World's Oddest Bass Bar?

[GeorgeH]

Any guesses who made it?

[scordatura]

That is different!

[NickIsWorking]

There's some really awkward curved ones I've seen lately on a FB page dedicated to oddities.

[Andreas Preuss]

I have seen something like this made by a Hungarian amateur maker when I was working in Budapest.

[Violadamore]

It sort of tickles my memory, but I don't recall where I saw one, just that it was one of those weird patented things that inventors keep trying to save the violin world with.

[SingingTree Tonewood]

A Virzi Tone offshoot?

[GeorgeH]

Hint: In a violin from a well-known turn-of-the-century German maker/importer. 

[Andreas Preuss]

Moennig??

[HoGo]

8 hours ago, Andreas Preuss said:

I have seen something like this made by a Hungarian amateur maker when I was working in Budapest.

Looks just ike Christian Bayon's bar... here:

 

[MANFIO]

I see one of the dowels is not in place.... perhaps the idea was adding or taking off the dowels to control the mass of the bass bar. It is the first time I see it too.

[GeorgeH]

6 minutes ago, MANFIO said:

I see one of the dowels is not in place.... perhaps the idea was adding or taking off the dowels to control the mass of the bass bar. It is the first time I see it too.

Not Moennig or Bayon. This is c. 1900.

I was thinking the same thing. I had read about this maker's bass bar experiments earlier but had never seen one. The violin has a booming bass! 

[MikeC]

1 hour ago, MANFIO said:

I see one of the dowels is not in place.... perhaps the idea was adding or taking off the dowels to control the mass of the bass bar. It is the first time I see it too.

I can think of easier ways to add mass vs. carefully fitting dowels.  They appear to be hollow dowels.  Looks like there is a hole through the center,  for better air flow maybe? 

 

[David Burgess]

32 minutes ago, MikeC said:

I can think of easier ways to add mass vs. carefully fitting dowels.  They appear to be hollow dowels.  Looks like there is a hole through the center,  for better air flow maybe? 

 

Little wooden pipes, carefully tuned to emit strategically-designated frequencies as the air inside the fiddle sloshes to and fro?

[MikeC]

2 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Little wooden pipes, carefully tuned to emit strategically-designated frequencies as the air inside the fiddle sloshes to and fro?

Exactly!    Each tuned to a different but complementary frequency.         Maybe they have little reeds in them like a wind instrument for extra harmonics

[GeorgeH]

Hint 2: Pictures of the violin:

[Violadamore]

Pretty violin.  BTW, there are at least hundreds (perhaps thousands, life is short, and the accumulation of violin inventor brainfarts in the patent databases is immense) of patents for this kind of thing.  The only one currently being used much is Peter Zaret's, and apparently only by him.  Let this be a lesson to all the violin innovators out there. 

[Violadamore]

Wurlitzer violin?

[GeorgeH]

2 minutes ago, Violadamore said:

Wurlitzer violin?

Nope...but you are on the right trail! The "maker" was Louis Lowendall (Löwenthal), and this is his top-of-the line "Glory" model violin. This model sold for $75 in the 1910 Oliver Ditson catalog (compared to the cheapest violin in the catalog at $1!) This one is dated 1900.

I put "maker" in quotes because there is some debate as to whether or not he actually made the violins with his signatures in them. Nevertheless, according to Corilon, "Replicating the virtuoso artisanry of the Stradivari model is a clear indication of how much Löwenthal enjoyed experimentation in his work; amongst other things, Löwenthal's pieces include a patented "resonator bass bar" that featured several hollow sound posts."

The workmanship in this violin is quite exquisite, whether or not he made it personally. It has the Lowendall "L" branded on the button and "Berlin" branded on the back below the button. It is signed twice: once on the label and once on the back.

How's it sound? I thought you'd never ask!  It has plenty of volume throughout, but really does tend to have a booming bass! I have Tonica's on it now, but I am going to switch over to Evah's to see if I can get more focus in the bottom end and even out the strings a bit. 

Thanks for playing!!!! 

 

[Ron1]

Can this be classified as a bassbar?

[Conor Russell]

That's wonderful. Have you got the rest of it?

[akaBobH]

Louis Llowendall “Glory” I have one....nice violin.

[Marty Kasprzyk]

20 hours ago, Violadamore said:

Pretty violin.  BTW, there are at least hundreds (perhaps thousands, life is short, and the accumulation of violin inventor brainfarts in the patent databases is immense) of patents for this kind of thing.  The only one currently being used much is Peter Zaret's, and apparently only by him.  Let this be a lesson to all the violin innovators out there. 

You are ignoring the fact that all these patents have made lots and lots of money for many people.  If you have a good idea a patent attorney will charge thousands of dollars to write it up.  The government patent examiner will reject it and your attorney will rewrite it overcome the objections.  This might go around a few times which costs even more money.  If the idea really works somebody will copy it and then you have to go to court to defend it which costs more money for your attorneys.  If you finally win the case you might get a settlement for patent infringement but then your government officials will take a big chunk of the money for taxes so everybody else makes lots of money.

It's much more cost and time effective for a violin innovator to skip all the patent stuff and go directly into obscurity.

 

[Ron1]

8 hours ago, Conor Russell said:

That's wonderful. Have you got the rest of it?

All the pieces- I don't think it was ever really finished.  

[Conor Russell]

5 hours ago, Ron1 said:

All the pieces- I don't think it was ever really finished.  

Thanks Ron.

I love things like that. What's the corkscrew thingy made of? And what's it for?

[GeorgeH]

5 hours ago, Ron1 said:

I don't think it was ever really finished.  

Are you going to finish it?