bass violin

bass violin

The bass violin or the ‘basse de violon’ is a member of the violin family and the father of the contemporary violoncello. 
The bass violin is a large cello that originally was tuned 1 ½ note (tone) lower than de contemporary cello. Some say only 1 note (tone) lower than the cello. The four strings are tuned in fifths. The bass violin has a scale of 720 mm.
These instruments were used until the first half of the 18th century (and dependent on the place until the end of the 18th century), they have a round, resounding sound. 
Builders whose instruments were preserved are, among others, Peeter and Gaspar Borbon (Bourbon), and Egidius and Marcus Snoeck.
The family Borbon (Bourbon) worked at the Brussels court in the 17th and 18th century. 
Gaspar Borbon is known for his graceful sound holes that remind us of the sound holes of the Amati family. These instruments were archaically built.
The bass violins that the studio builds from scratch follow the original building methods, more specifically without inner mould and using the back as the base of the instrument.