Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1993.01.47 |
Object Type |
Timpanum |
Creator |
Leedy Manufacturing Company |
Title |
Timp-Bass |
Description |
String bass instrument with timpani bowl as resonator. Copper bowl with eight brass lugs and a plastic head. Dent in bottom of bowl, near neck inscription "CARROLL MUSIC #". Hole in back of bowl where pedal used to go. Neck is mahogany, fretted, attaches onto drum and continues as stabilizer through rim. . Brass bridge has "Leedy" in script, wooden part of bridge is inside bowl. Tuning screws are 1" wide cogs with screw keys, 2 on either side of the head. |
Dimensions |
H-62.5 Dia-26 inches |
People |
Leedy Manufacturing Company Green, George Hamilton |
Additional Research |
During the 1920s and '30s, novelty instruments were the rage of radio and the stage. Although not strictly a percussion instrument, this "Timp-Bass" is an upright string bass with a body made from a 26-inch kettledrum. The drum originally had a calfskin head and was manufactured by the Leedy Manufacturing Co. in Indianapolis, Indiana. Although the exact year of manufacture is not known, the instrument can be dated by the cursive logo, which appeared in 1925, and the fact that Leedy moved to Elkhart, Indiana in 1930. This places the date of manufacture in the late 1920s. Leedy also manufactured banjos during this time period, so it was not a large step to develop a string instrument from their percussion inventory. The famous Green Brothers, Joe and George, were well-known for their use of novelty percussion instruments, and when photographed with their large assortment of instruments, included this type of bass in the picture. Most likely, the instrument in the PAS collection is the same instrument shown in the photograph, and may be the only such instrument in existence. The Green Brothers had many other novelty instruments manufactured for them by Leedy, including a glockenspiel made of glass bars, the Octarimba and early models of the vibraphone. Percussive Notes, June 1998. Leedy Manufacturing combined their 26-inch kettledrum with an upright string bass. This new instrument built on Leedy's strengths: percussion manufacturing and banjo production. Novelty instruments were a popular fad in the 1920's. Prominent musicians, Joe and George Green, had an extensive collection including an Octarimba, like the one on this platform, and a Timp-Bass. Given its uniqueness, this might be the one from a photograph of the Greens taken in the 1920s. Evolving Sounds, 2017. |
Related Objects |
Show Related Records... |
Credit line |
Gift of Carroll Bratman |