Description
This ca. 2015 bass is one of 7 or 8 instruments that were made in the original run of the large 3/4 carved back “Swan Workshop” basses. Starting with an unfinished neck and separate body from a German maker, the neck was fit at a steeper angle to provide a taller final bridge height. The aged African ebony fingerboard was installed and the top was regraduated, along with a remodeling of the bass bar. After reassembly the bass received a dark oil varnish finish. After the finish was cured, the final assembly was accomplished to make a new professional quality instrument perform with a mature voice and the responsiveness of a century old bass. This bass has been a pleasure to play after being away for 7 years of regular play as a jazz instrument.
The regraduated top features medium grain width Alpine spruce. The moderate density European maple back and sides have a warm and lively quality in the tap tones. The European maple neck has been fit with a set of single unit gold plated Rubner tuning machines. The nut, fingerboard, tailpiece, and tailpiece saddle are made from aged African ebony. The adjustable ULSA endpin uses a lightweight aluminum tube. The tall adjustable bridge was chosen for moderate density. The oil varnish finish is lightly applied for acoustic transparency. Leather bumpers have been added to the G side. This bass was used by the previous owner in an active jazz gig life. Now strung with Pirastro Passione strings for a lively and expressive orchestral voice, this bass is a joy to play.
Dimensions are: Top length 44″, Upper bout width 20″, Middle bout width 15″, Lower bout width 26 7/8″, Rib depth at tail 8 1/4″, Rib depth at upper bout bend 8 1/4″, Rib depth at neck joint 6 7/8″, String length 42″, final bridge height 7 3/8″. This bass was repaired and regularly maintained by luthier Nathaniel Rich over the last 7 years. With deluxe /Kolstein cover.
