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Old 04-07-2014, 04:59 PM
Anton Johannes Hejl Anton Johannes Hejl is offline
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Default Help identify this unnamed Double-Bass

This is my first post as a new member of this forum. All suggestions about the origins and year of this bass are welcome.

Link to pictures of my 4/4 roundback which has been expertly restored by Erik Hoffmann in Copenhagen: http://imgur.com/a/MwlQ1/embed#8

Dimensions:
D - 111,5
49 - 35 - 68 - 22

Would be interesting if anybody recognizes details on the bass - like the interesting "smiling frog" design of the plates on the headstock.

Cheers,
Johs
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Old 04-07-2014, 09:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anton Johannes Hejl View Post
This is my first post as a new member of this forum. All suggestions about the origins and year of this bass are welcome.

Link to pictures of my 4/4 roundback which has been expertly restored by Erik Hoffmann in Copenhagen: http://imgur.com/a/MwlQ1/embed#8

Dimensions:
D - 111,5
49 - 35 - 68 - 22

Would be interesting if anybody recognizes details on the bass - like the interesting "smiling frog" design of the plates on the headstock.

Cheers,
Johs
Ok, it is a German bass for sure from around 1900 or so, give or take (1890-1930?).

I think it is a Saxon bass more so than a Mittenwald bass. I have seen that design from both schools of making but by 1900 or so, the styles are closer between the two areas.

After WWII, many of the Saxon and western Bohemian makers had already moved to Bavaria in and around Mittenwald and Bubenreuth and then we find Saxon/Bohemian style basses made in The Mittenwald area. I have seen a J.Zimmerman bass like that not long ago.

The tuner plate design I have seen on some older Mittenwald basses but the Mittenwald tuners are different as are the outer linings. So, my money is on Markneukirchen in Saxony. Without a lable or an exact bass with a label, it is hard to identify as many makers made similar looking bass.

Oh, and don't say headstock or someone might give that bass a fret job!

Scroll, Fingerboard.. These are some of Double Bass names for some of the parts.

Also, what is the 'mensur' of the bass, String length. Vibrating string length and please do not use the term scale length either..
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Old 04-08-2014, 03:58 AM
Anton Johannes Hejl Anton Johannes Hejl is offline
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Thank you Ken, for the informative reply!

111,5 is the vibrating string length.

I bought this bass just a few weeks ago, trading in a 1960 W.German 3/4 gamba flatback, that I have been playing since I was 17. Adjusting to a new and larger bass is like starting over, but I am definitely enjoying the ride.

My new bass is very vibrant, and responds strongly to small changes in soundpost/bridge placement. On the other hand different strings does not make the huge difference I am used to. So far I have settled for the rather high tension mix of Spirocore E, A and Oliv D, G.

I have had the string distance at the saddle narrowed from 11.1 to 9.6 mm. I also tried narrowing the string distance at the bridge, but decided against it, because it made the sound more dull. It is now 28 mm on a 17.3 cm high bridge.

I find it easy to set this bass up for a big arco sound. I am working on getting the pizz. feel and sound just right as well...

Here is a picture of a Johan Braun (Mittenwald) bass for sale at Nahrmann, that might be similar (except that it is flatback):
http://imgur.com/a/9d3T2/embed

- Johs

Last edited by Anton Johannes Hejl; 04-08-2014 at 06:19 AM.
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Old 04-08-2014, 09:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anton Johannes Hejl View Post
Thank you Ken, for the informative reply!

111,5 is the vibrating string length.

I bought this bass just a few weeks ago, trading in a 1960 W.German 3/4 gamba flatback, that I have been playing since I was 17. Adjusting to a new and larger bass is like starting over, but I am definitely enjoying the ride.

My new bass is very vibrant, and responds strongly to small changes in soundpost/bridge placement. On the other hand different strings does not make the huge difference I am used to. So far I have settled for the rather high tension mix of Spirocore E, A and Oliv D, G.

I have had the string distance at the saddle narrowed from 11.1 to 9.6 mm. I also tried narrowing the string distance at the bridge, but decided against it, because it made the sound more dull. It is now 28 mm on a 17.3 cm high bridge.

I find it easy to set this bass up for a big arco sound. I am working on getting the pizz. feel and sound just right as well...

Here is a picture of a Johan Braun (Mittenwald) bass for sale at Nahrmann, that might be similar (except that it is flatback):
http://imgur.com/a/9d3T2/embed

- Johs

Wow, 111.5 is nearly 44". That's big. I have owned basses like that before but we always modify them in restoration to 42"(106.7) or less. On the Braun bass, that looks 100% like a Neuner-Hornsteiner bass, gears, linings, model and all. Perhaps he was a bass maker for them. I have in my files somewhere pictures of that Zimmerman bass I mentioned. When I get the time, I will try posting them.
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Old 04-08-2014, 03:31 PM
Anton Johannes Hejl Anton Johannes Hejl is offline
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Well I guess You narrowed it down to Saxon area 1890-1930. On the receipt Erik Hoffmann wrote: Markneukirchen - 1900, so he came to the same conclusion.

Neuner & Hornsteiner, A. Meyer and J. Rubner have been mentioned as possible builders of my bass.

I find the design of the plates on the scroll interesting, and thought that they might be a trademark design of a certain builder...? Would be fun if anybody recognized the design.

Thanks for your help.

- Johs
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Last edited by Anton Johannes Hejl; 04-08-2014 at 03:40 PM. Reason: wish to include jpg
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  #6  
Old 04-08-2014, 09:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anton Johannes Hejl View Post
Well I guess You narrowed it down to Saxon area 1890-1930. On the receipt Erik Hoffmann wrote: Markneukirchen - 1900, so he came to the same conclusion.

Neuner & Hornsteiner, A. Meyer and J. Rubner have been mentioned as possible builders of my bass.

I find the design of the plates on the scroll interesting, and thought that they might be a trademark design of a certain builder...? Would be fun if anybody recognized the design.

Thanks for your help.

- Johs
Those plates are just a design I have seen on various basses and I don't know if they are original to the bass. I doubt it can ID the actual shop or maker but it is possible.

I looked at my email pics of the Zimmerman bass and the body is like yours and the Braun/N-H style bass. The Gears are Mittenwald style single gears as on the H-N basses of 1900. The outer linings are also different on the Zimmerman but who knows from bass to bass, year to year, decade to decade what each maker does. Things change sometimes. Enjoy your new bass.
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  #7  
Old 04-09-2014, 05:09 AM
Anton Johannes Hejl Anton Johannes Hejl is offline
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Default Evidence pointing towards Josef Rubner?

Link to two pictures: http://imgur.com/a/T9MMl/embed

1. Is a 1924 3/4 bass by Josef Rubner (for sale at GEBA-online, Germany).
2. is a scroll from a 1900 Josef Rubner (for sale at The Bass Church).

The neck joint and laquer (on 1.) resembles my bass. It is therefore my impression that my bass is very likely to have been built by Josef Rubner.

Pictures of my bass: http://imgur.com/a/MwlQ1/embed

Any comments?

- Johs
__________________

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http://www.onemic.dk

http://bassolution.blogspot.dk/

http://lnkd.in/dQUfT8B


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