Unusual Acoustic Bass from Italy

[TheGreek]

Not sure personally...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153954648147?hash=item23d8698053:g:k18AAOSwA6Be073R

[PlungerModerno]

I like it. Cool sound hole, not convinced by the chamfer/roundover on the lower bout, seems like it might be more welcome on the upper bought the way it's strung...

[Happy Jack]

Judging by the shape of the neck up where your thumb might go, I'd guess that started life as a leftie and then the design got reversed for some reason.

Either way, it doesn't do it for me.

 

[Hellzero]

Not sure what you mean with the thumb position, @Happy Jack ... Everything looks to be a righty from the start including the strings anchoring and cutaway.

I do really like it.

[TheGreek]

The "F" hole is close to where you'd anchor your thumb on the top string though...

[Bassassin]

This is very strongly influenced by 60s Italian oddities Wandre.

[Happy Jack]

54 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Not sure what you mean with the thumb position, @Happy Jack ... Everything looks to be a righty from the start including the strings anchoring and cutaway.

I do really like it.

The way the edge of the neck continues beyond the fretted zone looks to provide an excellent thumb-rest ... but it's on the wrong side.

If it's intentionally continued below the strings like that, then I am baffled as to what purpose it serves.

[fiatcoupe432]

I have to agree with Happy jack

It has no sense continuing the board that way at the bottom

That has always served as thumb rest

Also the fact that as started as left and then they made
it right hand ( first thing I noticed)

Spot on Happy jack

[fiatcoupe432]

10 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

The way the edge of the neck continues beyond the fretted zone looks to provide an excellent thumb-rest ... but it's on the wrong side.

If it's intentionally continued below the strings like that, then I am baffled as to what purpose it serves.

I don't think it was made on purpose

[Hellzero]

Rolf Spuler 1990 design (also on fretted basses) :

 

[fiatcoupe432]

3 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Rolf Spuler 1990 design (also on fretted basses) :

 

What tge main use Tony? Genuine question as I have no idea

I have seen it the other way around and it serve a great purpose when the bass has only one p in tge tge j position as it can be used to rest your thumb

Hope you well anyway

[Hellzero]

Hi Tony, it's an upper register extension here, the way Rolf Spuler imagined it.

[Aalin]

Nice bass, Italians are good for design

[Happy Jack]

On 23/06/2021 at 08:54, Hellzero said:

Hi Tony, it's an upper register extension here, the way Rolf Spuler imagined it.

I get the upper register extension thing, Tony, and the Spuler you've posted has vestigial frets to make that extension usable.

The bass in the OP has no such frets and would be pretty much unusable in that way ... certainly it would sound bloody odd if you tried!

I'm still quite sure that the OP bass has a neck intended for use on a lefty (with integral thumb rest), but which has for some reason been fitted to a righty.

[Hellzero]

Yes, looking at the neck it seems indeed obvious that it was intended as a lefty one with a thumb rest, but maybe the original owner found the final look attractive this way or he is playing the original way with his fingers anchored under the strings...

Sometimes aesthetic also prevails to the rest.

[Beedster]

I love it  

Although, for some reason, I also visualised it being played by Sting (perhaps it has lute-like qualities?) which has put me off a little