Custode Marcucci, Ravenna (Anno 1897, #271)

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Swanson

Care to share any photos of it, post-luthiery?

I will find some time next week to not only take pics, but to build a new page for it on the website as well. I will post the link here when it is done.

The two basses I have been using while this was in restoration were my Jacquet-Pilliment (deep lush Italian sounding old French bass fully restored by Jeff Bollbach) and my attributed Luigi Marconcini bass (fully restored by Robbie MacIntosh). One luthier that recently saw the Marconcini said to me on its origin,.. "All correct! How did you figure it out?" So, maybe one day soon I will get some papers on it from him.

Comparing the three basses last night and today, I can hear and feel the clear differences between these basses. I swapped strings between the Marcucci and the Jacquet last night to see if I can brighten up the Jacq. with Bells on the top 3 strings and put the mixed Flexs on the Marcucci to rid that metallic sound. It worked. Both basses sound slightly different and for the better but these are also kind of old strings that have been on and off several basses for the last 2-3 years.

As I posted on FB last night describing the work and sound;

Brought my bass home today from its restoration. It was in the shop being worked on for the last 5 months. Previously, it had not been opened up for repairs for over 40 years. Now, it's time to play it and break it in. This is a before picture. It looks just about the same now as before from a few feet away. The C-Extension has been replaced with an all ebony Chromatic one, the insides (top, back, ribs, lining, blocks) cleaned up and all issues carefully addressed and has a new bass-bar as well. The neck was also re-set and the neck-block inside beefed up. The sound is more focused than before and more powerful as well. In my experience, restored basses settle in gradually over the first few years as they mellow little by little after surgery. This is still the original neck as well as everything else also being original.