Periods and Styles of French Basses

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Dave Whitla

My main bass was made by Francois Lejeune. There is a very splotchy label inside that looks like the date says 176_. I got it about 13 years ago from Mike Leiter. It has definitely been cut down from its original size around the top shoulders, possibly when it was damaged- the scroll has been grafted at least twice (!) and the neck has been broken at least two or three times (once by an airline since I have owned it ). Not sure if the scroll is original, but I'm told it is from the same time period. Neck probably isn't. It's a beautiful scroll, carved through the back with additional carving on the sides and front. The two shoulder ribs and one 'C' rib have been replaced but I have no idea when. I could post some older photos, but the bass is now quite different. I had an extension put on, but more importantly it is now undergoing a fairly major restoration to the top (cleats from previous repairs/restoration were causing new cracks and the arch was 'collapsing' into more of a 'B' shape around the bridge).

It won't be done for a few more months, probably. Shall I wait until then to post photos, or would you like to see what it looked like about 5 years ago?

Sure. Before and After pics are great to have and compare from.