Abraham Prescott (July 5, 1789 – May 1, 1858) was a noted luthier, particularly of the

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

, who worked in Deerfield and Concord, New Hampshire during the 19th century. Prescott built his first double bass in 1819, building 207 over the course of his career. Prescott and his apprentices also made hundreds of church basses in addition to

violoncellos The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 ...

, violins, and keyboard instruments such as melodians. Prescott basses are prized by professional musicians throughout the United States. One particularly famous Prescott bass was owned by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

legend

Scott LaFaro Rocco Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 – July 6, 1961) was an American jazz double bassist known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. LaFaro broke new ground on the instrument, developing a countermelodic style of accompaniment rather than playing ...

. The bass was damaged in the auto accident that killed LaFaro in 1961. It was later restored by Barrie Kolstein and is owned by Kolstein and Son, New York.

External links

The "LaFaro" Prescott at Kolstein and Son An original 3 string Prescott circa 1820
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Locations of some of Prescott's double bassesThread discussing Prescott era lutherie

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prescott, Abraham 1789 births 1858 deaths American luthiers People from Deerfield, New Hampshire