Description
This new 3/4 carved back Swan Workshop bass is the first new example in 3 years. A welcome return to the lineup, this bass is a little different in features and treatment than the previous basses. This instrument is a standard 3/4 size, procured from a small shop in Germany with neck separate from the body and no finish. The neck was installed, the fingerboard replaced, and the top regraduated with a slight remodeling of the bass bar. The custom oil varnish finish was then applied and allowed to cure over the course of several months. I personally picked up this instrument and another in Albuquerque, NM for installation of the tuning machines and a complete setup here in the San Francisco Bay Area. The result is a fine new custom orchestral instrument that has many features of a completely custom solo builder instrument at half the retail price.
The dimensions are: Top length 42″, Upper bout width 19 1/2″, Middle bout width 14″, Lower bout width 26″, Rib depth at tail 8 1/4″, Rib depth at upper bout corner 8 1/4″, Rib depth at neck 6 3/4″, String length 41 3/8. I arranged the tuning machine positions for the G string tuning machine to be closest to the nut. The stringing is Pirastro Permanent orchestra gauge for a strong fundamental and a colorful midrange. The New Harmony solid graphite endpin is light and very strong. The bridge is a carefully chosen aged German bridge with 162 mm foot spacing. The voice of this instrument in an orchestral setting is bold and penetrating. With cover.
