American Standard Basses

American Standard Basses

Construction
The American Standard came in one size--it fits the definition of a 7/8ths bass. The volume, in terms of how big the 'box' is (measured in 'avoirdupois') rather than how loud it is, places it in the smallish side for a 7/8ths, but clearly larger than the more common 3/4 style basses.

The scale length (mensure) is typically 43.75", which is also characteristic of an oversized or 7/8ths size bass. Many would, however, label the bass as an Eb bass. This may be the correct designation, but its is closer to a 7/8ths bass than a 3/4 bass, which is generally 41.75", in terms of measurement. The larger volume (avd.) is found in the upper bout being both wider and deeper than the typical 3/4 and similar to a 7/8ths bass, while the lower bout is just a tiny bit oversized in width and its depth--approximating a smallish 7/8ths bass. The American Standard's larger size as well as the longer mensure accounts for its more than usual robust bottom end and the loudness of the low E string when compared to other plywood basses. More volume (avd.) translates into more reinforcement of fundamentals in higher pitched strings and more apparent volume (decibels, dB) of the E string.

Woods
All known examples are constructed of 5 ply laminated woods. Early basses had spruce as the top layer of the laminate, but sometime in the early 50s, the tops were simply maple or ash ply on top. Tailpieces are handmade with either ebonized hardwoods or, in some cases, rosewood. Necks are maple, and fingerboards were either stained (ebonized) hardwoods, or rosewood. Ebony may have been used on some basses, but there is disagreement about this. Chris Charvatt believes some ebony was used when prices were favorable--at times, rosewood can be more expensive than ebony. Kent 'Superman' Blanton feels there were no American Standards factory fitted with ebony fingerboards or tailpieces, while Roger Stowers has theorized:

"The American Standard basses manufactured prior to 1942 probably were equipped from the factory with ebony fingerboards. The American Standard basses manufactured from 1952 until 1965 probably were equipped from the factory with hardwood, usually rosewood, fingerboards."

In my opinion, it may be that some of the ebony boards LOOKED like rosewood as not all ebony is black, and there are some cuts of ebony that show grain and the minute pitting associated with rosewood (this is according to David Mansbridge, Annapolis Bass Shoppe). But so far, there is no substantiating evidence pro or con regarding the use of ebony in the construction of American Standards.

Tuners
Tuning keys were predominantly gold plated brass, brass plated steel, or steel-plated mystery metal (nickel and steel?). 90% of the surviving American Standards feature brass tuning gears and plates. All tuners appear to be a variation on the same style, leading many to believe they were all built by either H.N. White, or purchased in bulk from a supplier, which was not as prevalent in those days as is the case today.

Finishes
The American Standard appears to have come with several variations of lacquered finishes. Early examples develop 'checking' with age, and may have had a slightly greenish tint, probably a phenomenon resulting from uneven aging of the paint tints.

The early examples tend to be very dark with pinstriping. Pre-war examples were brown, brownish-red, and maybe some sunburst paint jobs. Later examples tend to be either sunburst or reddish-brown. All examples had pinstriping along the edges, in black, both on the front and back.

No known blonde models were produced.

Bell-shaped vs. Sloped Shoulders
Some models feature bell-shaped heel block/shoulders. This appears to be limited to the first few hundred American Standard. Later models had more sloped heel block/shoulders. See the examples below:

Bell-shaped Sloped

Variations in Labels
More research needs to be conducted on labels. Labels may eventually evidence a pattern, but until sufficient data comes in, we can only guess at the periods associated with the various Clevend/American Standard labels.

Note: A very limited number of American Standards may have been built in Europe. Chris Charvatt, historian for the H.N. White family believes this might be possible. Substantiating this theory is extremely difficult, but the existence of tags glued inside basses with foreign imprints seems to indicate that this could have been the case for a short time, probably in the very early days of the American Standard production effort. According to Chris Charvatt,

Mr. White was crazy about quality, Kings cost more for a reason. My Grandmother (Kay White) worked at the factory from 1939-1965, and she believed that the company did not start importing instruments until the early 1960's. The factory which was located on the East side of Cleveland was in a very ethnic area, and a good percentage of the craftsmen did not speak English as a first language. The HN White Company did do repairs at the factory and also supplied parts to anyone who could afford them. When a repair was done, a label would have been put on the instrument because Mr. White Guaranteed his craftsmen's work.

Researching all of the above is proving difficult at this point and only through the collection of more data can any factual observations be made with any accuracy.