100 year old bass

[steve2]

I play electric bass for the past 30 years and have never played double bass but I have always been intrested in it. I was at my neighbors this morning doing some pc work and the ladys husband who has been dead for several years has over a 100 year old bass. When the man was alive and had Althimers (spell check) he took it apart. Anyway her son in law took it and had someone put it together and had it refinished. Its in awsome condition. It has no name on it and the guy told him its worth around $1,200 however they offered it to me for around $450. Anyway I may try to geta photo of it in the next few days but I know nothing about them and need some guidance. Thanks

Steve

[MingusAmongUs]

Love to hear those stories.... too bad they never happen to me. I knew a guy from England who had a gorgeous bass, had to be 5 figures in value. I asked him about it, how he came by it, and he told me he was playing a jazz gig on his cheapo plywood bass. Afterwards, a woman approached him and told him her husband had died a few years earlier and she had been going out to hear music, specifically looking for a bass player who "deserved" her late husband's bass, and he was it! Pennies from Heaven.

Anyway, if this instrument is indeed over 100 years old, and it was taken apart carefully so that it could be put back together properly, it's bound to be worth a heckuva lot more than $1200. Don't use that info to your advantage, but be sure you don't get suckered if you decide to sell it. Get a few opinions.

[Silversorcerer]

Post some pics if you can. We can help you evaluate it. If it was disassembled, to me that spells b-e c-a-r-e-f-u-l. Not that you should assume that someone is trying to put one off on you, just that probably they don't know if it is good or not. You have no idea who put it back together or what type glue they used, etc. All of that is very important. It sounds like a really sweet deal if it really is in good shape. You might want to shop for a luthier in advance to do the set-up work. A good set up is very important if you plan to play it. Also, try to find a teacher.