Old Bass spotted..

[Phil Maneri]

Oh Man. I'll bet you wish you had that one back.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

Oh Man. I'll bet you wish you had that one back.

Hey, you saw a few of my Basses when you came by, right? I think I'm past that a bit now. The Gilkes, Martini, Hart and Storioni all have more power. Only the Hart and Storioni compare in sweetness but both of them have more projection.

But, would love to have it back..

[Phil Maneri]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Hey, you saw a few of my Basses when you came by, right? I think I'm past that a bit now. The Gilkes, Martini, Hart and Storioni all have more power. Only the Hart and Storioni compare in sweetness but both of them have more projection.

But, would love to have it back..

Well I suppose you can't have them ALL...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

Well I suppose you can't have them ALL...

No, not really. Plus, it looks funny on the Top under the Fingerboard. Maybe there was some work done there for the bigger Neck and possibly a new Block. That Top was totally sunk when I bought it. I think 4 strings is plenty for that Bass after all it's been thru. If the sound was 'all that' for an old Italian Bass, they would have never turned her into a 5er. That's usually reserved for secondary Basses, not primary ones..

[Phil Maneri]

Oh well it's a piece of junk then.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

Oh well it's a piece of junk then.

Not even close. I was just comparing good basses to better basses..

Don't start!

[Mikko Moilanen]

Hello!
I have few pictures from the WOB to spear with you.
I will add more as I have my USB with camera to computer done.

Yes, currently I have the bass. Actually here in Italy on our tour.

And check out the bridge after Da Salo.

Amazing bass.. I hope to have the inlay photographed for tomorrow..

[Mikko Moilanen]

Originally Posted by Phil Maneri

Oh well it's a piece of junk then.

Oh with this bass...
Man, if you only knew.

[Ken Smith]

Ok Mikko, I mailed you copies of the 2 appraisals from Fantoni/1974 and Kolstein/1975. Also, some pictures of the Bass with the famous Al MacKibbon holding it next to his Bass they call a Stainer. We worked in the same pit for a week in the late '70s (him/Sammy Davis Jr., me/Linda Hopkins) so one night we took a few shots. There is also a copy of the old LaBella string package from that era as well. I posed for the cover with that/this/your/my/our Bass as well.

I spoke today with Paul Biase who sold the Bass after I retired (the first time) and he assured me that he sold the Bass as I had played it with only the Neck moved out a bit and a new Bridge cut. Any other modifications including the label reading; 'Giacomo Rivolta, fece Milano 1822' (etc.. had lots of goodies on the label. Rivolta was 'the' man in the early 19th century) which is now missing, happened in Europe after it was shipped over.

I played that Bass professionally for 15 years. I was my one and only... Now I have a new family of basses. Maybe if they meet one day they will get along. You never know how it is when the new 'one' meets your 'eX'!