Giuseppe Baldantoni, 1820

Giuseppe Baldantoni (1784-1873) was born and worked in the coastal city of Ancona for the entirety of his career. Although he came from a family of craftsmen that specialized in the manufacture of precision mechanics and weapons, his skills in luthiery and instrument making were presumed to be self-taught, gaining insight from existing reference materials and instruments that were available to him. His prolific output was over 200 instruments, of which his double basses are well regarded.

This particular example was crafted by Baldantoni in 1820 and is labelled internally Joseph Baldantoni Anconae fecit Anno 1820. A cornerless pattern that demonstrates his careful choice of materials, it features a fine to medium straight-grain spruce top, paired with ribs and roundback of locally-sourced, figured maple. The scroll is original to the instrument and features a rounded heel design, in addition to the original tuning machines and plates. This bass also carries ebony fittings, a maple adjustable bridge, and a chromatic C-extension from the Robertson shop.

If you're looking for a smaller instrument with a rich, sweet sound and excellent projection, then this bass is a must see!