Ken's Corner (Bass Forums Sponsored By KSB)

Go Back   Ken's Corner (Bass Forums Sponsored By KSB) > Double Basses > Double Bass Talk in General

 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #1  
Old 01-13-2009, 03:54 PM
Ken Smith's Avatar
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
Bassist, Luthier & Admin
 
Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 4,851
Ken Smith is on a distinguished road
Question Busetto history, confusion or myth?

I have seen quite a bit of talk about both Basses with 'lower rounded corners' aka Busseto as well as the maker known as Giovanni Maria del Busseto. The word/name 'Busetto' is spelled 3 different ways, Busseto, Busetto and Bussetto.

I have as some of you may know quite a few Violin Makers books on the shelf and some of them are actually from the 19th century. Let's look for a moment and try to figure out together how that 'lower rounded corner' got its name 'Busseto' (pick your spelling).

In the 1960s when Elgar wrote his book, he described Basses like Klotz, Kaagstein and Prescott as having 'lower rounded corners', 'lower rounded rib corners' and 'lower rib joints rounded'. Not a single time does he mention 'Busseto'. Why is that?

In the older books, the maker known as Giovanni Maria del Busseto is dated a century earlier, a century earlier as in the 20th century it was corrected by some at least that he worked in the 17th and not 16th century. How did he get his name 'Busseto'? The same way as Gasparo Bertolotti, aka Gasparo d'Salo. His birth place!

In a late 19th century book by George Hart (son of John Hart) rivised edition of 1909 (I have an original antique copy), Hart writes that M.Fetis (c.?) mentions in his book "Biographie des Musiciens" that Busseto derived his name from Busseto, a bourough in the Duchy of Parma, where he was born.

On a website in Japan there is a Bass pictured attributed? to GIOVANNI MARIA DEL BUSSETTO(1660). In all of the books I have this maker listed, only Viols, Violins (have seen 3 pictured) or just 'instruments made' is mentioned about him. Not a single Double Bass or a mention of a Busseto corner. He was a Cremona maker from about 1670-1680. His work is listed as 'rare'.

On a website about Viola d'Amores which carry the same sound hole design as the Bass on the Japan website, the history mentions Central Europe as the origin of that style instrument and not Italy. All of the Basses we have seen with Lower Rounded Corners (aka Busseto, possibly in error all these years) come from mainly Germany with the exception of the Prescott school which we are pretty sure copied something along the lines of a Klotz, Seitz or Neuner-Hornsteiner who also used this design.

I think that after doing this little research that the maker G.M. Busseto has nothing to do with this 'rounded Rib Corner' design and that calling it Busseto is a 'misnomer' unless there is an actual word 'Busseto' in some language that means 'Rounded Corner'. Is there?

For the record, that 'Busseto named' bass on the Japan website I believe is not Italian at all but more than likely something Germanic, but quite old. Just my opinion.

Someone here should contact Pollmann and ask them why they make a Bass called the 'Busseto model' and ask what the might know about the history of the word or name. Ask some other German Luthiers out there as well if they will talk.

'Busseto' is definetly much shorter to say than 'Lower Rounded Rib Joint Corner'. You think?..
Reply With Quote
 


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:53 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2007 - Ken Smith Basses, LTD. (All Rights Reserved)