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[Bass of the Week] Standup Cutaway Bass

The feature bass this week is a unique standup cutaway.

Here is the story of the build:

This is an old plywood top bass that was restored by Scotty Jackson of Scotty Jackson Violins in Gainesville, FL. He called me one day and said that he had something he’d never seen in all his 35 years of work – a stand up bass with a cutaway. I couldn’t resist purchasing it for myself. I’ve included a photo from the day I picked it up. Scotty was a master craftsman who specialized in “fiddles”, as he called them, of all sizes. He’d say that this was a “bass fiddle”. Scotty was a good friend and fellow woodworker who lived just minutes from my house. A few months ago he began feeling strange and drove himself to the hospital where he soon learned that he had Acute Leukemia and would require chemotherapy as well as a bone marrow transplant. He breezed through chemo like a champ but lost his battle with cancer last week after receiving the bone marrow transplant. The world lost a great one last week and I have one less friend. Very thankful to have some of his instruments and memories.

Byron Young is the owner of the bass.

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scotty and byron

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Well done!

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15 thoughts on “[Bass of the Week] Standup Cutaway Bass”

  1. I’ve seen cutaway bass fiddles before, Byron. Only a couple of times though. Thats the prettiest one I’ve seen yet by far. Scott did a wonderful job restoring it. By the way, did anyone ever tell you that you look like John Patitucci? Or, is that him in the picture. I’m guessing that’s Scott on the left.

    Reply
      • He’s a virtuoso electric & upright recording bassist. I can’t believe the resemblance! He actually is a charming guy too, haha! He plays fusion/jazz mainly on the electric 6 string, and jazz on the upright. Look him up. Maybe just in that one pic of you & Scott, you look like him. My condolences to you & his family.

        Reply
  2. I lost a childhood buddy and fellow bass player to the same thing, leukemia that he was doing ok with but then he died due to complications the bone marrow transplant. RIP Scotty and Robert.
    Robert would have loved your cutaway, it is hella cool!

    Reply
  3. I have two of Scotty’s basses – the first one, done in 2003 – may have been the first bass he rebuilt. He was still pretty much doing fiddles (violin style) back then. It was an old flat back, Romanian built, solid wood school bass of uncertain dimensions (less than half size but more than quarter size, with a neck width ultimately very much like an electric bass). Due to it’s former life, it was pretty rough. It was gathering dust in his trailershop. He got it from some guy who had bought it at an estate sale thinking is was a big cello.

    I was having muscle pain in my left arm and needed a smaller neck and was looking to trade my 3/4 size Czech bass. It was Scotty’s idea to rebuild the little guy and give it a try. Even though my arm has improved, it is still my primary acoustic bass. It sounds great and is always an attention getter.

    I also have an inexpensive Cremona (Chinese) cello that Scotty put together for me and here’s a testament to Scotty’s work: I had a friend who was the principal cellist with a couple of regional symphonies. One of the orchestras was hosting Yo Yo Ma in concert and, as their principal cello, she was his stand-in for practice. She said Ma was a great guy and allowed her to play his Stradivarius cello (the real deal) when he came down for the final run through of the program. She played my Cremona one day and remarked “My goodness!! Where did you get this? I have a $25K custom built instrument and this sounds and plays better than mine. In fact, it plays and sounds very much like Yo Yo Ma’s Strad. Do you want to sell it?”

    Now, when anybody asks about the cello, I just tell them that its a “turn of the century Cremona”, which is true. I just neglect to say that the century that was turning was the 20th, not the 19th and that the “Cremona” where it was crafted was probably outside of Beijing or Shanghi, not in Italy.

    Well, I resisted the chance to make a killing on my original investment and still have the cello though, as I wrote, my arm has improved and I have returned to primarily playing the bass.

    Peace, Scot! I hope you find a good range to shoot your pistolas in Heaven!

    Reply
    • Wow! Loved every second of that post. I will share with his family. Scotty always told me that it made no difference how expensive the instrument was.

      Reply
  4. Very heart felt story. So sorry for the loss of Scotty but so glad you have a unique and beautiful instrument to remember him by. I’ve never seen a cutaway on an upright. Beautiful Bass.

    Reply

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