"Cornerless Italian & Spanish Basses"

[Ken Smith]

Has any one ever seen Ermanno Ferrari with his Cornerless Bass or have some pictures to share with us? I have been told in a copy of a letter that he bought a Bass by Spanish maker J.Guillami from Gary Karr some years ago.

All I have found so far on the web is this; http://www.yamamoto-bass.com/cd/ferrari/ferrari.html

[Ken McKay]

Ken,

Good story!
Did you notice the string length being a problem as compared to your others. Do you think the string length has anything to do with it's attack? Are you still planning to make it shorter?

My cornerless bass project is in plastic wrap while I set up 60 violins for local students. I will get back at it after the busy season.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Ken McKay

Ken,

Good story!
Did you notice the string length being a problem as compared to your others. Do you think the string length has anything to do with it's attack? Are you still planning to make it shorter?

My cornerless bass project is in plastic wrap while I set up 60 violins for local students. I will get back at it after the busy season.

Yes, I still have that plan in my head. This is an expensive Bass. I have to make sure it is playable for the average Orchestra pro should I decide to sell it down the road.

I have used a small piece of wood under the strings to assimilate a shorter string length and see how it might affect the sound. The most noticeable difference was the left hand stretch. The tone didn't seem to change all that much. Slightly tighter if anything. The organ like bottom is 2x the thickness I am used to so loosing a little of that and adding some punch would be an acceptable trade-off.

I think it should be made to a 42" length if not a hair shorter.

[Matthew Tucker]

Ken, did you know that David Weibe built a copy of the Riccardi bass?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

Ken, did you know that David Weibe built a copy of the Riccardi bass?

I have pictures of it as well. He did not copy the Scroll though and also used completely different wood than on the 'Riccardi' Bass. I think to have any chance at all to come close you must copy as much of the original Bass as possible including the materials used.

[Ken Smith]

Found it here while surfing..

[Ken McKay]

You need that hat.

Ken, take a look here http://www.upnorthstrings.com/cornerlessbasspage6 for a comparison of the bass I am making with the da Salo ff holes. They were copied from the photograph. Mine do look different, but kinda similar. It just goes to show that when you copy from a photo, then lay the paper over the contour of the bass top, they come out a little different. But live and learn. I will cut the nicks (sp) when I get the neck on and that will help.

As far as lopsided goes, It just came out that way without using a mold. I do regret not fixing the right upper bout when I had a chance. I am going to antique it in the end and all the characteristics will hopefully blend. It is what it is though.

[Christopher Williams]

hi folks... i'm new to the forum but was intrigued by this thread. the subject of the "Spanish" photo above is most likely Catalan; though the list describes a "contrabajista en Madrid", my guess is that the player, the bass, or both are from these parts...

there is a relatively unknown tradition of pear-shaped bass luthiery in Catalonia which revolves around the instrument's presence in the "Cobla", or traditional dance orchestra that accompanies the "Sardana", a popular national folk dance one often sees in small towns on Sundays after mass. maybe someone is hip to these groups? the band consists of a flabiol (3-holed flute) player -- sort of a lead alto, if you will -- a few nasty traditional double reed instruments (tibles), a few more double reeds in a lower register (tenores), some trumpets, flugelhorns, valve trombones (or the like), and... the poor, overworked bassist, who pushes the whole thing uphill. with no help from anyone!

the typical instrument is (or was -- nowadays players tend to grab the cheapest, loudest Chinese plywood for the job), as the picture indicates, a slightly squatty pear-shaped bass with 3 gut strings, set up a yard off the fingerboard for maximum thumpage. the nickname for this style of bass is the "Berra" (Boar, a play on "Pera", for pear).

i've been told that there was something of a golden age in the construction of these instruments in the 19th century, esp. in the city of Tortosa, near Valencia. i've played a couple, plus some modern copies, and they're absolutely lovely. very special, a bit cantankerous but svelt. i would love to own one someday, though right now i'm happy with my little French bass, which i was told was imported as the Catalan market petered out.

another contrabassist who plays a beautiful Italian instrument is Stefano Scodaniddbio, new music virtuoso and former Grillo student. <http://www.stefanoscodanibbio.com/photos/gallery14.htm>

[Charlie Hack]

Wow...

I posted the original question about cornerless basses a while back, and I've just logged in for the first time in a while. This thread has grown into a wealth of information. Fascinating stuff. Just goes to show what a great resource the internet is for communication and research. When a bunch of bass geeks... I mean enthusiasts... pool their information, we get this. Awesome!

Cheers all,

Charlie

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Charlie Hack

Wow...

I posted the original question about cornerless basses a while back, and I've just logged in for the first time in a while. This thread has grown into a wealth of information. Fascinating stuff. Just goes to show what a great resource the internet is for communication and research. When a bunch of bass geeks... I mean enthusiasts... pool their information, we get this. Awesome!

Cheers all,

Charlie

Yes, you started this first thread about 10 days earlier than my thread here on the Italians. I wanted to have a specific one about the old Italians where it all started and then included the Spanish in the title as they too started using this shape later on. Both Threads talk about the Italians but your talks about old and new regardless of where they are being made. TalkBass has one as well on Guitar and Pear Shaped Basses started by you as well. So tell me, which Forum gave you the most info on the subject?

Now I have two cornerless Basses but both are going into some long term restorations soon so it will be a year or more before I have either of them back. Jeff is doing the Storioni and Arnold is doing the one I acquired recently. Playing them first hand, I can really see how they vibrate differently than cornered Basses.

[Jonathan Stefaniak]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Has any one ever seen Ermanno Ferrari with his Cornerless Bass or have some pictures to share with us? I have been told in a copy of a letter that he bought a Bass by Spanish maker J.Guillami from Gary Karr some years ago.

All I have found so far on the web is this; http://www.yamamoto-bass.com/cd/ferrari/ferrari.html

Hi there,

I thought I'd share that I recently bought this Guillami at Thomas Martin's shop.
This was the same 1767 Joan Guillami bass that Anton Torello used throughout his career for solo playing.

I was wondering if anyone has and photos of Gary Karr actually playing it.

While the link lasts:
http://www.thomasmartin.co.uk/instru.../joan-guillami

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Stefaniak

Hi there,

I thought I'd share that I recently bought this Guillami at Thomas Martin's shop.
This was the same 1767 Joan Guillami bass that Anton Torello used throughout his career for solo playing.

I was wondering if anyone has and photos of Gary Karr actually playing it.

While the link lasts:
http://www.thomasmartin.co.uk/instru.../joan-guillami

Why not just ask Gary Karr?

[Jonathan Stefaniak]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Why not just ask Gary Karr?

I think I will.