Silvio de Lellis

Silvio de Lellis was born in 1923 in Rome, Italy, as the second son of the Baron Admiral Armando de Lellis, head of the family which gave birth to St Camillus de Lellis, in the 16th century.

Silvio was a violin maker and was destined to take over a piano manufacture belonging to the family in Czechoslovakia, which the Communist take-over prevented. He had to practice his craft for a living afterwards. He was invited in Canada to set up a guitar manufacture in the 1970s, but it seems the project was poorly conceived and he remained stranded in Montreal, Quebec, with almost no money left. He was associated with Frank Ravenda as a violin maker, Ravenda being a music instruments salesman. In 1975, de Lellis moved to Quebec City, where a good luthier was needed, and after getting a teaching job at the conservatory through the efforts of his apprentice, he finally opened a school of lutherie in that city. De Lellis left Quebec City for Rome in 1979, where he resumed his practice as a luthier. Had his last workshop in Tivoli, some 50 km from Rome. Silvio de Lellis died in 1998 of a heart attack at the bar downstairs from his home, while having a last cup of coffee, which he tended to drink an excessive amount of.

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An undated bass by de Lellis, circa mid-1970s:

Most luthiers glue a small label of paper inside, listing name, date, location etc., but de Lellis apparently didn't follow this practice, instead using a heated brand with his name in scripted font. This bass carries at least two such brands, one on the inside of the upper spruce block, the other on the lower block, both about 3 cm up from the back. From the current (3rd) owner, it is known that this was the only bass made by de Lellis, who otherwise specialised in violin and viola making and repairs.

The workmanship in general is of high standard, plainly the result of considerable experience with violin-family instruments. The oil varnish shows some signs of friability, but is generally in good condition, and a dark yellow to light orange/amber colour. A fine crackling is notable everywhere. The arching of the belly is very deep and full, being about 60 mm at the centre and rising immediately from the very deep purfling (edge inlay) channel, with no scooping. The impression is one of 'fatness' more than anything else. The back arch is considerably more conservative, and the channel around the edge less deep by a little. The belly edge is thin, only about 5 mm at the peak, with the purfling more than 2 mm below this, leaving less than 3 mm from the surface to the ribs beneath - an unorthodox approach, and in this case one which has led to several broken-off edges having to be re-glued.

This is a 7/8ths size bass with a 43" scale. The wood is of fine quality, being European in origin for both the spruce belly and the maple body and neck. The neck heel is massive. The body pattern is violin-like, with Stradivari-influenced f-holes, though cut widely and spaced far apart (19 cm between the upper holes). The rib corners were accented with strips of ebony, as were the rib ends on both sides of the neck joint. A strip of rosewood fills the lower-rib joint. Overall, the work impresses as being quite good, if a bit eccentric, as though de Lellis were forging in his own direction.

Sources

• http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1SEC894534