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We went to the orchestra tonight as part of my daughter being in the local youth symphony. We were in the second row right in front of the string base section and the front base was old as the hills and had seen some use.
After the show I asked the person playing it what woods it was made out of because it was not the usual maple or curly maple. She said she was not sure but she was told back was apple wood and sides were too, and the front was spruce. Looking at it closely I concurred that it indeed looked like those were the woods.
Then I asked about its history. She was it was made by a violin maker (forgot the name, some Italian dude) and she said he only made 2 bases and this was one of the two. It was made in 1650! 366 Years ago! She said it is owned by a collector and she gets to play it as part of keeping it active and "alive." Storing them without playing them is apparently bad. A guy I talked to assigned to make sure nobody got near the instruments said the base was insured for "multiple millions" and is kept in a vault backstage when not in use.
I cannot imagine making something out of wood and having it still working in 366 years!
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I can't imagine anything I ever made being worth "multiple millions".
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If we could only go back in time and see how it was made, finished, etc. What glue was used....that piece could tell quite a story. I would just imagine that vault is highly fire resistant as well.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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I really thought he was going to tell us about an old hammer he found.
Matt
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Patsfan said:
Based on what you said, I would assume the eyetalian dood is Amati.
Hey, yeah, I think that's the name! Wow thanks for finding that. She was talking about how there is some dispute as to if he really made the two string bases that are still in existance because no records in his shop were ever found. They know the date it was made because there is a date inside it.
Wow, the value of that thing must be off the charts!
My daughter plays the flute and we got to meet the head flutest in a meet and greet before the show. He played a wooden flute made by some famous maker. My daughter knew of the maker (she knows all the expensive stuff, she gravitates to it
) and she said the flute was about $80,000-120,000 depending on the model.
We were discussing it in the car on the way home and my oldest commented that if you business is music then the cost of an expensive sting base or flute is no different than buying trucks or excavators for a construction business.
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I have a chest from 1650 that is still in use.
Thanks, Curt
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cputnam said:
I have a chest from 1650 that is still in use.
We need a picture!
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Experience is the product of poor judgement.
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Soon. I need to get the camera and lights set up for tools I want to sell and will get some shots of the chest then.
Thanks, Curt
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"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
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Hi Curlycherry,
I'm a member of the Minnesota Orchestra, back in the bassoon section. We have a number of basses from that era that were bought by the orchestra a few years ago. While not worth " multiple millions" they are still very valuable due to the rarity of the maker and the fact they have survived that long. We have a number of string players who own old instruments and some who have instruments that are very recent- including some made in Minnesota. As far as I'm concerned the luthier business is some of the highest form of woodworking I can imagine.
Next time you are at the orchestra stop by and say hi- good to meet another Woodnetter!
Norbert
