A celebration of
Benjamin Gish’s
remarkable
1727 cello.

The Cello’s Story

My Cello (nicknamed Methuselah) bears a label “Joannes Florenus Guidantus Bononiae Anno (1727 written in). In 1980 a Maryland luthier evaluated the cello for Charlie Boyd and included photos from a historical book showing the similarities of this cello to a 1752 cello made by Floreno Guidantus. The luthier was reasonably certain it could be authentic. The concerts are celebrating its survival and contribution to music likely for the past 300 years. Below I have chronicled some of the past 80 years or so.

This cello was a family inheritance from Charlie Boyd (a 2nd cousin of my grandmother, Rose Featherston). Charlie purchased this cello in Tacoma Park, Maryland from his teacher’s estate. I believe Charlie had it 40 years or so before it he gave it to me in 1983.

When I picked up the cello, it needed serious maintenance. The fingerboard was short and very thin. The grafted maple neck had significant ridge bumps up and down its length from wear and tear. The pegs were very fat and worn up to the shoulders in a peg box that had been bushed out before. This is significant in determining age. I believe this indicated it was on at least its 4th set of pegs at that time.

I lived in Michigan at this time and took it Steve Riley of the Guarneri House Fine Instrument shop in Grand Rapids Michigan. He replaced fingerboard, made the neck smooth, and set it back up (tail piece, endpin, bridge, and strings). It was wonderful to play and was happy, stable instrument for many years. When we moved to Orlando in 1985, the cello continued to thrive in high humidity.

In 1993 we moved to College Place, in southeast Washington State. The extreme change in climate to very dry air was a traumatic contrast for the cello. I became good friends with luthier David Kerr in Portland. He and the other outstanding luthiers in the Kerr violin shop repaired the open seams and old repairs, re-bushed the peg box and gave it the 5th set of pegs. It won’t need the next set until after my life time.

Later in 1993 the cello met with a minor tragedy at Walla Walla Valley Academy. While I was teaching a cello class on a stage that had play sets on it, a set wall fell and a stick of wood went over the edge of the stage (where I thought my cello was out of harm’s way) and hit the top of the cello on the C string side lower bout. It took out a 3inch wide section from the edge, turning it into hundreds of little pieces. I carefully collected all the little pieces in a small box. I was able to obtain the services of one of the best luthiers in the country, Armin Schlieps, who had retired in Seattle from New York. For weeks he pieced together all of the little pieces I brought him. He restored the top and installed a new bass bar and new bridge. I was able to watch the process. It was much like a puzzle with small pieces spread out on a table top.

Over the past few years another Seattle area cello/bass specialist, luthier Ricardo Perez, has worked on the cello. He has repaired old repairs, old cracks, things that buzz, and wolf tones.
As a teacher and performer, good luthiers are our life line. Locally we have Ernie Hart’l, also an excellent bow maker who made the bow I love play. It gives me so many color options of tone. I am grateful for all these luthiers throughout the Northwest, Chicago, Michigan, and others around the country who have helped me and my students with instruments, bows, and maintenance.