Many people hope that one day they may discover a "Strad" forgotten and gathering dust in a cupboard and yet they may overlook more humble instruments which, like the instrument discussed here, may be of historical importance, even if they lack a famous name. It was bought twenty years ago in 1977 from an Adelaide antique dealer who knew nothing of its history. No maker’s name or date could be found. There was only one string (a cello C-string) and no bridge. However, everything else of importance was there.

With a cello-shaped body 79cm long, was it a very large cello or a very small double bass? The cello C-string
showed that it had been used as a cello. However, its great width (top - 44.5cm, bottom - 55.5cm) meant that the size of the body was appropriate for a lower tuning than that for a cello, even for the tone-lower tuning that was common until the early 18th century. Double bass-size strings were suggested by the holes for the two lowest strings. They were even larger than those for a normal double bass string. Most convincing was the good tone produced with double bass tuning (E’A’D G).

That it dated before 1830 was suggested by the slender bass bar, the wedge tilting back the neck, and the vertical tailgut holes in the tailpiece (related to the lower-tension stringing of earlier times). A date somewhat later than 1778 was required because that is the year when tuning machinery (an original part of our instrument) is believed to have been re-introduced. Wear on the bow seemed to show that it was held underhand (which suggested a non-French player).

Its hatchet-shaped head was characteristic of the second half of the 18th century, while the lack of a slide to spread the hairs also suggested that it was not much later than that.

The player must have kept his left hand in half-position, which was suggested by the short length of vibrating string (73.8cm) and the ebony dot inserted in the back of the neck, which probably marked the position of the thumb. Other unusual features included a decorativeebony inlay around the base of the neck, the thick, one-piece back of mahogany, and the painted purfling. The 19th century German double bass, the Bier Bass, was about the same size, but typically of normal double bass shape and with an underhand bow. An instrument made in 1831-45 by the American, Abraham Prescott, and identified as a cello, was also about the same size and of cello shape, but it was different in details of outline. A double bass somewhat larger than ours (body length 104.6cm) but similar in details of outline (which suggested that it was from the same school of makers) is a chamber bass, c.1745, made by the Englishman, William Forster of Bradford (1714- 1801).

From all this evidence, our instrument was identified as being probably a very small English chamber bass of the late 18th or early 19th centuries. The chamber bass, having a quality of tone between the normal size double bass and the cello, played the double bass part in small ensembles and also substituted for the cello when the cello’s lower notes were not prominent enough - as in Haydn’s early piano trios when they were played against a background of people talking and drinking. Small and large double basses have often been played together in orchestras since the 17th century; the small instruments providing the clarity while the large instruments provide the depth of tone.

Editor’s Note: The instrument which is described here by its owner, Mark Smith, was restored 20 years ago by
John Ferwerda.