American Bass Viol
American Bass Viol
Between 1785 and 1850, the main stringed instrument manufactured in America was the ‘bass viol’, also call the ‘Yankee bass viol’, and, in modern times, the ‘church bass’. The instrument was essentially a violincello (Br. ‘violoncello’), not to be confused with the bass viola da gamba or double bass, both having been played in Europe and American before the earliest dated American bass viol was made in 1788 by Benjamin Crehore (1765-1831): http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/american-bass-viol-50920. A later ‘Yankee bass viol’ is preserved in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/503171 .
Bass viols made in America...
If you have a valid subscription to Dictionary of Hymnology, please log inlog in to view this content. If you require a subscription, please click here.
Cite this article
MLA style (see MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd Ed.)
. "American Bass Viol."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press. Web. 16 Feb. 2025.<
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/a/american-bass-viol>.
Chicago style (see The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.)
. "American Bass Viol."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed February 16, 2025,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/a/american-bass-viol.