A restoration

[Ken Smith]

Pino, my Hart has a 4-piece top of Pine, possibly from America. Another English bass attributed to Dodd (or Craske) had a 3-piece Spruce top. So, many Italian-like features like multi-piece tops and Italian style scrolls are to be found on old English basses from that period.

[Arnold Schnitzer]

Pino, outstanding restoration! One question; do you think the back bend is original? The extreme angle, as well as the high placement on the back are quite unusual; that, and the outline make me suspect England also. However, I have never encountered Cherry or Walnut in an English bass. And I agree with you that the scroll looks like it was made by a different person than the corpus.

[Ken Smith]

Yes, I agree with Arnold on the wood being rare for an English maker but the Scroll is not in question here with the Origin. It is the Cherry on the Back and Ribs. Also, those corner blocks look small like I have seen on Italian basses, rarely on an English bass. Do you guys agree?

Also, basses usually travel in one direction from Italy to either England and stay there or to America from Italy or from England and sometimes found in other parts of Europe. I have not heard of many Italian basses finding their way back to Italy. The fact that the bass is in Italy puzzles me. Also, the deep ribs and the sharp high bend is quite exaggerated looking at it. I wonder now if this IS something Italian after all. Anything is possible. The English were the great copyists of their time and Brescian style basses were common with many makers like Lott, Kennedy, Fendt, Hart/& Valentine and Betts/& crew and more.

Ok, I got it now!!

Pino, send ME the bass and I will solve the mystery. Free of charge!

[Brian Gencarelli]

Pino,

WOW! Great work and fabulous documentation! I have learned so much about this process from your careful work. I have two basses in my shop that require the same amounts of work, and while they are not as valuable, I will strive to reach this level of mastery! What inspiration!

Salut,
Brian

[Pino Cazzaniga]

Brian,
Thank you so much, the approval of a fellow luthier is precious (and unusual). Have nice days with your works.

Arnold, Ken,
I think a bend of some kind was there since the beginning.
The ribs are deep and almost parallel till the bend, the use of a bend was well known since the early times, and it is more easy to me to think of a bend than of a long neck heel.

There is no evidence though, becouse the upper part of the body was modified, tightening the back and widening the top, so it is possible that somebody made the bend more angled, maybe for playability.

Other reasons to modify that part are possible though, for example to add a string to a three string instrument.
My preferred idea about it is that the upper block's sides were parallel, with the back as wide as the top and maybe longer.
No evidence, of course.

If this bass is English, it is a fake, not an "inspired to" copy.
As there was an interest, a fashion, in England about Brescian instruments, some makers did honourable copies, when they get inspiration from an old school to make their own, following their taste and musical needs. It is more than possible that someone did fakes too.

Talking of fakes, everything is possible, cherrywood, small corner blocks, multipieces upper and lower blocks, small C bouts, the "crest" on the upper part of the top,the endpin position and even some wears and damages.
On the other side, if it is Italian, there is no evidence that it come from the Maggini's workshop, or even from Brescia.

The Brescian school, for bowed instruments, lasted for more than a century,with many makers involved.
Gasparo's workshop, for example, had at least five apprentices, and probably more.
There was a wide movement, and I can't think that everything died with Maggini.
If somebody survived the pestilence, or some makers in other cities worked on brescian shaped instruments, their work was probably attributed to Maggini, later, for market issues.

This could be happened too to his contemporaries or to popular survives.
No evidence, of course.

I think that there is no way to give an attribution to these old instruments without a successful work on documents (Letters, invoices, anything) and scientific examinations.
An hard and difficult work, I think.

Ken, thank you for your kind offer, but this bass is not mine...
maybe the next...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Pino Cazzaniga

Brian,
Thank you so much, the approval of a fellow luthier is precious (and unusual). Have nice days with your works.

Arnold, Ken,
I think a bend of some kind was there since the beginning.
The ribs are deep and almost parallel till the bend, the use of a bend was well known since the early times, and it is more easy to me to think of a bend than of a long neck heel.

There is no evidence though, becouse the upper part of the body was modified, tightening the back and widening the top, so it is possible that somebody made the bend more angled, maybe for playability.

Other reasons to modify that part are possible though, for example to add a string to a three string instrument.
My preferred idea about it is that the upper block's sides were parallel, with the back as wide as the top and maybe longer.
No evidence, of course.

If this bass is English, it is a fake, not an "inspired to" copy.
As there was an interest, a fashion, in England about Brescian instruments, some makers did honourable copies, when they get inspiration from an old school to make their own, following their taste and musical needs. It is more than possible that someone did fakes too.

Talking of fakes, everything is possible, cherrywood, small corner blocks, multipieces upper and lower blocks, small C bouts, the "crest" on the upper part of the top,the endpin position and even some wears and damages.
On the other side, if it is Italian, there is no evidence that it come from the Maggini's workshop, or even from Brescia.

The Brescian school, for bowed instruments, lasted for more than a century,with many makers involved.
Gasparo's workshop, for example, had at least five apprentices, and probably more.
There was a wide movement, and I can't think that everything died with Maggini.
If somebody survived the pestilence, or some makers in other cities worked on brescian shaped instruments, their work was probably attributed to Maggini, later, for market issues.

This could be happened too to his contemporaries or to popular survives.
No evidence, of course.

I think that there is no way to give an attribution to these old instruments without a successful work on documents (Letters, invoices, anything) and scientific examinations.
An hard and difficult work, I think.

Ken, thank you for your kind offer, but this bass is not mine...
maybe the next...

Ok, I wait for the next time, anxiously.. lol