All about that bassLuthier Seth Kimmel handcrafts American basses in his 19th century woodshop

SETH KIMMELS WOODSHOP is a magical place. About 300 paces from the historic Eugene train station, Kimmel reconstructed his woodshop from the remnants of an 1876 farmhouse, relocating it to the backyard of his nineteenth-century home, itself listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Here Kimmel has been crafting his innovative, double bass violins by hand since 2007. He describes them as contemporary bass violins in the American tradition. A decade in, the luthier has made nearly fifty of these using Pacific Northwest wood for his eponymous company, run with his wife, LauraRose Hisrich.

˜The violins, commonly known as upright basses, are now in the hands of musicians across the country as well as Canada, Ireland, and soon, Verona, Italy.

In 2012, Glenn Dewey played a Seth Kimmel bass with the Presidents Marine Chamber Orchestra on the Late Show with David Letterman and, last year, Kimmel made a custom order for renowned bassist Chuck Israels (of Bill Evans Trio fame).

A bassist himself, Kimmel also plays one of his creations---he calls her Betty.

For a niche industry, business is booming. "There's a desperate need for the box, and there's a desperate need for bass players," Kimmel said. He credits jazz and The Beatles for the instruments renaissance, solidifying the bass as a critical component in popular music.

Kimmel came to the instrument as a musician first and a maker second, but his years of woodworking put him on a fast learning curve.

One thing that sort of sets his basses apart from others is the number of models. Many bass-makers may stick to one or two, but Kimmel has seven custom models in his wheelhouse, including BigFoots Guitar and Busetto Corner (the model he used for Israels' bass).

His passion also shines through in the small details---hand-carved scrolls, a shell inlay here, a heart cutout there. And Kimmel uses salvaged local wood whenever possible, typically Western maple and Sitka spruce.

Above all, the basses sound great. "The most rewarding part is hearing the basses getting played," Kimmel said. "The level of bass playing out there is incredible, and to hear and see what folks can do on my bass es is amazing fun."