Helen McIntosh Travel Bass (2024)

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Price: $20,000

Description:

This bass is a beauty! Robbie’s daughter, Helen, made this gorgeous bass out of 50-60 year old, seasoned wood. The ergonomic design make it a joy to play. The sound is big and open. The bass has a removable neck and a clever way of keeping the soundpost in place when the string tension is released. It takes less than 15 minutes to assemble or disassemble the instrument. The bass also has an optional trunk made by Jean Auray, the Nanoo, which is an added $3,500.

String Length 40 7/8”, Upper Bouts 19 1/2”, C Bouts 14”, Lower Bouts 25 1/2”, Ribs 8”, Body Length 42 1/4”

Helen & Robbie McIntosh, 5/8 size, Piattellini Model, 2023

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Price: $30,000

Description:

  • This is Helen’s first bass made in collaboration with her father. 

  • The top is made from slab cut, eastern white pine that came from floorboards in a home in Greenwich, NY, that was built in 1785. Robbie used this wood on his fantastic Busan copy. 

  • The bass:

    • 39 1/2” string length

    • is a copy of a bass by Alvisio Piattellini

    • was entered into the makers competition at the 2023 ISB Convention at University of Michigan and won a Silver Medal for Tone

    • has a warm and projecting tone from top to bottom and is very easy to play

Robbie McIntosh, Busan Model, 2019

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Price: $35,000

Description:

Robert Macintosh Certificate of Merit

  • This is Robbie's 13th bass. 

  • The top is made from slab cut, eastern white pine that came from floorboards in a home in Greenwich, NY, that was built in 1785. The back, sides, and scroll are made from cherry. 

  • The bass:

    • comes with an ebony fingered C extension with 4 gates

    • 41 1/2” string length

    • upper bouts 20 1/4”, C bouts 15”, lower bouts 26 5/8”

    • rib depth 7 7/8”, back length 44”

    • is a copy of a 1749 Domenico Busan

    • was entered into the makers competition at the 2019 ISB Convention at Indiana University and won a Certificate of Merit for Tone

    • has that typical Venetian sound quality

    • has a full, round bottom end but with a complex and dense mid-range and a clear, open top.