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Grand bass neck

ALTERNATE NAME(S)

Octobass neck

Date1872 ca.

ModelOctobass

SignedNoneDescriptionThis neck was part of a legendary American-made octobass, or as its maker called it "Grand Bass," that was famous in the Cincinnati area since the 19th century. In the 1872, it was even rented to the Boston Symphony for a performance, which is recorded in surviving paperwork. It appears to have been exhibited by its maker, John Geyer, in the 1872 Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, but the snippet view on google books does not show this section. It was attributed to 1889 by Paul de Wit and in subsequent literature, but the date of the invoice contracts that. Sadly, the body was destroyed due to a misunderstanding with an opera house that had rented it, but the neck was preserved.

According to to Paul de Wit, "In order to bow his instrument, Professor Geyer must stand on a stepladder and, while playing, hop up and down the rungs like a tree frog in a glass." The maker, John Geyer, toured Europe with the bass in the early 1890s. The bass could also be played by two people at the same time, one fingering the string and the other bowing, and a photograph survives of it being played in this manner. While no exact measurements of its height were recorded while it was intact, it was likely over 12 feet tall.

Head: mahogany, three volute turns on scroll, carved with extra decoration in the shape of a pendant, stained black
Tuners: Not present
Neck: mahogany
Fingerboard: Mahogany, stained black, two different sections glued together DimensionsStop length: 385 mm
Vibrating string length: 668 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 275 mmProvenanceJohn Geyer (maker), then, after its accidental destruction by the Cincinnati Opera, it was displayed in the shop window of the Bass Viol Shop in Cincinnati for 40 years (David Horine and Andy Wolf, proprietors). Acquired by Andrew Stetson of the Cincinnati Bass Cellar ca. 2015, then donated to the NMM in 2025.
According to Andrew Stetson, the donor:
"I have the scroll, neck and fingerboard to an Octobass that was made in Cincinnati, along with four old pictures of the complete instrument. This neck was displayed at the old Bass Viol shop in Cincinnati for 40 years. It worked its way to us about 10 years ago. Four pictures were dropped off by descendants of the maker a couple of years ago. I just want to find a good home for the neck and pictures. On the back of the photos are the names of the maker and individuals playing the instrument. The bass was made just down the street from our shop. The document is from when the bass was rented to Boston Symphony.

Many years ago I was told that the bass burned in a fire in the 1960’s when the Bass was in the original Bass Viol shop location. I thought that was curious as the neck or scroll doesn’t have any visible fire damage. The family members I met said that’s was not the case. They told me that it was rented to the Cincinnati Opera company as a prop for a production. Apparently after the performances the stage hands didn’t realize it was a real bass and chopped up the body because they has no where to store it for any future productions."Published Referencesde Wit, Paul, ed. "Riesen-Contrabässe." _Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau_ Band IX. Leipzig: de Wit, 1888/89: 302, 326.

Sachs, Curt. _Real-Lexikon der Musikinstrumente_. Berlin: Julius Bard, 1913: 277.

Haubensak, Otto. _Ursprung und Geschichte der Geige._ Marburg:
Grüneberg, 1930: 38.

Galpin, Francis. _A Textbook of european musical Instruments: Their Origin, History and Character_. Boston: Dutton, 1937: 148.

Jalovec, Karel. _Enzyklopädie des Geigenbaus_. Hanau/Main: Dausien, 1965: 54.

Stauder, Wilhelm. _Alte Musikinstrumente in ihrer vieltausendjährigen Entwicklung und Geschichte_. Braunschweig: Klinghardt & Biermann, 1973: 214.

Geiringer, Karl. _Instrumente in der Musik des Abendlandes_. Munich: Verlag C.H. Beck, 1982: 181.

Planyavsky, Alfred. _Geschichte des Kontrabasses_. Tutzing: Schneider, 1984: 463-464.

Ruf, Wolfgang, ed. _Lexikon Musikinstrumente_. Mannheim: Meyers Lexiconverglag, 1991: 271.

_International Society of Bassists Magazine_ 2, no. 3, Winter 1976.

Brun, Paul. _A new history of the Double Bass_. Villeneuve d'Ascq: self-published, 2000: 178.

Siddiq, Sascha. "Der Oktobass von J.-B. Vuillaume Akustische un historische Studien." Diplomarbeit. University of Vienna, 2010:14-16

Credit LineGift of Andrew Stetson, 2025

Object number15930

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