“Pancake” double bass, Leroy Geiger, Chicago/USA c.1930

This American double bass model has unusually narrow sides, which earned it the nickname “pancake” bass. The bass has no label and is attributed to the American luthier Leroy Geiger. Leroy Geiger (*1900 † 1960) was a German-derived luthier and studied under John (Johann) Hornsteiner (III) at William Lewis and Sons from 1915. In 1925, together with Anton D. Voigt (Voit), he founded a workshop in Chicago (Voit & Geiger), where probably less than a dozen such “pancake” basses were made. He later moved to Los Angeles/California, where he died in 1960. He is the author of the book “Violin Making Made Clear and Concise” (Chicago 1935, republished posthumously in 1963 under the title “How to Make Your Own Violin”). The narrow design of the bass was primarily intended to make transportation easier – the basses supposedly fitted better into the luggage compartments of the railroad carriages of the time. Surprisingly, however, the narrower frame does not result in a “narrower” sound. On the contrary: these instruments are particularly popular among jazz bassists due to their quick response and “punch”.