French Scrolls by Guild Trade?

[Ken Smith]

I read an article in DB Mag. not long ago about the Guilds in France during the 19th century in which it explained why many of the Scrolls looked the same as they were made in special shops or the Carving Guild and not the Violin Makers. Varnishing was considered a separate Guild as well from what I understood.

In the last year or so and over the years I have seen an early 20th century French Scroll on a few different Basses with an open pegbox, Bakelite Gear handles and a Button carving that runs up into the open rear pegbox.

I have seen this on two Basses by Collin-Mezin, one Bass claimed to be modeled after or by Rene Cune, one Jacquet Bass which both Arnold and I agreed was a replacement Scroll and one stamped P.Bisch in the Back Button. In the Elgar book is a Violin cornered model Bass by Quenoil that looks almost exactly like the outline of the Bisch Bass. The 2 C-M Basses and the possible Cune-style Bass are all of Gamba design but from the measurements given on the 4 of them (excluding Quenoil) they seem close enough to have all come out of the same shop. All of these Basses are the French Pear shape (excluding the Jacquet). Only the Quenoil and the Bisch have Violin Corners. All of these were carved round back Basses and plain maple backs. At least two of the Backs are cut on the slab. The inner Rib linings of the Bisch are about 3cm wide and at least 3mm thick. Those are about the biggest lining strips I have ever seen in a Bass. Also, for a slim pear shaped Bass, the Bassbar looks very tall and very long to my eye.

Here are 3 Scrolls from the rear view of which 2 are labelled Collin-Mezzin and the 3rd is the Bisch which is in my shop now.



Tell me if you think these are all from the same shop! If you have some insight to this 20th century trade, please share it.