Ferdinand Seitz, 1860

A delightful little bass crafted in 1860 by Ferdinand Seitz in Mittenwald, inscribed internally by the maker 'Johann Ferdinand Seitz Instrumentenmacher Mittenwald an der Isar in Baiern 1860'. This fractional instrument falls somewhere between a 1/2 size and a 5/8 size bass and features a nicely figured maple flatback paired with figured maple ribs, a remarkably fine-grain spruce top, and a maple neck with original scroll. The bass carries ebony fittings, a maple adjustable bridge, and the original brass tuning machines. The varnish is, sadly, not original to the instrument. Larger Seitz basses retaining original varnish fall into much higher price categories, so if you're in search of a fine, smaller bass then this gem is a must see!

While Ferdinand Seitz is revered for his double basses by professional musicians around the world, relatively little is known about his personal and professional life. The Seitz family is ranked highly in the echelon of 19th century Mittenwald makers. We do know that both Ferdinand and his brother, Anton, both worked as foremen at the regarded Neuner & Hornsteiner firm, and possibly the Baader firm, who dominated high-level German workshop output during the mid- and late-1800s.