old Viennese school bass

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Gregory Dale Beasley

I know nothing of basses this old so pardon my ignorance. Do I see repairs to the top and back at some point? Or is that just age?

Yes, many many repairs. This is fairly common with old basses. Depending on how they are built, how that are cared for, how they are repaired and how they travel around the world climate to climate and all combined is what determines how much 'experience' will show on an old bass like this.

Many of the trade basses made later in both France and Germany from the mid to late 19th century thru the 20th were made more robust for travel and export to the USA and around the world. The sound though on these basses will not develop usually in ones lifetime and many have had modifications to achieve a better more pleasing mature type tone.

The bass listed here within is one of those older handmade basses that were built on the lighter side by today's standards. Had it stayed in one place all its life, it might have gone thru much less trauma. Still, the sound is beautiful and the bass is holding up well despite its current looks. Only a full fresh complete restoration could make it look better. If that were to happen, it would take a few years or more for the sound to come back to where it is now.

Usually when I get in an old bass that is in fairly good repair, I only fix what is necessary and then play it. In this case, a few cracks that were previously repaired were re-glued to tighten up, the fingerboard and nut replaced, a new adjustable bridge and tailwire put on to complete the set-up. I left the endpin and the gears alone as they work just fine. If something breaks and the bass has to come apart, then I would consider a full restoration while the bass is apart.

For now, it's set-up and ready to play.

[Steve Alcott]

Good. I'm glad it sounds good and is getting played.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Steve Alcott

Good. I'm glad it sounds good and is getting played.

I need a C-extension for this week but my on next concert (with a different Orchestra), there are no low notes in the program so I will bring this bass out for that. Next season it will get more play. Putting a c-extension on it in the future is not out of the question either. Then I can do more with it. I will probably bring this bass home as my practice bass for the summer rather than leave it in the rack in the office. I have plenty of other basses I would rather sell and keep this one for myself.

How many times have I said that? lol

[Ken Smith]

Here is a beautiful old Vieneese/Prague style bass. In researching this bass originally, we found one that was labeled "Joseph Anton Laske, Prague 1788" and then another near identical bass labeled "Eduard Heidegger, Linz 1877". With nearly a century between the two basses of the same model, what is one to think? Well, the condition of the Linz bass looked far younger than the Prague bass. The Laske labeled bass and this Prague bass here are more similar in age. I have also since found a few more basses of similar design and scrolls combined which was what connected them in the first place. I also have a book with two actual Laske basses pictured but they look older in design than all of theses basses. So, I think the labeled Laske bass is possibly incorrect and the Heidegger bass from Linz is actually a Prague made bass with the dealer's label in it like you would find with imported basses from Hawkes to Morelli to Juzek. Basses made by others for the trade by design.

Since than, I have looked back at a few basses made by Jan Bina who worked in the 19th century in Prague but also traveled earlier and worked in Vienna, Pressburg and Budapest before settling back in Prague around 1853. We have since acquired another Prague bass that was nearly identical to this bass with the exception of the Scroll which was not Viennese style and we have attributed that bass to Bina. I have seen Bina basses with both normal and Viennese style Violone scrolls. So, this bass can also be attributed to Bina matching up the work of the two basses.

String Length; 41 1/4"
Top/Back Length; 42 1/2" top, 44 1/4" back
Upper Bout; 20 1/2"
Middle Bout; 14 1/2"
Lower Bout; 25 3/4"
Ribs; 8", 6 5/8" at neck