Abraham Prescott, c.1835
Abraham Prescott (1789-1858) was born in Deerfield, NH to a well-established and successful family. As a craftsman, he was largely self-taught, but began making his first smaller 'church basses' around 1809 and his first double basses around 1820. By 1825 his growing business already employed several assistants, including David & Andrew Dearborn, who would later become successful double bass makers in their own right. In 1831 he relocated to a larger space in Concord, NH and continued to expand his flourishing business.
Prescott was raised in the Congregational Church, but converted to Baptism at the age of 26. Baptism was a minor sect in New England at the time, however it offered a more flexible doctrine and, most importantly, music. Pipe organs were not yet common in places of worship, so the use of a low-pitched string instrument was adopted to assist the choirs in maintaining a common key, thus the 'Church Bass' was born. It was his lifelong association with the church and producing the necessary musical instruments that helped Prescott's business and reputation grow rapidly.
His workforce grew to as many as 18 employees, including four of his sons, the Dearborn Brothers, and Moses Tewksbury. But by 1845, organs began replacing string instruments in places of worship, and he sold his business to the Dearborn Brothers in order to focus on the production of keyboard instruments with his sons. When two fires within two years consumed the buildings he owned in Concord, he became an insurance salesman, a trade that he practiced for the rest of his life. Over his 40-year career, it is estimated that he produced nearly 600 church basses and 207 double basses. He is regarded as the first prolific American instrument maker and the father of the New England School of double bass making.
This particular double bass was crafted c.1835 and portions of the original label remain intact. It features a four-piece pine top paired with a maple flatback, nicely figured maple ribs, and the original maple scroll. It carries ebony fittings, a maple adjustable bridge, the original tuning machines with inlaid plates and an added fourth gear, and a Robertson's chromatic C-extension. This is a major league bass that is healthy and would make a thunderous addition to any pro section!!