Guitar and Pear-Shaped

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hack

Hello everyone,

A while back I posted a question up on another prominent internet DB forum regarding the history and nature of guitar-model basses. Unfortunately, my post must have been a few days after the host of this forum departed, meaning I missed out on a very knowledgeable resource to slake my curiosity. So I would like to ask the same question here: does anyone know about the origins of these interesting cornerless specimens? Someone pointed to the violones of Pietro Zenatto, of which there appear to be a few cornerless examples.

Cheers,

Charlie

I have seen quite a few but mostly in pictures. I did play one recently that is just coming on the market but being shown only privately. It has a huge thick Italian sound but in my opinion it needs 20-30k to be fully restored. The value of these is more like supply and demand. Very few people want them. If the same Bass had Violin corners the asking price could be much higher. As far as origins, unless they are labeled and authenticated, it is hard to tell who actually made them. It has been common to see names like Testore, Zenatto and Storioni on these Guitar Basses but much harder to prove they actually had anything to do with making them.

Currently I am looking at two of these Basses for personal interest. One is a small Bass with a 36.5" string length and the other is about a 7/8ths size Bass. Also, I was once shown pics of David Walter's Guitar Bass (att. Testore) before it went up for sale but I had no interest in it. It was purchased by a NYC Orch. professional.

Of the three great sounding Basses I have played in the last year or so, one was a Guitar Shaped Bass. The other two were attr. to the Seraphin shop and Maggini. The Maggini I don't buy at all but is a great Bass. The Seraphin was the best of the 3 or rather close to the Guitar shaped one which was attr. to Storioni.

I have some doubts about any of these Basses to be made by those famous names but in either case, they were fantastic Basses. Maybe they are what the claim to be. How would I know? I wasn't there watching when they were made!!