5-String Double Bass att to Joseph Nadotti, Piacenza circa 1770

Just arrived. This 5/4 size instrument is simply awesome to look at. The back, ribs and scroll are made from walnut and it features long graceful sound-holes, long pointed corners and a long highly distinctive peg box. In the pioneering reference book by Raymond Elgar entitled Looking at the Double Bass a near identical five string instrument can be seen pictured on page 71 and titled Gasparo da Salo, Brescia. The same instrument is again pictured and its form debated on pages 25-26 of Alfred Planyavsky’s volume “The Baroque Double Bass Violone”. Certainly, this is the sort of instrument that you just may be lucky enough so see in a museum. The central back brace bears the repair label of Alfred Mayer, Markneukirchen dated 1942.

The sound is as incredible as the instrument looks and is bright and focused with a ginormous bottom end.

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Reference number #2866