Violone Thir Museum, musical instruments, instrument collection, viol, violin, viola, violoncello, viola da gamba, viola d'amore, double bass, violone, baryton, harpsichord, spinet, Renaissance music, Baroque music, Classical music, Baroque orchestra, viol consort, musica antigua, Orpheon, Orpheon Foundation, Jose Vazquez, José Vázquez, Haydn, Lidl, Marin Marais, Johann Sebastian Bach, playmate of the month

This violone or double bass merit our attention. As a rule, double basses are made from low quality woods, the finer planks saved for the more expensive violins and violoncelli. This bass, however, has the finest highly-figured spruce for the top and extremely highly figured maple for the sides and back. The fact that the leading luthier in Vienna was given the commission for a contrabass and that he used the finest spruce and maple available imply that this was a special order from some very wealthy customer, either the Emperor himself, or Prince Esterhazy, who at the time was the wealthiest man in Europe, or Graf Lobkowitz, who kept a solid musical establishment in his palace.

Only four of the five brass pegs and machines were on the instrument when it was purchased. The fifth machine has now been constructed and we are waiting for the completion of the restoration

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Violone - Five-string Viennese Bass by Johann Georg Thir Vienna, 1750

Violone - Five-string Viennese Bass
by Johann Georg Thir
Vienna, 1750