]

I played it last night for the first time at an orchestra rehearsal. While sitting there and playing, I realized that this is the first time in it's estimated 200 years that it was played in USA or possibly outside of the German/Bohemian region. I have information now that for the last 100+ years or so it was used in German orchestras by just two owners, both having the bass for several decades each and only selling it when they reached retirement age or beyond. The last owner in his 90s. To them, it was a 'keeper' and I can see why while playing it last night. I didn't say a word to the other 5 guys in the section about having a new/old bass or an old Lionhead but one glance and their eyes were stuck on the bass. Each player nudging the other to look at it. It was a good feeling.

[Gerry Grable]

Wow! Neat, Ken. If only that lion could talk?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Gerry Grable

Wow! Neat, Ken. If only that lion could talk?

Yes, very neat. Today I saw pictures of a similar bass with an angled Flat Back and a different Lion but, the FFs were very similar as were the outer linings flush with the top and back. The shoulders were different but mine have been cut.

[Ken Smith]

I have since used the bass for a few rehearsals so far including tonight and last night. As of now, I plan on using it for my next few concerts over the next few weeks. I can get around not having the C-extension for the most part. I will be tuning down to Eb for Adagio for Strings by Barber that I am doing this week with my main orchestra.

The bass was just restored in Europe and is already starting to show signs of breaking in. It sounded good the first day I strung it up but it's getting smoother and deeper the more I play it. I still think I will make some modifications to the bass if I keep it long enough.

As far as the shoulders being cut as mentioned above, the lower bout as I see now was cut as well. The Purfling in the C-bouts look different than the upper and lower bouts. That tells me that they cut all but the C-bout areas, most likely at the same time. This is just about one of the nicest sounding German school basses I have ever heard. I would love to know who made it.

The bass is very comfortable to hold and play, sitting or standing, bowing or plucking as well as orchestra pizz with bow in hand. This is one of the great sounding German roundback basses made that is also not a big or cumbersome instrument. Many of the Mittenwald basses I have seen are quite large in comparison.

Currently, it is strung with 3 year old Belcantos that were also recently on and off a few basses before I put them on this old Lion.

[Ken Smith]

The Gears are something for discussion. First off, the brass shafts have a wooden sleeve over them the entire length thru both cheeks (I don't have a close-up of it at the moment, sorry.) These are very old, the wood, almost as if they were there before the brass gears were put on the bass. Old basses before brass or iron gears had large cello-like pegs. I think these could be from those pegs, possibly for a few reasons. One mainly, there are no other screw holes in the scroll cheeks from other than these gears that I was able to see when I was shown pictures during the restoration.

Now, look closely at he gear-worm brackets that attach them to the plates. On one side they are rounded and the other, more square like. Also, the side with the square type are each different. The screw mounting in the center of the gears are just slightly different on each side as well. Also, each handle shaft is also a bit different in one way or another. One of the teeth on the upper bass gear (E on top) was repaired as it was broken off. I requested they fuse a piece of brass in and re-cut the teeth. It's working fine now. Have a look;